ObjectiveTo investigate the epigenetic mechanism of Diwu Yanggan Capsule in improving liver regeneration microenvironment in a rat model of liver cancer by regulating DNA methylation， and to provide a basis for scientific clinical medication. MethodsA total of 48 specific pathogen-free Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into normal group， model group， and Diwu Yanggan Capsule group using a random number table， with 16 rats in each group. The Solt-Farber two-step method was used to establish a rat model of liver cancer. The rats in the Diwu Yanggan Capsule group were given Diwu Yanggan Capsule at a dose of 750 mg/kg/d by gavage， and those in the normal group and the model group were given an equal volume of normal saline by gavage. Liver tissue samples were collected from each group of rats after 16 weeks of continuous intervention； DNA methylation chips were used to analyze the change in DNA methylation in liver tissue， and gene ontology （GO） and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG） analyses were used for data analysis. In addition， the MeDIP-PCR technique was used to detect the changes in candidate differentially methylated genes such as YWHAB， ADCK2， ERLIN2， SEMA3B， and TPH2 in the liver tissue of rats， and Western blot and RT-qPCR were used to verify the expression of key methylated genes. The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of continuous data between two groups， and a one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison between multiple groups， while the least significant difference t-test was used for further comparison between two groups. ResultsThe DNA methylation chip analysis showed that compared with the normal group， the model group had significant methylation changes in the promoter region of 2 422 genes in liver tissue of rats. The GO functional enrichment analysis and the KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed that these differentially methylated genes were significantly enriched in metabolic pathways such as steroid hormone biosynthesis and drug metabolism-cytochrome P450. Compared with the model group， the Diwu Yanggan Capsule group had significant reversal of promoter methylation in 1 650 genes， and the KEGG enrichment analysis showed that these genes were mainly involved in the pathways closely associated with cell proliferation， apoptosis， and microenvironment regulation， such as the calcium ion signaling pathway， the cAMP signaling pathway， and the extracellular factor signaling pathway. Compared with the model group， the Diwu Yanggan Capsule group had a significant increase in the promoter methylation level of the ADCK2 gene （P<0.05） and significant reductions in the promoter methylation levels of the ERLIN2 and TPH2 genes （all P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， the Diwu Yanggan Capsule group had significant reductions in the mRNA expression levels and the protein expression levels of the ADCK2 （all P<0.05）. ConclusionAbnormal DNA methylation in liver tissue participates in the development and progression of liver cancer. The effect of Diwu Yanggan Capsule on DNA methylation level is an important epigenetic mechanism for its effect in the prevention and treatment of liver cancer.

Objective:To explore the impact of noise and dust exposure in the mechanical manufacturing industry on the risk of hypertension and abnormal electrocardiogram in workers, and their combined effects, in order to provide support for the prevention and treatment of occupational related diseases among workers.Methods:In January 2024, A convenience sampling method was used to study 2802 on-the-job workers who underwent occupational health check-ups from January 2023 to December 2023 at a machinery manufacturing enterprise in Baotou, Inner Mongolia. Blood pressure and electrocardiogram results were analyzed in the noise group, dust group, dust noise group and control group according to the exposure factors. For count data, the chi-square test was employed to analyze differences among groups. Additionally, a binary logistic regression model was utilized to assess the impact of dust and noise exposure on the prevalence of hypertension and electrocardiogram abnormalities.Results:The stratified analysis results showed that the differences in hypertension prevalence among the four groups were statistically significant ( P<0.001) in males, age groups >30-40 years, >40-50 years, >50 years, different exposure durations, and different enterprise sizes. For ECG abnormalities, significant differences were observed among the four groups ( P<0.001) in males, the age group >30-40 years, different enterprise sizes, and those with exposure durations ≤15 years. The trend test for hypertension prevalence across different age groups revealed that as age increased, the prevalence of hypertension showed an upward trend in the noise-exposed group, dust-exposed group, and combined dust-noise-exposed group ( χ2=10.76, 4.25, 6.60, P<0.001, 0.039, 0.010) . Binary regression model analyses revealed that the the risk of hypertension in the noise group, dust group and dust noise group was 2.63 times ( OR=2.63, 95% CI: 1.89~3.67, P<0.001) , 2.36 times ( OR=2.36, 95% CI: 1.76~3.16, P<0.001) and 2.69 times ( OR=2.69, 95% CI: 2.14~3.38, P<0.001) . Using ECG abnormalities as the dependent variable and incorporating the statistically significant variables from Table 1 as independent variables into the binary logistic regression model, the results showed no statistically significant differences in the risk of ECG abnormalities in the dust-exposed, noise-exposed, and combined dust-noise-exposed groups compared to the control group ( P> 0.05) . Conclusion:Combined exposure to dust and noise increases the risk of hypertension in workers and has a combined effect.

Objective:To explore the impact of noise and dust exposure in the mechanical manufacturing industry on the risk of hypertension and abnormal electrocardiogram in workers, and their combined effects, in order to provide support for the prevention and treatment of occupational related diseases among workers.Methods:In January 2024, A convenience sampling method was used to study 2802 on-the-job workers who underwent occupational health check-ups from January 2023 to December 2023 at a machinery manufacturing enterprise in Baotou, Inner Mongolia. Blood pressure and electrocardiogram results were analyzed in the noise group, dust group, dust noise group and control group according to the exposure factors. For count data, the chi-square test was employed to analyze differences among groups. Additionally, a binary logistic regression model was utilized to assess the impact of dust and noise exposure on the prevalence of hypertension and electrocardiogram abnormalities.Results:The stratified analysis results showed that the differences in hypertension prevalence among the four groups were statistically significant ( P<0.001) in males, age groups >30-40 years, >40-50 years, >50 years, different exposure durations, and different enterprise sizes. For ECG abnormalities, significant differences were observed among the four groups ( P<0.001) in males, the age group >30-40 years, different enterprise sizes, and those with exposure durations ≤15 years. The trend test for hypertension prevalence across different age groups revealed that as age increased, the prevalence of hypertension showed an upward trend in the noise-exposed group, dust-exposed group, and combined dust-noise-exposed group ( χ2=10.76, 4.25, 6.60, P<0.001, 0.039, 0.010) . Binary regression model analyses revealed that the the risk of hypertension in the noise group, dust group and dust noise group was 2.63 times ( OR=2.63, 95% CI: 1.89~3.67, P<0.001) , 2.36 times ( OR=2.36, 95% CI: 1.76~3.16, P<0.001) and 2.69 times ( OR=2.69, 95% CI: 2.14~3.38, P<0.001) . Using ECG abnormalities as the dependent variable and incorporating the statistically significant variables from Table 1 as independent variables into the binary logistic regression model, the results showed no statistically significant differences in the risk of ECG abnormalities in the dust-exposed, noise-exposed, and combined dust-noise-exposed groups compared to the control group ( P> 0.05) . Conclusion:Combined exposure to dust and noise increases the risk of hypertension in workers and has a combined effect.

OBJECTIVE To observe the expressions of micro ribonucleic acid-129-5p(miR-129-5p),interleukin-6(IL-6)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 gene(STAT3)/helper T cell 17(Th17)signaling path-ways in peripheral blood of the sepsis children complicated with pulmonary infection and analyze the clinical signif-icance.METHODS A total of 123 sepsis children who were complicated with pulmonary infection and were treated in the 971st Hospital of the Navy of The Chinese People's Liberation Army,the 904 Hospital of the Joint Logis-tics Support Force of the People's Liberation Army and Qingdao Women's and Children's Hospital from Jan.2020 to Dec.2023 were assigned as the sepsis complicated with pulmonary infection group,meanwhile,55 sepsis children who were not complicated with pulmonary infection were chosen as the simple sepsis group.The expres-sion levels of miR-129-5p,IL-6 mRNA,STAT3 mRNA and Th17 mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMCs)were statistically analyzed.Receiver operating characteristics(ROC)curves were drawn to analyze the efficiencies of miR-129-5p and IL-6/STAT3/Th17 pathways in prediction of poor prognosis of the sepsis children with pulmonary infection.RESULTS The miR-129-5p level of the sepsis complicated with pulmonary infection group was lower than that of the simple sepsis group,while the levels of IL-6 mRNA,STAT3 mRNA and Th17 mRNA of the sepsis complicated with pulmonary infection group were higher than those of the simple sepsis group(all P＜0.05).With the aggravation of illness condition,the miR-129-5p level was reduced,and the levels of IL-6 mRNA,STAT3 mRNA and Th17 mRNA were elevated(all P＜0.05).The miR-129-5p level of the poor prog-nosis group was lower than that of the favorable prognosis group,while the levels of IL-6 mRNA,STAT3 mRNA and Th17 mRNA of the poor prognosis group was higher than those of the favorable prognosis group(all P＜0.05).ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve(AUC)of miR-129-5p was the largest(0.887)in prediction of the poor prognosis of the sepsis children complicated with pulmonary infection(P＜0.05).CONCLUSION The sepsis children complicated with pulmonary infection show the decline of expression level of peripheral blood miR-129-5p and enhancement of activation degree of IL-6/STAT3/Th17 pathways,which can be used as the indexes for assessment of illness condition and as auxiliary indexes for assessment of prognosis.

OBJECTIVE To observe the expressions of micro ribonucleic acid-129-5p(miR-129-5p),interleukin-6(IL-6)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 gene(STAT3)/helper T cell 17(Th17)signaling path-ways in peripheral blood of the sepsis children complicated with pulmonary infection and analyze the clinical signif-icance.METHODS A total of 123 sepsis children who were complicated with pulmonary infection and were treated in the 971st Hospital of the Navy of The Chinese People's Liberation Army,the 904 Hospital of the Joint Logis-tics Support Force of the People's Liberation Army and Qingdao Women's and Children's Hospital from Jan.2020 to Dec.2023 were assigned as the sepsis complicated with pulmonary infection group,meanwhile,55 sepsis children who were not complicated with pulmonary infection were chosen as the simple sepsis group.The expres-sion levels of miR-129-5p,IL-6 mRNA,STAT3 mRNA and Th17 mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMCs)were statistically analyzed.Receiver operating characteristics(ROC)curves were drawn to analyze the efficiencies of miR-129-5p and IL-6/STAT3/Th17 pathways in prediction of poor prognosis of the sepsis children with pulmonary infection.RESULTS The miR-129-5p level of the sepsis complicated with pulmonary infection group was lower than that of the simple sepsis group,while the levels of IL-6 mRNA,STAT3 mRNA and Th17 mRNA of the sepsis complicated with pulmonary infection group were higher than those of the simple sepsis group(all P＜0.05).With the aggravation of illness condition,the miR-129-5p level was reduced,and the levels of IL-6 mRNA,STAT3 mRNA and Th17 mRNA were elevated(all P＜0.05).The miR-129-5p level of the poor prog-nosis group was lower than that of the favorable prognosis group,while the levels of IL-6 mRNA,STAT3 mRNA and Th17 mRNA of the poor prognosis group was higher than those of the favorable prognosis group(all P＜0.05).ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve(AUC)of miR-129-5p was the largest(0.887)in prediction of the poor prognosis of the sepsis children complicated with pulmonary infection(P＜0.05).CONCLUSION The sepsis children complicated with pulmonary infection show the decline of expression level of peripheral blood miR-129-5p and enhancement of activation degree of IL-6/STAT3/Th17 pathways,which can be used as the indexes for assessment of illness condition and as auxiliary indexes for assessment of prognosis.

Objective Utilizing transcriptomic sequencing,this study aimed to monitor the expression alterations of GIMAP8 and SEC14L5 throughout the progression of pulmonary fibrosis,thereby providing insights into the underlying mechanisms of its pathogenesis and evolution.Methods C57BL/6 male mice were assigned in a randomized manner to either the Silica or PBS group.The Silica group underwent non-exposed endotracheal intubation on days 0 and 14 with 50 μL 100 mg/mL silica suspension,while the control group received 50 μL phosphate-buffered saline solution.On day 28,lung function was detected and the mice were sacrificed,and lung morphology,fibrosis,and mRNA levels were observed.Results When contrasted with individuals in good health,a differential expression analysis of mRNA in patients with pneumoconiosis identified a total of 584 mRNAs with significant expression differences.Among these,the expression of 242 mRNA was observed to be markedly elevated,while that of 342 mRNA was found to be considerably diminished.The enrichment analysis indicated that the primarily affected mRNAs with altered expression were associated with pathways such as p53,nuclear factor-κB,tumor necrosis factor,AMP-activated protein kinase,and other signaling pathways.In the Silica mice,the alveolar structures were compromised,characterized by the presence of collagen fiber accumulation and the formation of fibrous masses.In contrast,the PBS mice maintained a normal pulmonary architecture.GIMAP8 expression was up-regulated whereas SEC14L5 expression was down-regulated in lung tissues in the Silica mice,and mice in the Silica group had poorer lung function.Conclusions The onset and progression of pulmonary fibrosis may be significantly influenced by GIMAP8 and SEC14L5 expression in patients with pneumoconiosis and in silicosis animal models.This association could serve as a foundational molecular insight,paving the way for the development of preventative and therapeutic strategies against these conditions.

Objective:To summarize and analyze the clinical characteristics, treatment and prognosis of glycogen storage disease type Ⅱ(GSD Ⅱ) patients admitted to pediatric intensive care units(PICU), and to improve the pediatricians' understanding of children with severe GSD Ⅱ.Methods:Children with GSD Ⅱ admitted to PICU at Beijing Children's Hospital of Capital Medical University between January 2010 and December 2021 were included. Patient's data were collected through the electronic medical record system.After the patient was discharged,telephone follow-ups were conducted regularly for over a year.Results:A total of eight patients with a median age of 30.5 months were included. There were four patients with infantile GSD Ⅱ, whose median age of onset was 5.5 months. There were four patients with late-onset GSD Ⅱ, whose median age of onset was 36.0 months. Eight patients required continuous noninvasive/invasive respiratory support. Three patients with infantile GSD Ⅱ required respiratory support within one month of onset, and three patients with late onset GSD Ⅱ required respiratory support within one year of onset. A total of six patients had cardiac arrest during the course of the disease. One patient was regularly treated with enzyme replacement therapy during hospitalization but his condition did not improve significantly. Three patients were discharged following medical advice,including one patient continuing noninvasive respiratory support after discharge, and two patients requiring onging invasive respiratory support.A total of four children died,including one being an in-hospital death,and three occuring within one year after hospital discharge. A total of 14 genotypes were detected in eight patients, of which three were newly discovered gene mutations.Conclusion:The children with GSD Ⅱ admitted to PICU have severe respiratory dysfunction and need continuous respiratory support during the early stage of the disease. The incidence of cardiopulmonary arrest caused by infection and respiratory muscle weakness is high. It is recommended to closely monitor the lung function and cardiac function of such children, and actively give the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. Whether enzyme replacement therapy can benefit patients with severe GSD Ⅱ and whether the newly identified mutations correlate with disease severity needs to be further evaluated.

In growing children, growth plate cartilage has limited self-repair ability upon fracture injury always leading to limb growth arrest. Interestingly, one type of fracture injuries within the growth plate achieve amazing self-healing, however, the mechanism is unclear. Using this type of fracture mouse model, we discovered the activation of Hedgehog (Hh) signaling in the injured growth plate, which could activate chondrocytes in growth plate and promote cartilage repair. Primary cilia are the central transduction mediator of Hh signaling. Notably, ciliary Hh-Smo-Gli signaling pathways were enriched in the growth plate during development. Moreover, chondrocytes in resting and proliferating zone were dynamically ciliated during growth plate repair. Furthermore, conditional deletion of the ciliary core gene Ift140 in cartilage disrupted cilia-mediated Hh signaling in growth plate. More importantly, activating ciliary Hh signaling by Smoothened agonist (SAG) significantly accelerated growth plate repair after injury. In sum, primary cilia mediate Hh signaling induced the activation of stem/progenitor chondrocytes and growth plate repair after fracture injury.
Mice ; Animals ; Hedgehog Proteins/genetics* ; Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled/metabolism* ; Cilia/metabolism* ; Cartilage/metabolism* ; Regeneration

Objective:To investigate the effects of Neibu Huangqi Decoction combined with Kangfuxin Liquid on wound healing after hemorrhoid fistula.Methods:Randomized controlled trial. A total of 90 patients with hemorrhoid fistula surgery in Tangshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from January 2020 to June 2021 were selected as the observation objects and divided into 2 groups by random number table method, with 45 cases in each group. The control group was treated with Kangfuxin Liquid after surgery, and the observation group was treated with Neibu Huangqi Decoction. Both groups were treated continuously for 14 days. Wound symptom score was performed before and after treatment. The levels of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-8 were determined by ELISA. The wound healing time was observed and the wound healing rate was calculated. Adverse reactions were recorded and clinical efficacy was evaluated.Results:The total effective rate was 93.33% (42/45) in the observation group and 66.67% (30/45) in the control group, with statistical significance ( χ2=9.89, P=0.002). After treatment, the scores of pain [(0.63±0.14) vs. (0.97±0.27), t=7.50], exudation [(0.67±0.12) vs. (1.09±0.31), t=8.48], edema [(0.78±0.17) vs.(1.25±0.36), t=7.92], pruritus [(0.78±0.20) vs. (1.32±0.33), t=9.39] were lower than those in the control group ( P<0.01); serum TNF-α [(33.46±2.86) μg/L vs. (45.78±3.92) μg/L, t=25.39], IL-6 [(41.86±5.84) μg/L vs. (56.12±6.75) μg/L, t=15.98], IL-8 [(27.40±3.58) ng/L vs. (36.16±3.84) ng/L, t=16.69] were lower than those in the control group ( P<0.01). The wound healing time of the observation group was shorter than that of the control group ( t=8.60, P<0.01), and the wound healing rate was higher than that of the control group ( t=24.65, P<0.01). During treatment, the incidence of adverse reactions was 11.11% (5/45) in the observation group and 6.67% (3/45) in the control group, without statistical significance ( χ2=0.14, P=0.711). Conclusion:Neibu Huangqi Decoction combined with Kangfuxin Liquid can promote wound healing, reduce inflammatory cytokines, relieve pain and exudation, improve clinical efficacy, and have few adverse reactions.

Objective:To investigate the clinical and genetic features, and treatment of X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets (XLH).Methods:In this retrospective study, we reviewed the medical records of 25 pediatric patients with XLH who were admitted to Department of Endocrinology Genetics and Metabolism,Beijing Children′s Hospital from January 2010 to January 2020. The clinical characteristics, PHEX gene variants, as well as clinical outcome of the patients were summarized. To analyze the correlation between genotype and phenotype, the patients were divided into different subgroups according to the location of the variants, including N-terminal-located vs. C-terminal-located variant, and Zn-binding domain exon 17 or 19 variant vs. non-exon 17 or 19 variant. The age at onset, height standard deviation score (HtSDS), intercondylar or intermalleolar distance, fasting serum phosphorus, and HtSDS and intercondylar or intermalleolar distance at the final follow-up were compared by rank sum test or t text. Results:Among the 25 children with XLH, 8 were boys and 17 were girls. The median age of onset was 1.2 (1.0, 1.8) years, and the median age of diagnosis was 2.5 (1.5, 4.3) years. The main clinical manifestations were abnormal gait and lower limb deformity. The HtSDS was -2.0(-3.2, -0.8), and the intercondylar or intermalleolar distance was 4.5 (3.0, 6.0) cm. The fasting serum phosphorus level was 0.8 (0.7, 0.9) mmol/L, while the serum alkaline phosphatase level was (721±41) U/L and the serum calcium level was (2.5±0.1) mmol/L. Three patients (12%) had parathyroid hormone levels above the upper limit of the normal range. Twenty-five patients (100%) showed radiographic changes of active rickets. Nephrocalcinosis was found in 2 cases (9%). Twenty-four different PHEX variations were detected in 25 patients, among whom 11 (44%) had not been reported previously. No hot spot variation was found. No statistical differences (all P>0.05) were identified in clinical features and outcomes either in comparing patients with N-terminal (21 cases) and C-terminal (4 cases) variants, or in comparing patients with variant located in exon 17 or 19 (4 cases) or not (21 cases). Twenty-four cases (96%) were treated regularly with phosphate supplements and active vitamin D. After 2.7 (1.6, 5.0) years of follow-up, clinical symptoms were relieved in 96% (24/25) of the patients. The HtSDS after treatment had no significant difference compared to that before treatment (-2.0(-3.2, -0.8) vs.-2.0(-2.8, -1.1), Z =-0.156, P>0.05), while the intercondylar or intermalleolar distance after treatment was significantly reduced compared to that before treatment (4.5(3.0, 6.0) vs. 1.5(0, 3.3) cm, Z =-3.043, P<0.05). Bone X-rays were reexamined in 17 cases after treatment, and radiographic signs of rickets were improved. Eighteen cases had secondary hyperparathyroidism and 7 cases had nephrocalcinosis. Conclusions:The main clinical manifestations of XLH are abnormal gait, lower limb deformity and short stature. A high proportion of novel variations of PHEX gene but no hot spot variation neither genotype-phenotype correlation are found. Regular treatment with phosphate supplements and active vitamin D can significantly improve the symptoms except for the height. However, the rate of adverse events including secondary hyperparathyroidism and nephrocalcinosis seems to be high.