Objective To elucidate the molecular mechanism of sirtuin-3 (SIRT3) in regulating mitochondrial biogenesis in human renal tubular epithelial cells. Methods Cells were stimulated with different concentrations of H₂O₂ and divided into four groups: control (NC), 50 μmol/L H₂O₂, 110 μmol/L H₂O₂ and 150 μmol/L H₂O₂. SIRT3 protein expression was then measured. SIRT3 was knocked down with siRNA, and cells were further assigned to five groups: control (NC), negative-control siRNA (NCsi), SIRT3-siRNA (siSIRT3), NCsi+H₂O₂, and siSIRT3+H₂O₂. After 24 h, cellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and mitochondrial superoxide anion (O₂•⁻) levels were determined, together with mitochondrial expression of SIRT3, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α), nuclear respiratory factor 1 (NRF1), mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM), superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2), acetylated-SOD2 and adenosine monophosphate activated protein kinase α1 (AMPKα1). Results The 110 and 150 μmol/L H₂O₂ decreased SIRT3 protein (both P<0.05). ATP and mitochondrial O₂•⁻ did not differ between NC and NCsi groups (both P>0.05). Compared to the NCsi group, the siSIRT3 group exhibited elevated O₂•⁻ level, decreased SIRT3 protein and increased expression levels of SOD2 and acetylated SOD2 protein (all P<0.05). Compared to the NCsi group, the NCsi+H₂O₂ group exhibited decreased cellular ATP levels, elevated mitochondrial O₂•⁻ levels, and reduced protein expression levels of SIRT3, SOD2, TFAM, AMPKα1, PGC-1α and NRF1 (all P<0.05). Compared with the siSIRT3 group, the siSIRT3+H₂O₂ group showed a decrease in cellular ATP levels, an increase in mitochondrial O₂•⁻ levels, a decrease in SIRT3, SOD2, TFAM, AMPKα1, PGC-1α and NRF1 protein expression levels and a decrease in acetylated SOD2 protein expression levels (all P<0.05). Compared with the NCsi+H₂O₂ group, the siSIRT3+H₂O₂ group showed a decrease in cellular ATP levels, an increase in mitochondrial O₂•⁻ levels, a decrease in SIRT3, AMPKα1, PGC-1α and NRF1, TFAM protein expression levels, and an increase in SOD2 and acetylated SOD2 protein expression levels (all P<0.05). Conclusions SIRT3 promotes mitochondrial biogenesis in tubular epithelial cells via the AMPK/PGC-1α/NRF1/TFAM axis, representing a key mechanism through which SIRT3 ameliorates oxidative stress-induced mitochondrial dysfunction.

Objective To investigate the distribution characteristics of pathogens causing infections within 90 days after liver transplantation and the influencing factors of infection. Methods Clinical data of 176 recipients who underwent liver transplantation at the Liver Transplant Center of Beijing Friendship Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University from September 2021 to August 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into the infection group (n=124) and the non-infection group (n=52) based on whether they developed infection within 90 days after transplantation. The distribution characteristics of pathogens in infected patients were analyzed. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to explore the influencing factors of infection. Results Among the 176 liver transplant recipients, 124 cases developed 243 episodes of 518 bacterial, fungal, viral or mycoplasma infections within 90 days after transplantation, with an overall infection rate of 70.5% (124/176). The composition of pathogens was mainly Gram-negative bacteria (38.6%, 200/518), followed by Gram-positive bacteria (32.2%, 167/518) and viruses (15.4%, 80/518), and fungi accounted for 13.1% (68/518). Among Gram-negative bacteria, the main pathogen was Klebsiella pneumoniae (6.8%, 35/518), and among Gram-positive bacteria, the main pathogen was Enterococcus faecalis (8.5%, 44/518). Viruses included Epstein-Barr virus (3.7%, 19/518) and cytomegalovirus (3.7%, 19/518), and fungi were mainly Candida albicans (6.8%, 35/518). The most common infection site among the 243 episodes was pulmonary infection (42.0%, 102/243), followed by abdominal infection (22.6%, 55/243) and bloodstream infection (18.1%, 44/243). The infections mainly occurred within 2 weeks after transplantation (60.9%, 148/243). Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that preoperative infection within 2 weeks, a high preoperative model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score, and preoperative sarcopenia were independent risk factors for infection within 90 days after liver transplantation (all odds ratio>1, P<0.05). After multivariate correction, the levels of CD4⁺T cells and CD8⁺T cells within 90 days after surgery were independently associated with the occurrence of infection. Low levels of CD4⁺T cells and CD8⁺T cells might be related to an increased risk of infection. Conclusions The infection rate after liver transplantation is high, and the pathogens are mainly Gram-negative bacteria. The lungs are the most common infection site. Preoperative MELD score, preoperative sarcopenia and preoperative infection within 2 weeks are independent risk factors for infection within 90 days after liver transplantation. Regular monitoring of immune indicators CD4⁺T cells and CD8⁺T cells levels after transplantation is helpful to reduce the occurrence of post-transplantation infection.

OBJECTIVE To study the protective effect and potential mechanism of chikusetsu saponin Ⅳ a （chsⅣ） on renal function in diabetic nephropathy （DN） model rats. METHODS DN rat model was established by high-fat diet combined with streptozotocin injection. Thirty-six model rats were randomly divided into model group （i.g. administration of normal saline， high-fat diet）， chsⅣ low-dose and high-dose groups （i.g. administration of 90， 180 mg/kg chsⅣ， high-fat diet）， with 12 rats in each group. Additionally， 10 normal rats were set as the control group （i.g. administration of normal saline， regular diet）. From the 5th to the 12th week after streptozotocin injection， they were given intragastric administration of relevant drug or normal saline， once a day. After the last medication， the levels of fasting blood glucose， fasting insulin， blood urea nitrogen， serum creatinine and urine protein as well as the levels of reduced glutathione （GSH）， superoxide dismutase （SOD） and malondialdehyde （MDA） in renal tissues were measured. Additionally， the insulin resistance index was calculated. Hematoxylin-eosin， periodic acid-Schiff， and Masson staining techniques were employed to examine the histopathological alterations in the renal tissue. The expressions of Notch signaling pathway-related proteins in renal tissue were detected by immunohistochemical staining and Western blot methods. RESULTS Compared with model group， the histomorphological of renal tissues in the chsⅣ low- and high-dose groups were significantly improved， with significant decreases in renal histological scores， mesangial expansion index， and glomerulosclerosis scores （ P ＜0.05）； the levels of fasting blood glucose， fasting insulin， blood urea nitrogen， serum creatinine， urine protein and homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance， as well as MDA content， the expression levels of Notch1， Notch intracellular domain， hairy and enhancer of Split 1 and Delta-like protein 1 in renal tissue were all significantly decreased （ P ＜0.05）. The levels of GSH and SOD in renal tissue were significantly elevated （ P ＜0.05）. Moreover， the improvement in these indicators was significantly more pronounced in the chsⅣ high-dose group compared to the chsⅣ low-dose group （ P ＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS ChsⅣ can ameliorate renal pathological damage and functional impairment in DN rats. Its underlying mechanisms include restoration of glucose homeostasis and insulin sensitivity， attenuation of renal oxidative stress， and suppression of aberrant Notch signaling pathway activation.

OBJECTIVE To systematically evaluate the correlation between dynamic changes in inflammatory markers during treatment with epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors （EGFR-TKIs） in non-small cell lung cancer （NSCLC） patients and therapeutic efficacy， with the aim of providing evidence-based support for clinical prognosis assessment and treatment strategy adjustment. METHODS Databases including PubMed， Embase， Cochrane Library， CNKI， Wanfang Data， and CBM were searched from the inception to July 20， 2025. Following literature screening， data extraction and quality assessment， descriptive analysis was conducted on the outcomes of included studies. RESULTS A total of eight studies were included to analyze the correlation of 6 inflammatory markers before and after treatment with EGFR-TKIs with therapeutic efficacy. The risk of bias assessment identified six high-quality studies and two moderate-quality studies. Among these studies， seven studies demonstrated that lower levels of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio （NLR）， derived neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio （dNLR）， platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio （PLR）， and monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio （MLR）， higher lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio （LMR） before treatment， as well as decreased NLR and MLR and increased LMR after treatment were associated with longer median progression-free survival. Five studies indicated that lower levels of NLR， dNLR， PLR， and interleukin-6 （IL-6）， higher LMR before treatment as well as decreased NLR and dNLR and increased LMR were associated with longer median overall survival. Three studies indicated that lower levels of IL-6 were associated with a higher objective response rate， while the association of these markers after treatment remained controversial； another study showed that an early decline in NLR， MLR， and PLR after treatment may be associated with objective response benefit. CONCLUSIONS Lower inflammatory levels during EGFR-TKIs therapy correlate with better therapeutic efficacy in NSCLC patients.

This article reports a rare case of autoinflammatory disease presenting initially with skin induration and swelling after trauma as the initial manifestation, followed by progressive limb weakness. The patient was a middle-aged female who developed skin induration and swelling after trauma, which gradually progressed to limb weakness, dysarthria and bilateral facial paralysis, accompanied by livedo reticularis of the lower extremities, diffuse skin induration of the limbs, and beaded subcutaneous nodules in the right upper limb. The patient had a susceptibility to infection since childhood and a history of chronic livedo reticularis. Skin pathological examination revealed panniculitis. A comprehensive etiological screening for special infections and autoimmune diseases was completed with an unremarkable results, and whole-exome sequencing showed no abnormal findings. Following a multidisciplinary discussion combined with RNA sequencing results, the patient was diagnosed with an autoinflammatory disease, with a suspected type Ⅰ interferonopathy. Treatment with tofacitinib resulted in gradual improvement of clinical symptoms. This case highlights the importance of detailed medical history collection, systematic physical examination and multidisciplinary collaborative diagnosis and treatment, and underscores the pivotal role of molecular diagnosis in the confirmation of rare diseases. It can provide a reference for the clinical diagnosis and management of similar rare cases.

BACKGROUND: G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK2) could participate in the regulation of diverse cells via interacting with non-G-protein-coupled receptors. In the present work, we explored how paroxetine, a GRK2 inhibitor, modulates the differentiation and activation of immune cells in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: The blood samples of healthy individuals and RA patients were collected between July 2021 and March 2022 from the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University. C57BL/6 mice were used to induce the collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) model. Flow cytometry analysis was used to characterize the differentiation and function of dendritic cells (DCs)/T cells. Co-immunoprecipitation was used to explore the specific molecular mechanism. RESULTS: In patients with RA, high expression of GRK2 in peripheral blood lymphocytes, accompanied by the increases of phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI3K), protein kinase B (AKT), and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). In animal model, a decrease in regulatory T cells (T regs ), an increase in the cluster of differentiation 8 positive (CD8 + ) T cells, and maturation of DCs were observed. Paroxetine, when used in vitro and in CIA mice, restrained the maturation of DCs and the differentiation of CD8 + T cells, and induced the proportion of T regs . Paroxetine inhibited the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines, the expression of C-C motif chemokine receptor 7 in DCs and T cells. Simultaneously, paroxetine upregulated the expression of programmed death ligand 1, and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Additionally, paroxetine inhibited the PI3K-AKT-mTOR metabolic pathway in both DCs and T cells. This was associated with a reduction in mitochondrial membrane potential and changes in the utilization of glucose and lipids, particularly in DCs. Paroxetine reversed PI3K-AKT pathway activation induced by 740 Y-P (a PI3K agonist) through inhibiting the interaction between GRK2 and PI3K in DCs and T cells. CONCLUSION Paroxetine exerts an immunosuppressive effect by targeting GRK2, which subsequently inhibits the metabolism-related PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway of DCs and T cells in RA.
G-Protein-Coupled Receptor Kinase 2/metabolism* ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/immunology* ; Animals ; Dendritic Cells/metabolism* ; Paroxetine/therapeutic use* ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism* ; Mice ; Humans ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Male ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/metabolism* ; Lymphocyte Activation/drug effects* ; Female ; T-Lymphocytes/metabolism* ; Middle Aged

Inflammaging is a process of cellular dysfunction associated with chronic inflammation, which plays a significant role in the onset and progression of liver diseases. Research on its mechanisms has become a hotspot. In viral hepatitis, inflammaging primarily involve oxidative stress, cell apoptosis and necrosis, as well as gut microbiota dysbiosis. In non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, inflammaging is more complex, involving insulin resistance, fat deposition, lipid metabolism disorders, gut microbiota dysbiosis, and abnormalities in NAD⁺ metabolism. In liver tumors, inflammaging is characterized by weakening of tumor suppressive mechanisms, remodeling of the liver microenvironment, metabolic reprogramming, and enhanced immune evasion. Therapeutic strategies targeting inflammaging have been developing recently, and antioxidant therapy, metabolic disorder improvement, and immunotherapy are emerging as important interventions for liver diseases. This review focuses on the mechanisms of inflammaging in liver diseases, aiming to provide novel insights for the prevention and treatment of liver diseases.
Humans ; Liver Diseases/pathology* ; Inflammation ; Oxidative Stress ; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease ; Liver Neoplasms ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome

OBJECTIVES: Sepsis-associated acute lung injury (S-ALI) is one of the major causes of death in intensive care unit (ICU) patients, yet its mechanisms remain incompletely understood and effective therapies are lacking. Lytic cell death of macrophages is a key driver of the inflammatory cascade in S-ALI. PANoptosis, a newly recognized form of lytic cell death characterized by PANoptosome assembly and activation, involves plasma membrane rupture (PMR) mediated by ninjurin-1 (NINJ1), a recently identified pore-forming protein. Itaconic acid is known for its anti-inflammatory effects, but its role in macrophage PANoptosis during S-ALI is unclear. This study aims to investigate the protective effect of itaconic acid on macrophage PANoptosis in S-ALI to provide new therapeutic insights. METHODS: Male specific-pathogen-free C57BL/6J mice (6-8 weeks, 18-20 g) received intraperitoneal lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to establish a classical S-ALI model. Western blotting was used to assess PANoptosome-related proteins and enzymes involved in the itaconic acid metabolic pathway, while real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and metabolomics quantified itaconic acid levels. Primary peritoneal macrophages (PMs) were pretreated with the itaconate derivative 4-octyl itaconate (4-OI) and then exposed to tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) plus interferon gamma (IFN-γ) to induce PANoptosis. Cell viability was evaluated by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. Western blotting was employed to quantify enzymes of the itaconate-metabolic pathway in PANoptotic macrophages, to evaluate the impact of 4-OI on PANoptosome-associated proteins, and to determine NINJ1 abundance in lung tissues from S-ALI mice and in PANoptotic macrophages. Fluorescent dye FM_4-64 was used to visualize 4-OI-mediated changes in PMR, whereas immunofluorescence staining mapped the effect of 4-OI on both the expression level and membrane localization of NINJ1 in PANoptotic macrophages. The effect of 4-OI on lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release in culture supernatants and peripheal blood serum was assessed using a LDH assay kit, and non-denataring polyacylamide gel electrophoresis was used to assess the expression of NINJ1 in S-ALI mouse lung tissues and the impact of 4-OI on the expression of PANoptosis-associated NINJ1 multimeric reflected protein in macropahges. RESULTS: In S-ALI mouse lungs, PANoptosome components [NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3 (NLRP3), Gasdermin D (GSDMD), Caspase-1, Z-DNA binding protein (ZBP1), and Caspase-3] and phosphorylated mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein (MLKL) S345 were significantly upregulated (all P<0.05), while metabolomics showed compensatory increases in itaconic acid and its key enzymes [aconitate decarboxylase 1 (ACOD1)/immunoresponsive gene 1 (IRG1)]. In macrophages, 4-OI obviously suppressed PANoptosome protein expression, reduced LDH release, restored plasma membrane integrity, and inhibited NINJ1 expression and oligomerization at the membrane (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Itaconic acid may alleviate macrophage PANoptosis in S-ALI by inhibiting NINJ1-mediated plasma membrane rupture. Targeting NINJ1 or enhancing itaconate pathways may offer a novel therapeutic strategy for S-ALI.
Animals ; Acute Lung Injury/pathology* ; Succinates/pharmacology* ; Sepsis/complications* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Male ; Mice ; Macrophages/pathology* ; Cell Membrane/metabolism* ; Lipopolysaccharides ; Hydro-Lyases

Objective To observe the ultrasonic manifestations of abdominal pregnancy.Methods Ultrasonic and clinical data of 18 pregnant woman with abdominal pregnancy diagnosed by operation and pathology were retrospectively analyzed.Results Among 15 cases in first trimester,no preoperative ultrasonic diagnosis of abdominal pregnancy was obtained.Ultrasound showed no gestational sac in uterine cavity but mass in pelvic cavity,which located in the adnexal region in 8 cases,in the front and the post of uterus each in 2 cases,while in the adnexal region and the front of uterus in 1 case,in the post of the cervix in 1 case,and closed to uterine wall in 1 case,without obvious tubal echo around mass in all 15 cases.There were 2 cases of abdominal pregnancy in the second trimester,which were first diagnosed with ultrasound at 13+6 weeks and 21 weeks,with gestational sac located on the left side of uterus and behind the uterus,respectively.One case of abdominal pregnancy in the third trimester was first diagnosed with ultrasound at 35 4 weeks,with gestational sac located on the right side of uterus.Ultrasonic manifestations of the above three cases all showed gestational sac located outside the uterus without myometrium wrapping around the gestational sac nor placenta implanted in uterus,while echoes of fluid accumulation were detected around fetus.The ultrasonic diagnosis rate of abdominal pregnancy was 16.67％(3/18).Conclusion In the first trimester,if the ectopic pregnancy mass was large or the gestational sac located adjacent to the cervix,anterior or posterior to uterus and on the uterine wall,also no fallopian tube-like echo around the mass,the possibility of abdominal pregnancy should be considered.Ultrasonic manifestations of abdominal pregnancy in the second and third trimester present as gestational sac outside uterine cavity without wrapping uterine muscle layer around,no placenta implantation in uterine cavity,as well as echoes of fluid accumulation around fetus.Transabdominal combined with transvaginal ultrasound could improve diagnostic rate of abdominal pregnancy.