Through a comprehensive analysis combining network pharmacology prediction and transcriptomics, this study systematically explained the multi-target mechanism of Cyanotis arachnoidea(CA) Gel in improving melasma. A melasma model was induced in female SD rats by progesterone injection combined with ultraviolet B(UVB) irradiation for 40 consecutive days, while the blank control group was only fed routinely. After successful model establishment, the rats were randomly divided into five groups and administered different doses of CA ethanol extract gel(high, medium, and low doses) or arbutin Gel(positive control), which were applied once daily for 28 consecutive days. Subsequently, the levels of superoxide dismutase(SOD), malondialdehyde(MDA), and tyrosinase(TYR) in the skin, serum, and liver tissues were measured. Hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining and Masson-Fontana staining were used to observe the pathological changes in the tissues. Network pharmacology combined with transcriptomics was employed to identify core targets and pathways, and the differential gene expression was validated by quantitative real-time PCR(qPCR). Pharmacodynamic experiments showed that CA Gel significantly increased SOD activity and decreased MDA and TYR levels in the skin, serum, and liver of model rats. It also improved epidermal thickening, inflammatory infiltration, collagen loss, and melanin deposition. Network pharmacology analysis showed that CA mainly regulated core targets such as signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3), epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR), and interleukin-6(IL-6), and modulated the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K)-protein kinase B(AKT) and interleukin-17(IL-17) signaling pathways. Transcriptomic analysis showed that CA Gel significantly downregulated the gene expression of heat shock protein 90β family member 1(Hsp90b1), heat shock protein 90α family member 1(Hsp90aa1), and the key steroid synthesis enzyme cytochrome P450 family 17 subfamily A member 1(Cyp17a1), while upregulating thioredoxin 1(Txn1). qPCR results confirmed that CA Gel regulated oxidative stress and inflammatory response by inhibiting the IL-17 signaling pathway and steroid hormone synthesis. This study, for the first time, reveals the molecular mechanism of CA Gel in improving melasma through multi-target synergistic regulation of oxidative stress, inflammatory response, and hormone metabolism pathways, providing a scientific basis for the treatment of pigmentation diseases with traditional Chinese medicine.
Animals ; Rats ; Female ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Network Pharmacology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Melanosis/metabolism* ; Transcriptome/drug effects* ; Humans ; Superoxide Dismutase/genetics* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Malondialdehyde/metabolism*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the susceptibility of venetoclax-resistant acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cell lines to ferroptosis and to uncover the underlying molecular mechanisms using transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis methods. METHODS: Venetoclax-resistant AML cell lines were constructed using a low-dose concentration escalation method. The sensitivity of cells to chemotherapeutic drugs was detected by CCK-8 assay. The susceptibility of drug-resistant cell lines to ferroptosis was assessed using transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis methods. The expression of cellular GPX4 and SLC7A11 protein was detected by Western blot, and cell death and lipid peroxidation levels were measured by flow cytometry. Depmap database and TCGA cohort were applied to explore the effect of ferroptosis-related genes expression on prognosis. RESULTS: Venetoclax-resistant cell lines exhibited sensitivity to ferroptosis inducers RSL3, APR246, and sorafenib. The ferroptosis inhibitor Fer-1 partially inhibited cell death induced by these inducers. Compared with the parental cells, significant changes in metabolites and gene expression levels related to ferroptosis were observed in the resistant cell lines. In particular, deregulated expression of SLC7A11 and GPX4 may play critical role in ferroptosis susceptibility. Besides, GPX4 was identified as more important for AML cell survival and higher GPX4 expression may predict shortened overall survival, NPM1 mutant and IDH1 R132 mutation positive patients may prone to possess higher GPX4 expression. CONCLUSION Venetoclax-resistant AML cell lines remain susceptible to ferroptosis, higher GPX4 expression maybe a critical marker for poor prognosis. Regulating the expression of ferroptosis-related genes and metabolites may enhance the efficacy of venetoclax and provide new treatment options for AML patients.
Humans ; Ferroptosis ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/metabolism* ; Sulfonamides/pharmacology* ; Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic/pharmacology* ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm ; Metabolomics ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Phospholipid Hydroperoxide Glutathione Peroxidase ; Amino Acid Transport System y+/metabolism* ; Transcriptome

Objective To explore the molecular mechanism by which SOS Ras/Rac guanine nucleotide exchange factor 1-intronic transcript 1(SOS1-IT1)affects enhancer of zeste homolog 2(EZH2)protein expression in endometrial cancer cells Ishikawa and RL95-2.Methods Lentiviral transfection of short hairpin RNA(shRNA)and overexpression plasmid were used in Ishikawa and RL95-2 cell lines to knock down and overexpress SOS1-IT1.The mechanism of EZH2 expression regulation was studied using Real-time PCR,Western blotting,and chromatin immunoprecipitation.Results The expression of SOS1-IT1 and EZH2 genes was positively correlated in endometrial cancer tissues.Knocking down SOS1-IT1 significantly reduces the expression of EZH2,inhibited the proliferation and migration of Ishikawa and RL95-2 cells,and could reduced the acetylation of histone H3 at position 27(H3K27)and the enrichment of CREB binding protein(CBP)in the EZH2 gene promoter region.Overexpression of SOS1-IT1 could increased the expression of EZH2 and enhance the acetylation of H3K27 and the enrichment of CBP.CBP could bind to SOS1-IT1 RNA,and this binding ability was weakened when CBP was knocked down.Conclusion SOS1-IT1 can promote the expression level of EZH2 in endometrial cancer cells Ishikawa and RL95-2 by regulating the acetylation modification level of the EZH2 gene promoter region,thereby affecting the proliferation and migration ability of endometrial cancer cells.

Heart failure(HF)is a cardiovascular disease with a high prevalence and mortality rate worldwide,and despite the widespread use of existing drugs,device intervetions and surgical procedures,the clinical outcomes are still unsatisfactory.The exploration of new methods to treat HF is still an urgent problem.Gene therapy provides a new therapeutic strategy for HF by targeting the regulation of pathogenic genes.This article systematically reviewed the delivery system optimization,key targets and clinical translational challenges of gene therapy for HF,aiming to provide a theoretical basis for the optimization of treatment strategies.

ObjectiveTo explore the interaction between bruceoside B and gut microbiota and the inhibitory activity of its metabolites on human lung cancer A549 cells， and to explore the value of bruceoside B in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer（NSCLC）. MethodBruceoside B was co-incubated with the human gut microbiota under anoxic conditions in vitro， and ultra high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-TOF-MS） was used to analyze the metabolic transformation products. Cell counting kit-8（CCK-8） assay was performed to determine the effects of bruceoside B and its metabolites on the proliferation of human lung cancer A549 cells and the half inhibitory concentration（IC₅₀） was calculated. Five healthy male rats were gavaged with bruceoside B（2 mg·kg^-1） for 7 days after adaptive feeding. The feces of rats were collected before and after administration. 16S rRNA sequencing was used to assess gut microbiota. ResultBruceoside B was mainly metabolized to brusatol by human gut microbiota， the IC₅₀ of bruceoside B and the conversion product to A549 cells were 1 755.50， 19.57 μmol·L^-1， respectively， and the conversion product had a better activity at inhibiting A549 cells proliferation than bruceoside B. Additionally， The results of intestinal flora analysis showed no significant differences in α diversity and β diversity of gut microbiota after administration. In terms of species abundance， at the phylum level， bruceoside B decreased the relative abundance of Actinobacteriota and Proteobacteria， increased the relative abundance of Firmicutes， Patescibacteria and Cyanobacteria. At the genus level， bruceoside B decreased the relative abundance of Staphylococcus， Aerococcus and Psychrobacter， increased the relative abundance of Romboutsia， Lactobacillus， Clostridium sensu stricto 1， Norank-f-norank-o-Clostridia-UCG-014， Turicibacter， Allobaculum and Candidatus Saccharimonas. The results of functional prediction showed that the gut microbiota functional compositions were relatively stable. ConclusionBruceoside B can be deglycosylated by intestinal flora and converted into brusatol， with a significant increase in antitumor activity. The administration of bruceoside B will not cause significant changes in the structure and function of the intestinal flora， resulting in intestinal microecological balance disorders， and the administration appears to be beneficial to the intestinal flora of NSCLC patients.

Sound financing mechanism is an important support for the development of health system.In response to the problems exposed in the health system during the COVID-19 pandemic,OECD countries have proposed intervention directions and investment strategies to strengthen the resilience of the health system.The investment allocation in strengthening core public health capabilities,proactive material reserves,and coordinated supply from OECD countries were analyzed,in order to explore the characteristics and effectiveness,which could provide a reference for strengthening the resilience of China's health system.

Objective:To study the clinical manifestations, genetic profiles and treatment of Kagami-Ogata syndrome (KOS).Methods:A neonate admitted to our hospital was genetically diagnosed of KOS from amniocentesis sampling. The phenotype, genotype and treatment of the neonate were analyzed. Multiple databases were searched using key words including "Kagami-Ogata syndrome", "14q32 microdeletion syndrome", "coat-hanger ribs", "paternal uniparental disomy (pUPD)(14) " from the inception of the databases to Jan. 23th 2023. The clinical features, genotype and treatment of patients from the literature were summarized.Results:The neonate in our hospital was born at 30 weeks gestational age with a birth weight of 2 035 g. Prenatal ultrasound indicated overgrowth, bilateral fetal renal pelvis dilatation (FRPD), dilatation of intestines in lower abdomen, clenched hands with overlapping fingers and polyhydramnios. After birth, the neonate showed progressively worsening respiratory distress, distinct facial features (small jaw, short neck, flat nasal bridge, upward-facing nostrils, small and malformed ears with auricular deformity and narrow external auditory canals), bell-shaped thorax, diastasis recti and abnormal posture (overlapping fingers, clenched fists), as well as feeding difficulties, recurrent fever and dependence of respiratory support. Whole exome sequencing (WES) revealed a 268.2Kb deletion (101034306_101302541) in 14q32.2 region on both the neonate and the mother and the father was otherwise normal. The prognosis was poor and the parents refused further treatment. The neonate died at one month of age after two days of palliative care. A total of 36 articles were identified in the literature review, including 78 KOS cases with complete clinical data (a total of 79 cases adding our case).The primary clinical manifestations included distinctive facial and thoracic abnormalities (79/79, 100%), polyhydramnios (71/75, 94.7%), feeding difficulties (55/63, 87.3%), abdominal wall defects (57/72, 79.2%), joint contractures (39/70, 55.7%) and dependence of respiratory support (29/56, 51.8%). Long-term follow-up revealed 86.8% (59/68) experienced physical, movement and intellectual development delay, 39.7% (25/63) died or gave up treatments within five years. Genetic testing showed pUPD in 44 cases (55.7%), maternal deletions in 23 cases (29.1%), epimutations in 8 cases (10.1%) and unreported variations in 4 cases (5.1%).Conclusions:KOS is a genetic imprinting disorder affecting multiple organs. Prenatal screening can detect abnormalities such as polyhydramnios. Specific clinical signs, radiological findings and 14q32 gene analysis are helpful for the diagnosis of the disease.

Objective:To study the clinical characteristics and risk factors of nephrocalcinosis in preterm infants.Methods:From March 2021 to August 2021, all preterm infants admitted to NICU of our hospital were retrospectively analyzed. The infants were assigned into nephrocalcinosis group and non-nephrocalcinosis group according to urinary tract ultrasound. Clinical data including gestational age, birth weight(BW), nutritional support strategy and complications were reviewed.Results:A total of 40 preterm infants (<34 weeks) were enrolled. 9 cases were in the nephrocalcinosis group and 31 cases in the non-nephrocalcinosis group. The nephrocalcinosis group had lower BW[(1 167±214) g vs.(1 586±215) g], higher calcium [6.9 (5.1, 8.7) g vs.3.3 (2.1, 6.8) g] and vitamin D intake [3.2(2.5, 4.2)×10 4U vs.1.7(1.1, 3.2)×10 4U] during hospitalization. No significant differences existed between the two groups on the following items:blood calcium and phosphate, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, feeding strategy, time to reach full enteral feeding(TFF), furosemide dosage and respiratory support duration ( P>0.05). In the nephrocalcinosis group, the median age of diagnosing nephrocalcinosis was 40.0(30.0, 52.5)d after birth. 5 cases showed bilateral nephrocalcinosis. 5 cases in the nephrocalcinosis group received renal tubule function examination,4 cases had increased urine β2 microglobulin and 2 cases had increased urine α1 microglobulin. 7 cases had elevated urine calcium in the nephrocalcinosis group. Follow-up showed that nephrocalcinosis disappeared 3-9 months after birth. Conclusions:BW, total calcium and vitamin D intake are risk factors for nephrocalcinosis in preterm infants. Increased urine β2 microglobulin and calcium levels are common co-morbidities in preterm infants with nephrocalcinosis.

Berberine (BBR) is the main pharmacological active ingredient of Coptidis, which has hypoglycemic effect, but its clinical application is limited due to its poor oral bioavailability. Polyphenols, derived from cinnamon, are beneficial for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The combination of both may have an additive effect. The aim of this study was to investigate the hypoglycemic effect and mechanism of combined medication in diabetic rats. The modeling rats were randomly divided into 5 groups (berberine group, cinnamon group, combined group, metformin group, diabetic control group) and normal control group. The animal experiments were approved by the Animal Ethics Committee (approval number: HMUIRB2022003). The subjects were given orally, and the control group was given equal volume solvent and body weight was measured weekly. Thirty days after administration, oral glucose tolerance test and insulin sensitivity test were performed, and fasting blood glucose (FBG), glycated serum protein (GSP), and serum insulin (INS) levels were detected; high-throughput sequencing technology was used to detect intestinal microbiota structure; real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and Western blot were used to detect G protein-coupled receptor 5 (TGR5) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) expression levels. The results showed that, compared with the diabetic control group, the levels of FBG (P < 0.01) and GSP (P < 0.01) in the combined group were lower, and the insulin resistance was improved, which was better than that in the berberine group. Combined treatment increased the relative abundance of Bacteroides, Prevotella and Lactobacillus, reversed the decrease in Lactobacillus in the berberine alone induction group, and the combination of the two could promote the expression of TGR5 and GLP-1. In summary, the combined application of cinnamon and berberine can regulate glucose metabolism better than the application of berberine alone. Berberine combined with cinnamon can improve the function of pancreatic islet β cells in diabetes mellitus type 2 rats by changing the intestinal microbiota, increasing the expression of TGR5 and GLP-1 proteins, and thereby better regulating glucose metabolism.

As a new transdermal drug delivery system, microneedles can significantly improve skin permeability, enhance drug transdermal delivery, and demonstrate unique advantages in breaking stratum corneum barrier of skin. This feature enables microneedles to demonstrate enormous potential in delivering biotechnology drugs. The traditional delivery method for biotechnology drugs is mainly injection, which brings problems such as pain and skin redness to patients, leading to poor patient compliance. In addition, the production, transportation, and storage of biotechnology drugs require strict low-temperature conditions to maintain their activity and increase cost output. Microneedles, by contrast, have many benefits, providing new avenues and solutions for biomolecular delivery. Accordingly, this review introduced the microneedle drug delivery system for delivery biotechnology drugs, and summarized the research progress of microneedle systems in biotechnology drugs.