AIM: To evaluate the surgical outcomes and changes in the ocular surface microenvironment following radiofrequency minimally invasive treatment for conjunctivochalasis-induced epiphora.METHODS: Patients with epiphora primarily caused by conjunctivochalasis were enrolled. All patients had conjunctivochalasis of ≥grade II, and their symptoms showed no significant improvement after previous pharmacological treatment. All patients underwent radiofrequency minimally invasive correction of conjunctivochalasis, supplemented with artificial tears, anti-inflammatory therapy, and ocular surface repair treatment postoperatively. At 8 wk post-surgery, the ocular surface disease index(OSDI), eye redness, tear secretion, non-invasive tear break-up time, lipid layer thickness, tear ferning test, and conjunctival impression cytology were assessed to compare treatment efficacy and observe changes in the ocular surface microenvironment.RESULTS: A total of 43 cases(43 eyes)of conjunctivochalasis and with a main complaint of epiphora were included, including 23 males and 20 males, with a mean age of 64.69±3.36 years. The total effective rate of surgery was 91% at 8 wk postoperatively. Compared with preoperative values, the OSDI scores significantly decreased and the non-invasive tear break-up time was prolonged at 8 wk post-surgery(all P<0.05). No statistically significant differences were observed in lipid layer thickness or tear secretion at 8 wk postoperatively(all P>0.05). The normal rate of chloramphenicol taste test increased from 21% preoperatively to 63% postoperatively; the normal rate of eye redness increased from 40% to 70%; normal rate of tear ferning grading improved from 30% to 63%; and normal conjunctival impression cytology grading increased from 21% to 74%.CONCLUSION: Radiofrequency minimally invasive treatment is effective for conjunctivochalasis and is straightforward to perform. Patients with conjunctivochalasis often present with other ocular surface issues beyond conjunctivochalasis itself, such as insufficient tear secretion, reduced lipid layer thickness, and other dry eye-related problems. Therefore, a comprehensive approach emphasizing tear dynamics should be adopted during treatment.

ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism of salt processing of Psoraleae Fructus （PF） through modern analytical techniques and biotechnology， focusing on its effects related to hepatotoxicity and anti-osteoporosis activity. MethodsThe zebrafish model was utilized to evaluate the impact of PF and salt-processed Psoraleae Fructus （SPF） on the hepatotoxicity （using 134.17 ， 178.89， 268.34 mg·L^-1 as low， medium， and high dose groups of PF， 135.04， 180.06， 270.08 mg·L^-1 as low， medium， and high dose groups of SPF， respectively） and anti-osteoporotic activity （using 33.54 ， 67.08 and 134.17 mg·L^-1 as low， medium， and high dose groups of PF， 33.76， 67.52， 135.04 mg·L^-1 as low， medium， and high dose groups of SPF， respectively）， which was using alizarin red skull staining of zebrafish as an indicator of different batches of PF. The specific dosage of a batch of PF was taken as an example. Then ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight-mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-TOF-MS） analysis was employed to identify the chemical composition of PF before and after salt processing， and PCA， OPLS-DA， and independent sample t-test were used to elucidating the compositional changes associated with the effects of salt processing on hepatotoxicity and anti-osteoporosis activity. ResultsUnder specific conditions， PF induced notable hepatotoxicity in zebrafish while simultaneously demonstrating protective effect against prednisolone-induced osteoporosis. In comparison to PF， SPF showed alleviated hepatotoxicity while retaining significant anti-osteoporosis activity. UPLC-Q-TOF-MS analysis revealed that after salt processing， the overall chemical composition of PF showed a downward trend， with 69 components showing a decrease in content， represented by psoralen， and 13 components showing an increase， represented by 4′-O-methyl psoralen B. Further multivariate statistical analysis revealed 11 key differential components before and after salt processing of PF， including psoralen and bakuchiol. ConclusionSalt processing effectively diminishes hepatotoxicity without impairing therapeutic efficacy against osteoporosis of PF， which may be related to the compositional changes before and after salt processing of PF and provides key evidence to reveal the scientific significance of salt processing of PF.

The brain-gut interaction theory is a multidimensional integrative concept based on the brain-gut axis， involving neural， endocrine， and immune regulatory networks as well as the gut microbiota. Zang-fu organs （脏腑） theory in traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） shows a high degree of consistency with the brain-gut interaction theory， and the core functions such as the spleen and stomach governing the ascending of the clear and descending of the turbid， the liver governing the free flow of qi， and the heart governing mental and emotional activities are closely associated with the multi-level regulatory mechanisms of the brain-gut axis. TCM therapy can modulate brain-gut interactions through multiple pathways in the treatment of spleen and stomach diseases， including the regulation of gastrointestinal hormone secretion， neurotransmitter levels， the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal （HPA） axis， immune homeostasis and inflammatory responses， as well as the gut microecology. However， current basic research on the brain-gut interaction theory in TCM for spleen and stomach diseases still faces several challenges， such as difficulties in integrating TCM spleen-stomach theory with modern pathophysiology， lack of innovation in research concepts， and limitations in research methodologies. It is therefore proposed that multidisciplinary collaboration， multi-omics technologies， and targeted research approaches should be adopted to provide more comprehensive methods for basic research on TCM spleen and stomach diseases， thereby promoting the in-depth development of brain-gut interaction theory.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate and optimize microbial DNA extraction methods from urine, a non-invasive sample source, to enhance DNA quality, purity, and reliability for urinary microbiome research and biomarker discovery in bladder cancer. Materials and Methods: A total of 302 individuals (258 with genitourinary cancers and 44 with benign urologic diseases) participated in this study. Urine samples were collected via sterile catheterization, resulting in 445 vials for microbial analysis. DNA extraction was performed using three protocols: the standard protocol (SP), water dilution protocol (WDP), and chelation-assisted protocol (CAP). DNA quality (concentration, purity, and contamination levels) was assessed using NanoDrop spectrophotometry.Microbial analysis was conducted on 138 samples (108 cancerous and 30 benign) using 16S rRNA sequencing. Prior to sequencing on the Illumina MiSeq platform, Victor 3 fluorometry was used for validation. Results: WDP outperformed other methods, achieving significantly higher 260/280 and 260/230 ratios, indicating superior DNA purity and reduced contamination, while maintaining reliable DNA yields. CAP was excluded due to poor performance across all metrics. Microbial abundance was significantly higher in WDP-extracted samples (p<0.0001), whereas SP demonstrated higher alpha diversity indices (p<0.01), likely due to improved detection of low-abundance taxa. Beta diversity analysis showed no significant compositional differences between SP and WDP (p=1.0), supporting the reliability of WDP for microbiome research. Conclusions WDP is a highly effective and reliable method for microbial DNA extraction from urine, ensuring high-quality and reproducible results. Future research should address sample variability and crystal precipitation to further refine microbiome-based diagnostics and therapeutics.

The plant AT-rich sequence and zinc-binding protein (PLATZ) family is composed of plant-specific zinc finger-like transcription factors, which play important roles in plant growth, development, and stress tolerance. In this study, to gain a better understanding of the PLATZ gene in C. sinensis and elucidate its response under drought and high temperature conditions, the PLATZ gene family of the C. sinensis cultivar 'Tieguanyin' was systematically identified, and a total of 12 CsPLATZ family members were identified. Expasy online and other bioinformatics tools were used to analyze the members of the PLATZ gene family in terms of protein physicochemical properties, phylogenetic relationships, cis-acting elements, gene structures, and intra- and inter-species collinearity. The results of phylogenetic analysis classified the CsPLATZ family members into 2 subfamilies. The conserved domains and gene structures of PLATZ family members within the same subfamily had a high degree of consistency, whereas a certain degree of diversity was observed among the subfamilies. Twelve PLATZ genes were unevenly distributed across 7 chromosomes of C. sinensis and the promoter regions of these genes had multiple cis-acting elements related to hormone and stress responses. The collinearity analysis showed that there were 4 pairs of duplication events in the CsPLATZ gene family, all of which were segmental duplications. Based on this gene family, C. sinensis had a closer evolutionary relationship with A. thaliana than with O. sativa. The transcriptome analysis showed that the expression levels of CsPLATZ family members varied in different tissue samples of C. sinensis. 6 genes (CsPLATZ-1, CsPLATZ-2, CsPLATZ-3, CsPLATZ-4, CsPLATZ-6, and CsPLATZ-8) with high expression in shoots, young leaves, and roots were selected for high temperature and drought stress treatments, and their expression was quantified by qRT-PCR. The results indicated that the six genes might play important roles in the response to drought stress. In addition, CsPLATZ-2 and CsPLATZ-8 might have important functions in the response to high temperature stress. The results of this study will contribute to a better understanding of the biological functions of PLATZ genes and their possible roles in the growth, development, and stress responses of C. sinensis.
Droughts ; Camellia sinensis/physiology* ; Phylogeny ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Plant Proteins/genetics* ; Stress, Physiological/genetics* ; Multigene Family ; Transcription Factors/genetics* ; Hot Temperature ; Genes, Plant

Objective:To investigate the characteristics of fatty acid metabolism in the hepatic steatosis (HS) population and to explore the role of inflammation in the relationship between fatty acid metabolism and HS.Methods:A total of 3 112 subjects from the 2011–2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database were included in this retrospective study, among whom 1 552 were in the HS group (weighted percentage: 49.87%) and 1 560 in the control group (weighted percentage: 50.13%). The differences in dietary fatty acid and serum free fatty acid (FFA) levels and metabolic characteristics were compared. Logistic and weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression models were used to evaluate the impacts of various FFA indexes on HS. Mediation analysis was conducted to examine whether inflammation served as a mediator in the relationship between FFA and HS.Results:Dietary fatty acid intake did not differ significantly between the HS and control groups. However, serum FFA metabolism characteristics differed between these two groups, with the concentrations of 28 FFAs in the HS group significantly higher than those in the control group. The risk of HS was correlated negatively with serum unsaturated fatty acids/saturated fatty acids ( OR=0.69, 95% CI: 0.64–0.75, P<0.001), polyunsaturated fatty acids/saturated fatty acids ( OR=0.63, 95% CI: 0.99–0.69, P<0.001), and Health Promotion Index ( OR=0.78, 95% CI: 0.74–0.82, P<0.001) but positively with thrombosis index ( OR=2.20, 95% CI: 1.89–2.55, P<0.001). The WQS model showed that behenic acid had the greatest contribution weight to increase the risk of HS among the 30 FFAs. After adjusting for confounding factors, the risk of HS increased by 167% (95% CI: 2.14–3.34, P<0.001) for each unit increase in the WQS index. Further mediation analysis showed that albumin/globulin ratio, white blood cell count, and neutrophil to platelet ratio significantly mediated the relationship between serum FFA and HS ( P<0.05). Conclusion:People with similar dietary fatty acid structures may present different serum FFA metabolism characteristics. Serum FFA level correlates with the risk of HS, and inflammation plays an important role in mediating the relationship between fatty acid metabolism and HS.

Aim To investigate the effect of long-chain non-coding RNA(lncRNA)GS1-124K5.4 targeting regulation of PRDX6 on proliferation,migration and in-vasion of lung squamous carcinoma(LUSC)cells and the underlying mechanism.Methods The expression level of lncRNA GS1-124K5.4 in lung cancer tissues and adjacent tissues of 60 patients with LUSC were de-termined by fluorescence in situ hybridization.The ex-pression level of lncRNA GS1-124K5.4 in human nor-mal lung cells and LUSC cells were determined by qRT-PCR.Two kinds of LUSC cells(NCI-H 1703,SK-MES-1)with highest expression level of lncRNA GS1-124K5.4 were selected for subsequent experi-ments.The distribution of lncRNA GS1-124K5.4 in cells was studied by fluorescence in situ hybridization and prokaryotic separation.The effect of knockdown of lncRNA GS1-124K5.4 on proliferation of NCI-H1703 and SK-MES-1 cells was studied by CCK-8 experiment and cell clone formation experiment;the effect of knockdown of lncRNA GS1-124K5.4 on migration of NCI-H1703 and SK-MES-1 cells was studied by cell scratch experiment and Transwell cell migration experi-ment;and the effect of knockdown of lncRNA GS1-124K5.4 on invasion of NCI-H1703 and SK-MES-1 cells was studied by Transwell invasion experiment.The protein to be bound by lncRNA GS1-124K5.4 was detected by RNA pull-down combined with mass spec-trometry and immune-precipitation.The effect of knockdown of lncRNA GS1-124K5.4 targeting PRDX6 on proliferation,migration and invasion of NCI-H1703 and SK-MES-1 cells was studied.Results(1)The fluorescence intensity of lncRNA GS1-124K5.4 in lung squamous cell carcinoma increased compared with that in adjacent tissues(P＜0.05),and the expression of lncRNA GS1-124K5.4 was related with lymph node metastasis and clinical stage(P＜0.05).(2)The ex-pression level of lncRNA GS1-124K5.4 in NCI-H1703,NCI-H520 and SK-MES-1 cells significantly increased(P＜0.05).(3)The result of fluorescence in situ hybridization experiment and nucleoplasm sepa-ration experiment showed that lncRNA GS1-124K5.4 was mainly distributed in cell nucleus.(4)The prolif-eration,migration and invasion ability of NCI-H1703 and SK-MES-1 cells with knockdown of lncRNA GS1-124K5.4 significantly decreased(P＜0.05).(5)PRDX6 protein to be bound to LncRNA GS1-124K5.4 was determined by RNA pull-down combined with mass spectrometry and immunoprecipitation.(6)The prolif-eration,migration and invasion ability of NCI-H1703 and SK-MES-1 cells with overexpression of lncRNA GS1-124K5.4 significantly increased(P＜0.05);the proliferation,migration and invasion ability of NCI-H1703 and SK-MES-1 cells with knockdown of PRDX6 significantly decreased(P＜0.05);the proliferation,migration and invasion ability of NCI-H1703 and SK-MES-1 cells with overexpression of lncRNAGS1-124K5.4 and knockdown of PRDX6 showed no signifi-cant change(P＞0.05).Conclusions LncRNA GS1-124K5.4 is highly expressed in lung squamous cell carcinoma,and it may promote the proliferation,migration and invasion of lung squamous carcinoma cells by targeting the expression of PRDX6 protein.

Objective To observe impact factors of average glandular dose(AGD)of full field digital mammography(FFDM)and digital breast tomosynthesis(DBT)under breast Combo mode.Methods Totally 169 subjects who received FFDM and DBT under Combo mode were collected retrospectively.The breast compression thickness,tube voltage,tube current and AGD of FFDM and DBT exposure at cranio-caudal(CC)and mediolateral oblique(MLO)positions of bilateral breast were recorded.FFDM or DBT exposure conditions and AGD among different breast compression thickness and breast types were compared,and their correlations were analyzed.The impacts of breast compression thickness and breast density on AGD of FFDM or DBT were observed.Results There were significant differences in tube voltage,tube current and AGD of FFDM or DBT among different breast compression thicknesses(all P＜0.001).With the increase of breast compression thickness,tube voltage,tube current and AGD of FFDM or DBT all increased(all P＜0.001).There were statistical differences in breast compression thickness,tube voltage,tube current and AGD of FFDM or DBT among different types breast(all P＜0.001).Hierarchical analysis showed that,when breast compression thickness was＜50 mm,50-59 mm and＞59 mm respectively,statistical differences in AGDFFDM and AGDDBT among different breast types at CC or MLO positions were found(all P＜0.001).Under the same breast compression thickness,tube current,AGDFFDM and AGDDBT of FFDM or DBT all increased with the increase of breast density(all P＜0.001),while tube voltage of FFDM or DBT had no obvious change(all P＞0.05).Breast compression thickness and breast density were both independent factors of AGD of FFDM or DBT(all P＜0.001).Conclusion Under breast Combo mode,breast compression thickness and gland density both had impacts on AGD of FFDM or DBT,and the former had more significant impact on AGD.

Objective:To explore the role and mechanism of serum response factor (SRF) and lncRNA FGD5-AS1 in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD).Methods:The plasma and tissue wax of LUAD patients treated in Tangshan People's Hospital from 2020 to 2022 and the plasma of healthy people were collected. The expression of SRF in LUAD tissues and cells, and the expression of lncRNA FGD5-AS1 in LUAD tissues, plasma and cells were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The expression levels of SRF and lncRNA FGD5-AS1 in LUAD tissue microarray were detected by immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. LUAD cells A549, H1299 and H1975 were cultured in vitro and divided into si-NC and si-SRF groups, si-NC and si-lncRNA FGD5-AS1 groups, pcDNA3.1 and lncRNA FGD5-AS1 groups, si-NC+pcDNA3.1/si-SRF+pcDNA3.1/si-SRF+lncRNA FGD5-AS1 groups. The effects of the above groups on the proliferation, invasion and migration of LUAD cells were detected by CCK-8, cloning formation, EdU, Transwell and scratch test. The JASPAR database was used to predict the downstream lncRNA FGD5-AS1 that can be regulated by SRF; double luciferase experiment, chromatin Immunoprecipitation (CHIP) and electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) experiment were used to verify the regulatory effect between SRF and lncRNA FGD5-AS1, and the subcutaneous tumorigenesis experiment in nude mice was used to detect the effects of cells that stably knock down SRF and stably overexpress lncRNA FGD5-AS1 on the growth of transplanted tumors. Results:The results of immunohistochemistry showed that the mean optical density of SRF in LUAD tissues (1.49±0.33) was higher than that in adjacent tissues (1.00±0.00, P＜0.001). The expression level of SRF in paraffin tissues of LUAD patients was higher than that in normal tissues adjacent to cancer ( P=0.037). CCK-8, cloning, scratch and Transwell experiments showed that knockdown SRF could inhibit the proliferation, migration and invasion of A549 and H1299 cells, respectively. [For A549 cells: The clone formation count, migration count, invasion count, and 48-h migration distance ratio were (233.70±18.50), (808.70±6.11), (489.70±53.00), and 1.00±0.03, respectively, in the si-NC group; and (131.30±22.50), (403.00±9.54), (372.70±26.27), and 2.14±0.09, respectively, in the si-SRF group. For H1299 cells: The clone formation count, migration count, invasion count, and 48-h migration distance ratio were (194.30±20.98), (988.70±64.52), (907.70±67.02), and 1.00±0.05, respectively, in the si-NC group; and (137.70±7.77), (665.70±157.10), (565.70±67.01), and 1.52±0.03, respectively, in the si-SRF group. All comparisons showed statistically significant differences ( P＜0.05)] JASPAR database prediction shows that SRF and lncRNA FGD5-AS1 have binding site. The double luciferase experiment, CHIP and EMSA experiments showed that SRF could regulate lncRNA FGD5-AS1. In situ hybridization showed that the mean optical density of lncRNA FGD5-AS1 in tissue microarray of LUAD patients (1.28±0.31) was higher than that in adjacent tissues (1.00±0.00, P＜0.001). The results of qRT-PCR experiment showed that the expression level of lncRNA FGD5-AS1 in wax tissues of LUAD patients was higher than that in normal tissues adjacent to cancer ( P=0.017). The expression level of lncRNA FGD5-AS1 in plasma of LUAD patients (3.48±2.62) was higher than that of healthy people (1.02±0.03, P＜0.001). CCK-8, cloning, EDU, scratch and Transwell experiments showed that overexpression of lncRNA FGD5-AS1 could promote cell proliferation [For A549 cells: The clone formation count, EdU-positive cell count, invasion count, and 48-h migration distance ratio were (22.67±5.86), (1.00±0.09), (135.70±13.20), and 0.35±0.02, respectively, in the pcDNA3.1 group; and (46.33±9.07), (1.65±0.10), (205.00±13.23), and 0.20±0.01, respectively, in the FGD5-AS1-overexpressing group. All comparisons showed statistically significant differences ( P＜0.05)], migration and invasion and vice versa [For H1975 cells: The clone formation count, EdU-positive cell count, invasion count, and 48-h migration distance ratio were (75.33±4.16), (1.00±0.02), (258.70±45.79), and 0.18±0.01, respectively, in the NC group; and (37.00±4.00), (0.52±0.07), (130.70±9.07), and 0.53±0.04, respectively, in the lncRNA FGD5-AS1 knockdown group (si-lncRNA FGD5-AS1 group). All comparisons showed statistically significant differences ( P＜0.05)]. Overexpression of lncRNA FGD5-AS1 could rescue the effect of knockdown SRF on the proliferation, migration and invasion of A549 and H1299 cells. The results of subcutaneous tumorigenesis experiment in nude mice indicated that the tumorigenicity of LUAD cells stably knockdown SRF was weakened and vice versa. Conclusion:SRF can promote the progress of LUAD by regulating lncRNA FGD5-AS1.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by persistent inflammation and joint damage, accompanied by the accumulation of plasma cells, which contributes to its pathogenesis. Understanding the genetic alterations occurring during plasma cell differentiation in RA can deepen our comprehension of its pathogenesis and guide the development of targeted therapeutic interventions. Here, our study elucidates the intricate molecular mechanisms underlying plasma cell differentiation by demonstrating that PRDX1 interacts with DOK3 and modulates its degradation by the autophagy-lysosome pathway. This interaction results in the inhibition of plasma cell differentiation, thereby alleviating the progression of collagen-induced arthritis. Additionally, our investigation identifies Salvianolic acid B (SAB) as a potent small molecular glue-like compound that enhances the interaction between PRDX1 and DOK3, consequently impeding the progression of collagen-induced arthritis by inhibiting plasma cell differentiation. Collectively, these findings underscore the therapeutic potential of developing chemical stabilizers for the PRDX1-DOK3 complex in suppressing plasma cell differentiation for RA treatment and establish a theoretical basis for targeting PRDX1-protein interactions as specific therapeutic targets in various diseases.