ObjectiveTo investigate whether Huanglian Jiedutang can inhibit neutrophil infiltration in the brains of middle cerebral artery occlusion （MCAO） mice by regulating the expression of neutrophil-related chemokines in exosomes， thereby achieving therapeutic effects. MethodsA total of 130 male specific pathogen-free （SPF） C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into four groups： Sham-operated group， MCAO model group， Huanglian Jiedutang group （6 g·kg^-1）， and Ginaton group （21.6 mg·kg^-1）， with 10 mice in the Ginaton group and 40 mice in each of the remaining three groups. Mice in the Huanglian Jiedutang group and the Ginaton group were administered the corresponding drugs by oral gavage once daily at a volume of 0.15 mL·（10 g）^-1 for 7 consecutive days， while the sham-operated and model groups received an equal volume of saline via the same route. After 7 days， MCAO surgery was performed. The distal and proximal ends of the right common carotid artery （CCA） were ligated， a small incision was made between the two ligatures， and a silicone rubber-coated monofilament with a rounded tip was inserted into the lumen to occlude the CCA. The filament was left in place for 1 h to establish a focal cerebral ischemia model. At 24 h after modeling， mice were evaluated. Neurological function was assessed using the Longa score. Cerebral infarct volume was measured by 2，3，5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride （TTC） staining. Cerebral blood flow was observed by laser speckle imaging. Hematoxylin and eosin （HE） staining and Nissl staining were used to observe pathological changes in brain tissues. Exosomes were isolated from mouse plasma and brain tissues by ultracentrifugation and molecular size exclusion and identified by electron microscopy， particle size analysis， and protein blotting. Long-chain RNA libraries of exosomes were constructed and sequenced. Real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to detect the mRNA expression of inflammatory factors and neutrophil-related chemokines in exosomes from plasma and brain tissues of each group. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to detect the protein expression of inflammatory factors and neutrophil-related chemokines in exosomes from brain tissues of each group. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of the neutrophil-specific protein myeloperoxidase （MPO） in the brains of mice in each group. ResultsCompared with the sham-operated group， the model group showed decreased neurological function scores （P<0.01）， obvious cerebral infarction （P<0.01）， reduced cerebral blood flow （P<0.01）， neuronal necrosis in the brain， and decreased numbers of Nissl bodies （P<0.01）. The mRNA expression levels of IL-1β， MPO， CXCL1， CXCL2， CXCL3， CXCL10， CCL2， and CCL3 in exosomes from plasma and brain tissues were significantly increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The protein expression levels of IL-1β， MPO， CXCL2， and CXCL10 in exosomes from brain tissues were increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and MPO-positive rates and mean optical density values in brain tissues were elevated （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the Huanglian Jiedutang group and the Ginaton group showed increased neurological function scores （P<0.05）， reduced cerebral infarct volume （P<0.01）， restored cerebral blood flow （P<0.01）， reduced necrotic cells in the brain， and increased numbers of Nissl bodies （P<0.01）. In the Huanglian Jiedutang group， the mRNA expression levels of IL-1β， MPO， CXCL1， CXCL2， CXCL3， CXCL10， CCL2， and CCL3 in exosomes from plasma and brain tissues were decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The protein expression levels of IL-1β， MPO， CXCL2， and CXCL10 in exosomes from brain tissues were reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and MPO-positive rates and mean optical density values in brain tissues were decreased （P<0.01）. ConclusionHuanglian Jiedutang can effectively regulate the expression of neutrophil-related chemokines in exosomes from plasma and brain tissues of MCAO mice， thereby reducing neutrophil infiltration in the brain and achieving therapeutic effects.

ObjectiveTo investigate whether Huanglian Jiedutang can inhibit neutrophil infiltration in the brains of middle cerebral artery occlusion （MCAO） mice by regulating the expression of neutrophil-related chemokines in exosomes， thereby achieving therapeutic effects. MethodsA total of 130 male specific pathogen-free （SPF） C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into four groups： Sham-operated group， MCAO model group， Huanglian Jiedutang group （6 g·kg^-1）， and Ginaton group （21.6 mg·kg^-1）， with 10 mice in the Ginaton group and 40 mice in each of the remaining three groups. Mice in the Huanglian Jiedutang group and the Ginaton group were administered the corresponding drugs by oral gavage once daily at a volume of 0.15 mL·（10 g）^-1 for 7 consecutive days， while the sham-operated and model groups received an equal volume of saline via the same route. After 7 days， MCAO surgery was performed. The distal and proximal ends of the right common carotid artery （CCA） were ligated， a small incision was made between the two ligatures， and a silicone rubber-coated monofilament with a rounded tip was inserted into the lumen to occlude the CCA. The filament was left in place for 1 h to establish a focal cerebral ischemia model. At 24 h after modeling， mice were evaluated. Neurological function was assessed using the Longa score. Cerebral infarct volume was measured by 2，3，5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride （TTC） staining. Cerebral blood flow was observed by laser speckle imaging. Hematoxylin and eosin （HE） staining and Nissl staining were used to observe pathological changes in brain tissues. Exosomes were isolated from mouse plasma and brain tissues by ultracentrifugation and molecular size exclusion and identified by electron microscopy， particle size analysis， and protein blotting. Long-chain RNA libraries of exosomes were constructed and sequenced. Real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to detect the mRNA expression of inflammatory factors and neutrophil-related chemokines in exosomes from plasma and brain tissues of each group. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to detect the protein expression of inflammatory factors and neutrophil-related chemokines in exosomes from brain tissues of each group. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of the neutrophil-specific protein myeloperoxidase （MPO） in the brains of mice in each group. ResultsCompared with the sham-operated group， the model group showed decreased neurological function scores （P<0.01）， obvious cerebral infarction （P<0.01）， reduced cerebral blood flow （P<0.01）， neuronal necrosis in the brain， and decreased numbers of Nissl bodies （P<0.01）. The mRNA expression levels of IL-1β， MPO， CXCL1， CXCL2， CXCL3， CXCL10， CCL2， and CCL3 in exosomes from plasma and brain tissues were significantly increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The protein expression levels of IL-1β， MPO， CXCL2， and CXCL10 in exosomes from brain tissues were increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and MPO-positive rates and mean optical density values in brain tissues were elevated （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the Huanglian Jiedutang group and the Ginaton group showed increased neurological function scores （P<0.05）， reduced cerebral infarct volume （P<0.01）， restored cerebral blood flow （P<0.01）， reduced necrotic cells in the brain， and increased numbers of Nissl bodies （P<0.01）. In the Huanglian Jiedutang group， the mRNA expression levels of IL-1β， MPO， CXCL1， CXCL2， CXCL3， CXCL10， CCL2， and CCL3 in exosomes from plasma and brain tissues were decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The protein expression levels of IL-1β， MPO， CXCL2， and CXCL10 in exosomes from brain tissues were reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and MPO-positive rates and mean optical density values in brain tissues were decreased （P<0.01）. ConclusionHuanglian Jiedutang can effectively regulate the expression of neutrophil-related chemokines in exosomes from plasma and brain tissues of MCAO mice， thereby reducing neutrophil infiltration in the brain and achieving therapeutic effects.

Objective:To analyze the effects of entecavir on tear secretion and tear film function in patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 24 patients with HBV infection who received treatment with entecavir at the Department of Ophthalmology, Affiliated Hospital of Shaoxing University from April to October 2022. The relevant examination results of dry eye in these patients were analyzed before medication and at 1 and 3 months after medication.Results:Before medication, 13 cases (54.17%) had dry eye, and 3 months after medication, 17 cases (70.83%) had dry eye. At 1 and 3 months after treatment with entecavir, the Ocular Surface Disease Index values of the patients were (13.83 ± 7.11) points and (15.29 ± 6.94) points, respectively. There was no significant difference in Ocular Surface Disease Index value between before and after treatment ( t = -0.24, -1.24, both P>0.05). At 1 and 3 months after treatment, the Schirmer I test results were (8.74 ± 2.40) mm and (8.21 ± 2.40) mm, respectively. The Schirmer I test results at 3 months after treatment were significantly lower than those before treatment ( t = 2.12, P<0.05). At 3 months after treatment, the tear film break-up time was reduced to (7.63 ± 1.97) seconds, which was significantly shorter than the value recorded before treatment ( t = 2.12, P<0.05). At 3 months after treatment, the height of the tear meniscus was (0.21 ± 0.06) mm, which was significantly different from that measured before treatment ( t = 2.26, P<0.05).At 3 months after treatment, the red eye index increased compared with the value recorded before treatment, but the difference was not statistically significant ( t = -0.35, -0.94, both P>0.05). Conclusions:Patients with HBV infection are prone to developing dry eye syndrome. After treatment with entecavir, there may be a reduction in tear secretion and a decline in tear film function, which should be a concern for clinicians.

Liver transplantation is the preferred treatment for cirrhosis, end-stage liver failure, and hepatocellular carcinoma, and is also the only effective curative method. Liver ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) is one of the main adverse reactions of liver transplantation. During the operation, ischemia mediates the occurrence of liver IRI, promoting the cascade activation of reactive oxygen species and pro-inflammatory signals in Kupffer cells. With continued hepatocellular death during ischemia, damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) accumulate and are released into systemic circulation, triggering a cytokine and chemokine storm, resulting in poor prognosis, postoperative liver failure, systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS). In liver transplantation-related IRI, PANoptosis—including apoptosis, pyroptosis, necroptosis, ferroptosis, and autophagy—participates in the process, but a comprehensive review is lacking. This article systematically elaborates on the roles of different types of cell death in liver IRI and the crosstalk among these pathways. It also discusses the protective effects of inhibiting different forms of cell death, aiming to provide direction for future basic research and offer new ideas and strategies for the clinical treatment of liver IRI.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical performance of high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) genotyping in cervical cancer screening.Methods:Between June and July 2017, a prospective cervical cancer screening cohort was established in Xiaye Town, Jiyuan City, Henan Province, China by recruiting 3 254 women aged 21 to 64 years. At baseline screening, cervical exfoliated cell specimens were collected for HR-HPV genotyping and liquid-based cytology testing. Follow-ups were conducted over a 3-year period, with cytology testing in the first and second years and both HR-HPV genotyping and cytology testing in the third year. Women meeting the referral criteria were referred for colposcopy, with cervical biopsy and histopathological diagnosis performed as necessary. The endpoint was defined as cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 (CIN2) or higher confirmed by histopathological diagnosis. The sensitivity and specificity for detecting CIN2 or higher lesions of HR-HPV genotyping were calculated, as well as the cumulative risk of developing CIN2 or higher lesions over the 4-year study period in women with different baseline HR-HPV genotyping results.Results:A total of 2 741 women were included in the statistical analysis. Baseline HR-HPV genotyping detected 453 HR-HPV positive cases (16.53%), including 98 HPV 16/18 positive cases (3.58%) and 355 other HR-HPV positive cases (12.95%). During the 4-year period, 83 cases of CIN2 or higher were diagnosed. The sensitivity and specificity of baseline HR-HPV positivity for CIN2 or higher were 89.16% (95% CI: 80.66%-94.19%) and 85.74% (95% CI: 84.36%-87.02%), respectively. The corresponding rates for HPV 16/18 positivity were 43.37% (95% CI: 33.24%-54.09%) and 97.67% (95% CI: 97.02%-98.18%). The 4-year cumulative absolute risk of CIN2 or higher was highest in the HPV 16/18 positive group (36.73%, 95% CI: 27.85%-46.62%), followed by other HR-HPV positive groups (10.70%, 95% CI: 7.87%-14.38%), and the HR-HPV negative group was the lowest (0.39%, 95% CI: 0.19%-0.76%). Conclusions:HR-HPV genotyping testing exhibits high sensitivity and specificity for detecting CIN2 or higher lesions in cervical cancer screening. It also provides a scientific basis for stratifying the individual risk of developing CIN2 or higher lesions to guide subsequent management. Therefore, the HR-HPV genotyping testing can be considered as an effective method for cervical cancer screening.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the genetic etiology of a Chinese pedigree affected with Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD). METHODS: A child who presented at the ENT Department of Zhengzhou University Children's Hospital in March 2024 due to secretory otitis media, chronic sinusitis, adenoid hypertrophy, dextrocardia, and bronchiectasis was selected as study subject. Relevant clinical data were collected. Peripheral blood samples from the child and her family members were collected. Following DNA extraction, whole exome sequencing was carried out. Candidate variants were validated by Sanger sequencing, and the correlation between the variants and phenotype was analyzed. This study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the Hospital (Ethics No.: 2024-K-135). RESULTS: The child and her elder siblings exhibited similar clinical manifestations including recurrent cough, secretory otitis media, chronic sinusitis, tracheobronchitis, and pneumonia. The child also presented with bronchiectasis and visceral situs inversus. Genetic testing results indicated that the child and her elder siblings had all harbored compound heterozygous variants of the DNAH11 gene, namely c.3000 1G>A and c.5775C>G (p.Tyr1925*), which were respectively inherited from their phenotypically normal parents. Both variants can affect mRNA splicing and protein translation integrity. Based on the guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics, both variants were classified as likely pathogenic. It was predicted that they may jointly lead to a functional defect in axonemal dynein, resulting in the phenotype of PCD, conforming to an autosomal recessive inheritance. CONCLUSION The compound heterozygous variants c.3000 1G>A and c.5775C>G (p.Tyr1925*) of the DNAH11 gene probably underlay the pathogenesis of PCD in this pedigree. The same variant in different individuals may lead to different clinical phenotypes, which has reflected significant heterogeneity in genetic background and clinical phenotype. Above findings have enriched the mutational spectrum of PCD gene and have important implications for the accurate diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, and genetic counseling.
Humans ; Pedigree ; Female ; Axonemal Dyneins/genetics* ; Male ; Child ; Asian People/genetics* ; Kartagener Syndrome/genetics* ; Mutation ; Phenotype ; China ; Adult ; East Asian People

Antibiotic resistance is spreading at a faster rate than new antibiotic agents applied for clinical remedies. It is an urgent need to discover potential compounds to combat multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria. Marine fungi offer a promising avenue for mining antibiotic-like molecules with chemical diversity. To discover structurally novel and antibiotic metabolites, we screened the in-house marine fungus genome library and found a fungus Stephanonectria keithii LZD-10-1 containing a non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) cluster with 18 modules to synthesize a new subfamily of peptaibols with effective eradication against MDR pathogens. Targeting isolation of the cultured fungus afforded six new peptaibols, which exhibit the ability to kill MDR bacteria by targeting bacterial membrane phospholipids, especially phosphatidylglycerol (PG), leading to the dysfunction of bacterial membranes. Furthermore, their efficacies against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in both Galleria mellonella and mouse wound infection models were observed. This study underscores the significance of employing genome-guided approaches to identify untapped marine fungi as potential sources for novel antibiotic candidates with unique scaffolds.

Cardiac fibrosis is characterized by an elevated amount of extracellular matrix (ECM) within the heart. However, the persistence of cardiac fibrosis ultimately diminishes contractility and precipitates cardiac dysfunction. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are emerging as important regulators of cardiac fibrosis. Here, we elucidate the functional role of a specific circular RNA CELF1 in cardiac fibrosis and delineate a novel feedback loop mechanism. Functionally, circ-CELF1 was involved in enhancing fibrosis-related markers' expression and promoting the proliferation of cardiac fibroblasts (CFs), thereby exacerbating cardiac fibrosis. Mechanistically, circ-CELF1 reduced the ubiquitination-degradation rate of BRPF3, leading to an elevation of BRPF3 protein levels. Additionally, BRPF3 acted as a modular scaffold for the recruitment of histone acetyltransferase KAT7 to facilitate the induction of H3K14 acetylation within the promoters of the Celf1 gene. Thus, the transcription of Celf1 was dramatically activated, thereby inhibiting the subsequent response of their downstream target gene Smad7 expression to promote cardiac fibrosis. Moreover, Celf1 further promoted Celf1 pre-mRNA transcription and back-splicing, thereby establishing a feedback loop for circ-CELF1 production. Consequently, a novel feedback loop involving CELF1/circ-CELF1/BRPF3/KAT7 was established, suggesting that circ-CELF1 may serve as a potential novel therapeutic target for cardiac fibrosis.

Liver transplantation is the preferred treatment for cirrhosis, end-stage liver failure, and hepatocellular carcinoma, and is also the only effective curative method. Liver ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) is one of the main adverse reactions of liver transplantation. During the operation, ischemia mediates the occurrence of liver IRI, promoting the cascade activation of reactive oxygen species and pro-inflammatory signals in Kupffer cells. With continued hepatocellular death during ischemia, damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) accumulate and are released into systemic circulation, triggering a cytokine and chemokine storm, resulting in poor prognosis, postoperative liver failure, systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS). In liver transplantation-related IRI, PANoptosis—including apoptosis, pyroptosis, necroptosis, ferroptosis, and autophagy—participates in the process, but a comprehensive review is lacking. This article systematically elaborates on the roles of different types of cell death in liver IRI and the crosstalk among these pathways. It also discusses the protective effects of inhibiting different forms of cell death, aiming to provide direction for future basic research and offer new ideas and strategies for the clinical treatment of liver IRI.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical performance of high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) genotyping in cervical cancer screening.Methods:Between June and July 2017, a prospective cervical cancer screening cohort was established in Xiaye Town, Jiyuan City, Henan Province, China by recruiting 3 254 women aged 21 to 64 years. At baseline screening, cervical exfoliated cell specimens were collected for HR-HPV genotyping and liquid-based cytology testing. Follow-ups were conducted over a 3-year period, with cytology testing in the first and second years and both HR-HPV genotyping and cytology testing in the third year. Women meeting the referral criteria were referred for colposcopy, with cervical biopsy and histopathological diagnosis performed as necessary. The endpoint was defined as cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 (CIN2) or higher confirmed by histopathological diagnosis. The sensitivity and specificity for detecting CIN2 or higher lesions of HR-HPV genotyping were calculated, as well as the cumulative risk of developing CIN2 or higher lesions over the 4-year study period in women with different baseline HR-HPV genotyping results.Results:A total of 2 741 women were included in the statistical analysis. Baseline HR-HPV genotyping detected 453 HR-HPV positive cases (16.53%), including 98 HPV 16/18 positive cases (3.58%) and 355 other HR-HPV positive cases (12.95%). During the 4-year period, 83 cases of CIN2 or higher were diagnosed. The sensitivity and specificity of baseline HR-HPV positivity for CIN2 or higher were 89.16% (95% CI: 80.66%-94.19%) and 85.74% (95% CI: 84.36%-87.02%), respectively. The corresponding rates for HPV 16/18 positivity were 43.37% (95% CI: 33.24%-54.09%) and 97.67% (95% CI: 97.02%-98.18%). The 4-year cumulative absolute risk of CIN2 or higher was highest in the HPV 16/18 positive group (36.73%, 95% CI: 27.85%-46.62%), followed by other HR-HPV positive groups (10.70%, 95% CI: 7.87%-14.38%), and the HR-HPV negative group was the lowest (0.39%, 95% CI: 0.19%-0.76%). Conclusions:HR-HPV genotyping testing exhibits high sensitivity and specificity for detecting CIN2 or higher lesions in cervical cancer screening. It also provides a scientific basis for stratifying the individual risk of developing CIN2 or higher lesions to guide subsequent management. Therefore, the HR-HPV genotyping testing can be considered as an effective method for cervical cancer screening.