ObjectiveTo observe the effects of Jiangtang No. 3 prescription on inflammatory pathways and insulin resistance-related indicators in rats with type 2 diabetes mellitus （T2DM）， and to elucidate its molecular mechanism in combating diabetes. MethodsA T2DM rat model was established using a high-fat diet combined with intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin （STZ）. Successfully modeled rats were randomly assigned to the model group， metformin group， and low-， medium-， and high-dose Jiangtang No. 3 prescription groups， and a normal group was also set. Daily gavage was administered for 8 weeks as follows： metformin at 0.1 g·kg^-1·d^-1， Jiangtang No. 3 prescription granules at 1.62， 3.24， 6.48 g·kg^-1·d^-1 for the respective dose groups， and sterile water for the normal and model groups. Rat body weight， fasting blood glucose （FBG）， oral glucose tolerance test （OGTT）， and insulin tolerance test （ITT） were measured. After drug intervention， enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to determine serum levels of total cholesterol （TC）， triglycerides （TG）， low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL）， high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL）， non-esterified fatty acids （NEFA）， interleukin （IL）-1β， IL-18， and insulin （INS）. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to observe morphological changes in adipose tissue. Real-time quantitative PCR was used to detect the mRNA expression of Toll-like receptor 4 （TLR4）， nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB）， NOD-like receptor protein 3 （NLRP3）， Caspase-1， IL-1β， IL-18， and gasdermin D （GSDMD） in adipose tissue. Western blot was used to measure the corresponding protein expression levels. ResultsCompared with the model group， Jiangtang No. 3 prescription groups exhibited significantly increased body weight （P<0.05， P<0.01）， significantly reduced FBG （P<0.05， P<0.01）， significant reductions in TC， TG， NEFA， and LDL （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and a significant increase in HDL （P<0.01）. Serum levels of inflammatory mediators IL-1β and IL-18 were significantly decreased （P<0.01）， the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance （HOMA-IR） index was significantly reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and adipose tissue pathology was improved. The protein expression levels of TLR4， NF-κB， NLRP3， Caspase-1， IL-1β， IL-18， and GSDMD were markedly decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the mRNA expression levels of these indicators were also significantly downregulated （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Some effects were superior to those of the positive control drug metformin， and certain indicators exhibited dose-dependent improvements. ConclusionT2DM rats display significant inflammatory responses， disordered glucose and lipid metabolism， and insulin resistance. Jiangtang No. 3 prescription effectively suppresses inflammatory mediators， improves glucose and lipid metabolism and insulin resistance， and ameliorates pathological changes in adipose tissue. Its mechanism may be related to the regulation of the TLR4/NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway in visceral adipose tissue， thereby influencing downstream inflammatory mediators.

ObjectiveGastrodia elata has evolved ecological types with shortened rhizome internodes and diversified flower and fruit coloration in response to different altitudes. Studying the genetic mechanisms of different ecotype germplasm is significant for guiding variety breeding in different cultivation areas. MethodsThe bHLH gene family was identified based on the whole-genome datasets of G. elata f. elata and G. elata f. glauca. Subsequently， the gene family members were subject to analysis， including gene structure， chromosomal localization， cis-acting elements， gene synteny， and phylogeny. Combined with transcriptome data and quantitative Real-time PCR， the expression patterns of bHLH genes in the stems of the different G. elata ecotype germplasm were analyzed. Finally， correlation analysis was conducted between gene expression patterns and color to obtain the key bHLH genes regulating the color formation of stem. ResultsA total of 63 bHLH genes were identified in both G elata f. elata and G. elata f. glauca， unevenly distributed across 17 chromosomes and clustered into 16 subfamilies， with significant expansion in some family members. Obvious inversions of bHLH genes on the same chromosome and interchromosomal translocations were detected in the two ecotype germplasm. Among these genes， 12 bHLH genes （such as bHLH62-3 and bHLH74） were associated with the bright yellow color of G elata f. elata stem， while 9 bHLH genes （such as PIL13， UNE12， and bHLH130） were correlated with the red color of G. elata f. glauca stem. Compared to G. elata f. glauca， the bHLH48 expression level was significantly higher in flowers and scale leaves of G elata f. elata， and the bHLH62-3 expression level was significantly higher in all organs of G elata f. elata. ConclusionsFunctional pathway divergence of the bHLH family members has occurred across different chromosomes in G elata f. elata and G. elata f. glauca. Through synergism or antagonism with other genes， 21 bHLH genes participate in the coloration metabolic pathway regulation of stems， flowers， and fruits. Specifically， bHLH62-3 is involved in regulating stem color differentiation in the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway of G. elata， thus relevant to the color formation of stem. Additionally， GebHLH48 positively regulates flowering-related pathways to promote the early-flowering phenotype of G. elata f. elata. These findings have laid the foundation for analyzing the genetic regulatory mechanisms underlying the color formation of the G. elata stem.

ObjectiveGastrodia elata has evolved ecological types with shortened rhizome internodes and diversified flower and fruit coloration in response to different altitudes. Studying the genetic mechanisms of different ecotype germplasm is significant for guiding variety breeding in different cultivation areas. MethodsThe bHLH gene family was identified based on the whole-genome datasets of G. elata f. elata and G. elata f. glauca. Subsequently， the gene family members were subject to analysis， including gene structure， chromosomal localization， cis-acting elements， gene synteny， and phylogeny. Combined with transcriptome data and quantitative Real-time PCR， the expression patterns of bHLH genes in the stems of the different G. elata ecotype germplasm were analyzed. Finally， correlation analysis was conducted between gene expression patterns and color to obtain the key bHLH genes regulating the color formation of stem. ResultsA total of 63 bHLH genes were identified in both G elata f. elata and G. elata f. glauca， unevenly distributed across 17 chromosomes and clustered into 16 subfamilies， with significant expansion in some family members. Obvious inversions of bHLH genes on the same chromosome and interchromosomal translocations were detected in the two ecotype germplasm. Among these genes， 12 bHLH genes （such as bHLH62-3 and bHLH74） were associated with the bright yellow color of G elata f. elata stem， while 9 bHLH genes （such as PIL13， UNE12， and bHLH130） were correlated with the red color of G. elata f. glauca stem. Compared to G. elata f. glauca， the bHLH48 expression level was significantly higher in flowers and scale leaves of G elata f. elata， and the bHLH62-3 expression level was significantly higher in all organs of G elata f. elata. ConclusionsFunctional pathway divergence of the bHLH family members has occurred across different chromosomes in G elata f. elata and G. elata f. glauca. Through synergism or antagonism with other genes， 21 bHLH genes participate in the coloration metabolic pathway regulation of stems， flowers， and fruits. Specifically， bHLH62-3 is involved in regulating stem color differentiation in the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway of G. elata， thus relevant to the color formation of stem. Additionally， GebHLH48 positively regulates flowering-related pathways to promote the early-flowering phenotype of G. elata f. elata. These findings have laid the foundation for analyzing the genetic regulatory mechanisms underlying the color formation of the G. elata stem.

Objective To explore the impact of number of positive regional lymph nodes (nPRLN) in N1 stage on the prognosis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Methods Patients with TxN1M0 stage NSCLC who underwent lobectomy and mediastinal lymph node dissection from 2010 to 2015 were screened from SEER database (17 Regs, 2022nov sub). The optimal cutoff value of nPRLN was determined using X-tile software, and patients were divided into 2 groups according to the cutoff value: a nPRLN≤optimal cutoff group and a nPRLN>optimal cutoff group. The influence of confounding factors was minimized by propensity score matching (PSM) at a ratio of 1 : 1. Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate overall survival (OS) and lung cancer-specific survival (LCSS) of patients. Results A total of 1316 patients with TxN1M0 stage NSCLC were included, including 662 males and 654 females, with a median age of 67 (60, 73) years. The optimal cutoff value of nPRLN was 3, with 1165 patients in the nPRLN≤3 group and 151 patients in the nPRLN>3 group. After PSM, there were 138 patients in each group. Regardless of before or after PSM, OS and LCSS of patients in the nPRLN≤3 group were superior to those in the nPRLN>3 group (P<0.001). N1 stage nPRLN>3 was an independent prognostic risk factor for OS [HR=1.52, 95%CI (1.22, 1.89), P<0.001] and LCSS [HR=1.72, 95%CI (1.36, 2.18), P<0.001]. Conclusion N1 stage nPRLN>3 is an independent prognostic risk factor for NSCLC patients in TxN1M0 stage, which may provide new evidence for future revision of TNM staging N1 stage subclassification.

Objective: To investigate the status of heat illness, knowledge awareness and adaptive behaviors of heat wave knowledge among food delivery riders, so as to provide a basis for optimizing heat wave response measures for food delivery riders. Methods: In November 2022, food delivery riders from a large food delivery platform in Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province were selected as survey subjects using a cluster sampling method. A self-designed electronic questionnaire was used to select demographic information, work status, lifestyle behaviors and disease history, heat illness status, knowledge awareness and adaptive behaviors of heatwave. Results: A total of 911 questionnaires were distributed, and 830 valid questionnaires were recovered, resulting in a valid response rate of 91.11%. Among the respondents, 796 (95.90%) were male, and 818 (98.55%) worked full-time. The mean age was (27.75±8.00) years. A total of 470 respondents (56.63%) had a work tenure of less than 1 year. The primary working hours were 8-<12 hours, with 504 people accounting for 60.72%. There were 108 cases of heatstroke, with an occurrence rate of 13.01%. And 286 people reported heat-related symptoms, with an occurrence rate of 34.46%. The overall awareness rate of heat wave knowledge was 73.22%, while the awareness rate of heat warning signal classification was relatively low at 9.04%. The heat wave cognition score was (5.86±1.31) points. There were statistically significant differences in heat wave cognition scores among food delivery riders of different ages, educational levels, family annual income, work tenures, and work durations (all P<0.05). Regarding positive adaptive behaviors, the number of riders paying attention to weather forecasts and actively learning about preventive measures was higher (734 people each, accounting for 88.43%). Regarding negative adaptive behaviors, the number of riders who often drank ice-cold beverages was higher (509 people, accounting for 61.33%). The heat wave adaptive behavior score was (6.88±1.77) points. There were statistically significant differences in adaptive behavior scores among riders with different educational levels, family annual income, work tenures, and smoking frequency (all P<0.05). Conclusions The occurrence rates of heatstroke and heat-related symptoms among food delivery riders are relatively high. The knowledge awareness and adaptive behaviors regarding heat wave are at a moderate level. It is suggested to strengthen health education, reinforce risk cognition of heat wave, and promote positive adaptive behaviors among food delivery riders.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the phenotype and genotype of a neonate with Osteo-oto-hepato-enteric syndrome (O2HE) and review the literature. METHODS: A female neonate diagnosed with O2HE syndrome on December 13, 2024 at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University was selected as the study subject, and her clinical characteristics were analyzed, and pathogenic variants were explored by whole exome sequencing (WES). This study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the Hospital (Ethics No.: 2025-KY-1038). RESULTS: The proband, a female infant, was delivered by Cesarean section at 36⁺¹ weeks of gestation. Five days after birth, she had developed severe diarrhea, mild cholestasis, sensorineural hearing loss, and growth retardation. WES revealed that she has harbored novel compound heterozygous variants c.512delA (p.Lys171Serfs*64) and c.698C>A (p.Thr233Asn) of the UNC45A gene, which were inherited from her mother and father, respectively. A total of 8 English papers were retrieved, which involved 16 patients from 14 families. Combined with our case, the 17 patients included 13 (76.5%) females and 4 (23.5%) males. Four patients (23.5%) had consanguineous parents. One case was excluded from further genetic analysis due to co-morbidity with other genetic variants. The primary clinical features included diarrhea (87.5%), cholestasis (81.3%), sensorineural hearing loss (31.3%), bone fragility (37.5%), and developmental delay (50.0%). Bi-allelic compound heterozygous mutations were identified in 12 patients (75.0%), and homozygous variants in 4 (25.0%). These included missense, nonsense, frameshift and deletional variants. The c.710T>C (p.Leu237Pro) variant was identified for 5 times, 3 of which were in homozygote forms. CONCLUSION O2HE syndrome should be suspected in cases with diarrhea, cholestasis, and hearing abnormalities during early postnatal period. Genetic testing facilitate early identification, genetic diagnosis and treatment.
Humans ; Female ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Mutation ; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural/genetics* ; Diarrhea, Infantile/genetics* ; Exome Sequencing ; Phenotype ; Fetal Growth Retardation ; Hair Diseases ; Facies

Objective To examine the impact of extreme temperature and drought stress on the survival of Bulinus globosus, so as to provide the theoretical evidence for the genomic research of Bulinus in absence of reference genes. Methods B. globosus snail samples were collected from Kiwani Shehia in Pemba Island, Zanzibar, Tanzania, and offspring snails were obtained through laboratory breeding and reproduction. A total of 120 10-week-old B. globosus snails from the same generation were selected and randomly assigned into four groups, including the high-temperature drought (HD) group, normal temperature drought (D) group, low-temperature drought (LD) group, and the control (C) group, of 30 snails in each group. Snails in HD, D, and LD groups were placed in beakers containing dry soil at the bottom and subsequently housed in climate chambers at 35, 26 ℃, and 10 ℃, respectively, while snails in Group C were maintained in 500 mL petri dishes containing dechlorinated tap water at 26 ℃. Following 3 days of breeding, living snails in each group were collected, and soft tissues were dissected and isolated. Total RNA was extracted from snail soft tissues for library construction, followed by high-throughput sequencing on the Illumina HiSeq 4000 sequencing system. De novo transcriptome assembly was performed using the Trinity software, and the longest transcripts were selected as unigenes. Gene functional annotations of unigenes were conducted using the Diamond software against Gene Ontology (GO) knowledgebase, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway database, NCBI non-redundant (NR) protein sequences database, Protein Family (Pfam) database, and UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot (Swiss-Prot) knowledgebase. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were performed using the topGO and clusterProfiler software, respectively. In addition, four relevant genes were selected for validation using a real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) assay to verify the reliability of transcriptome sequencing results. Results Following 3 days of breeding, there were 7, 20, 28, and 30 survival B. globosus snails in HD, LD, D, and C groups, with corresponding survival rates of 23.33% (7/30), 66.67% (20/30), 93.33% (28/30), and 100.00% (30/30), respectively (χ² = 52.72, P < 0.001). De novo transcriptome assembly generated 176 942 unigenes, with annotation rates of 0.98%, 13.49%, 26.46%, 12.48%, and 14.39% against GO knowledgebase, KEGG pathway database, NR protein sequences database, Pfam database, and Swiss-Prot knowledgebase, respectively. There were 33 up-regulated and 72 down-regulated genes in Group D, 483 up-regulated and 815 down-regulated genes in Group HD, and 245 up-regulated and 172 down-regulated genes in Group LD relative to in Group C. Following removal of overlapping genes across groups and unmatched genes, 11 candidate genes were identified. GO and KEGG analyses revealed 3 heat shock protein (HSP)-related DEGs in these 11 candidate genes, which were annotated as HSP12.2, HSP70, and HSP20 genes and were all significantly up-regulated in each treatment group. Three immune and nervous system-related DEGs were identified, and were all significantly down-regulated in each treatment group, which were involved in the neural cell adhesion molecule L1-like protein pathway, fibrinogen binding protein pathway, and leukocyte elastase inhibitor-like protein pathway. qRT-PCR assay quantified that the expression trends of four genes related to temperature and drought stress across different treatment groups were highly consistent with transcriptome sequencing data. Conclusion The survival rate of B. globosus significantly reduces under combined stresses of extreme temperature and drought, possibly due to an imbalance in its cellular homeostasis regulatory system.

ObjectiveTo investigate the pharmacological effects of modified Xiexintang ointment on anti-infection and promotion of wound healing in mice with deep second-degree scalds， as well as its underlying mechanisms. MethodsA mouse model of deep second-degree scald was established and mice were randomly divided into six groups： blank group， model group， positive control group （Jingwanhong ointment， 0.1 g·cm^-2）， low-， medium-， and high-dose modified Xiexintang ointment group （0.05， 0.1， and 0.2 g·cm^-2）， with 10 mice in each group. Treatment was administered for 16 days. Wound recovery was recorded by photography， and the wound healing rate was calculated. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to observe histopathological changes in the scalded skin tissues. The levels of inflammatory cytokines， including interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate the expression levels of vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF） and cluster of differentiation 31 （CD31） in wound tissues. Western blot analysis was performed to determine the protein expression levels of nerve growth factor （NGF）， its high-affinity receptor tropomyosin receptor kinase A （TrkA）， and its low-affinity receptor nerve growth factor receptor （NGFR）. ResultsCompared with the blank group， the burn site in the model group showed swelling and whitening on the day of modeling， followed by hardening and scab formation on the next day. HE staining on day 2 revealed dermal tissue damage， swelling and degeneration of collagen fibers with homogeneous eosinophilic staining， partial destruction of hair follicles and sebaceous glands， and inflammatory cell infiltration in the dermis， indicating successful model establishment. Compared with the model group， from day 8 of treatment， the low-， medium-， and high-dose groups of modified Xiexintang ointment significantly increased the wound healing rate （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， all dose groups significantly promoted thickening of the newly formed epidermis， reduced hemorrhage， decreased inflammatory cell infiltration， and increased neovascularization. Compared with the model group， all dose groups significantly reduced the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β， IL-6， and TNF-α in wound tissues （P<0.01）. Meanwhile， the expression levels of angiogenesis-related proteins VEGF and CD31 in wound tissues were significantly increased in all dose groups （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the protein expression levels of NGF， NGFR， and TrkA were increased in the medium-dose group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. With increasing dosage， the high-dose group showed a more pronounced increase in NGF， NGFR， and TrkA expression compared with the model group （P<0.01）. ConclusionModified Xiexintang ointment exerts anti-infective and wound-healing effects on skin wounds in mice with deep second-degree scalds. The underlying mechanisms may be related to the regulation of VEGF， CD31， NGF， TrkA， and NGFR protein expression， thereby reducing inflammation and promoting angiogenesis and nerve regeneration at the wound site.

ObjectiveTo explore the association between the concentration of maternal serum biomarkers， including free beta-human chorionic gonadotropin （fβ-hCG）， alpha fetoprotein （AFP）， unconjugated estriol （uE3）， and inhibin A （INH A） during the second trimester pregnancy and the risk of fetal presenting with copy number variation （CNV）. MethodsA retrospective analysis was conducted on the diagnostic results of pregnant women who were identified as high risk in the second trimester quadruple serological screening. These pregnant women underwent the interventional prenatal diagnosis and performed amniotic fluid karyotype analysis and comparative genomic hybridization array （aCGH） or CNV sequencing （CNV-seq） simultaneously.The detection rates of different diagnostic methods were calculated. The concentration of serum biomarkers， fβ-hCG， AFP， uE3， and INH A were divided into three levels： abnormally low， normal， and abnormally high. The prevalence of these serum biomarkers concentration in pregnant women with aberrant aCGH/CNV-seq results compared to normal controls was statistically calculated. ResultsAmong the 1 516 cases with high-risk quadruple serological screening in the second trimester， 59 chromosomal abnormalities were revealed by karyotype analysis， while 87 abnormalities were detected by aCGH/CNV-seq， indicating a significant statistical difference in detection rate. In comparison to the result of karyotype analysis， aCGH/CNV-seq identified an additional 46 cases of fetal CNV abnormalities， whereas it failed to detect 18 cases of chromosomal structural abnormalities. Among the 1 457 cases with normal karyotype results， the most frequent abnormality was observed in the concentration of fβ-hCG， followed by abnormalities in INH A and uE3 concentrations， yet the least common abnormality was noted in AFP concentration. When the maternal serum uE3 concentration was less than 0.5 multiples of median （MoM）， there was a significant difference in the risk of fetal CNV compared to the CNV results corresponding to normal concentration of uE3. No significant differences were found in the levels of fβ-hCG， AFP， and INH A between the two groups. ConclusionLow serum uE3 concentration （<0.5 MoM） is associated with an increased risk of fetal presenting with aberrant CNV.

OBJECTIVE To explore the antidepressant mechanism of Wenyang jieyu granules （WYJYG） via the NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3 （NLRP3）/apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD （ASC）/Caspase-1 pathway. METHODS A rat model of depression was established by chronic unpredictable mild stress combined with single-housing for 42 consecutive days.The experiment set up blank group， model group， MCC950 （NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitor） group （10 mg/kg）， fluoxetine group （positive control，2.08 mg/kg），low-dose WYJYG（3.78 g/kg） and high-dose WYJYG group （7.56 g/kg），with 10 rats in each group. From the 22nd day of the experiment， rats in the fluoxetine group， low-dose and high-dose WYJYG groups were intragastrically administered with the corresponding drugs and intraperitoneally injected with an equal volume of normal saline. Rats in the MCC950 group were intraperitoneally injected with MCC950 at the corresponding concentration and intragastrically administered with an equal volume of distilled water. Rats in the blank group and model group were given an equal volume of distilled water by gavage and an equal volume of normal saline by intraperitoneal injection. All interventions were performed once a day for 21 consecutive days. Behavioral tests were conducted once a week. After the last administration， the contents of ASC， ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1 （Iba1）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， and IL-18 in hippocampal tissues were detected. The protein expressions of NLRP3， cluster of differentiation 68 （CD68）， Caspase-1， B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2）， and Bcl-2-associated X protein were determined， and neuronal apoptosis was observed. RESULTS After the last administration， compared with the model group， the open-field activity time was significantly prolonged （ P ＜0.05）， and the latency to feed in a novel environment was significantly shortened （ P ＜0.05） in rats of the high-dose WYJYG group. In hippocampal tissue， the contents of ASC， Iba1， IL-1β， and IL-18， as well as the protein expression levels of NLRP3， Caspase-1， and CD68， and the positive rate of neuronal apoptosis were all significantly decreased/downregulated （ P ＜0.05）. Bcl-2 protein expression was significantly upregulated （ P ＜0.05）， and the density of neuronal apoptosis-positive cells was significantly reduced （ P ＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS WYJYG play on antidepressant role by inhibiting the NLRP3/ASC/Caspase-1 pathway， reducing microglia-mediated neuroinflammation， and inhibiting hippocampal neurons apoptosis.