BACKGROUND:In vitro construction of tissue-engineered intestinal models plays an important role in intestinal regeneration and intestinal disease research.The interaction of intestinal nervous system and intestinal epithelial barrier to maintain body homeostasis is a hot topic in the bionic construction of tissue-engineered intestinal tract.OBJECTIVE:To construct a bionic model that can mimic the enteric nervous system in vivo.METHODS:Using fibroin protein with villus structure as scaffold,human induced neural stem cells solidified with collagen were added to intestinal epithelial cells(Caco-2 and HT29-MTX-E12)for 3-day culture to construct a co-culture system of intestinal epithelial cells and nerve cells(co-culture group).Human induced neural stem cells or intestinal epithelial cells cultured alone that were inoculated with fibroin scaffolds were set as controls.Cell morphology was observed by scanning electron microscopy and hematoxylin-eosin staining.Cell activity was detected by Live/Dead cell staining.Human induced neural stem cell differentiation was detected by β-microtubulin immunofluorescence staining.Intestinal epithelial histological properties and barrier function were detected by microvillin,sucrase-isomaltase,tight junction protein 1,E-calmodulin,and mucin-2 immunofluorescence staining.The function of mucus secretion from intestinal epithelial cells was detected by Alcian blue staining.Alkaline phosphatase staining was performed to detect differentiation of intestinal epithelial cells,at the same time,sucrase-isomaltase,tight junction protein 1,and alkaline phosphatase mRNAs were detected by RT-qRCR.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The neuralized intestinal mucosal co-culture model with villi structure was successfully constructed,and neural stem cells and intestinal epithelial cells on the fibroin scaffold showed good cellular activities.After neuralization,the activity of alkaline phosphatase and sucrase-isomaltase in intestinal epithelial cells was enhanced,while the expression level of tight junction protein 1 was up-regulated.To conclude,the neuralized bionic intestinal epithelial model is beneficial to the maturation of intestinal mucosal epithelial cells and the formation of barrier function.

BACKGROUND:In vitro construction of tissue-engineered intestinal models plays an important role in intestinal regeneration and intestinal disease research.The interaction of intestinal nervous system and intestinal epithelial barrier to maintain body homeostasis is a hot topic in the bionic construction of tissue-engineered intestinal tract.OBJECTIVE:To construct a bionic model that can mimic the enteric nervous system in vivo.METHODS:Using fibroin protein with villus structure as scaffold,human induced neural stem cells solidified with collagen were added to intestinal epithelial cells(Caco-2 and HT29-MTX-E12)for 3-day culture to construct a co-culture system of intestinal epithelial cells and nerve cells(co-culture group).Human induced neural stem cells or intestinal epithelial cells cultured alone that were inoculated with fibroin scaffolds were set as controls.Cell morphology was observed by scanning electron microscopy and hematoxylin-eosin staining.Cell activity was detected by Live/Dead cell staining.Human induced neural stem cell differentiation was detected by β-microtubulin immunofluorescence staining.Intestinal epithelial histological properties and barrier function were detected by microvillin,sucrase-isomaltase,tight junction protein 1,E-calmodulin,and mucin-2 immunofluorescence staining.The function of mucus secretion from intestinal epithelial cells was detected by Alcian blue staining.Alkaline phosphatase staining was performed to detect differentiation of intestinal epithelial cells,at the same time,sucrase-isomaltase,tight junction protein 1,and alkaline phosphatase mRNAs were detected by RT-qRCR.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The neuralized intestinal mucosal co-culture model with villi structure was successfully constructed,and neural stem cells and intestinal epithelial cells on the fibroin scaffold showed good cellular activities.After neuralization,the activity of alkaline phosphatase and sucrase-isomaltase in intestinal epithelial cells was enhanced,while the expression level of tight junction protein 1 was up-regulated.To conclude,the neuralized bionic intestinal epithelial model is beneficial to the maturation of intestinal mucosal epithelial cells and the formation of barrier function.

This paper summarizes professor ZHU Shengliang's academic idea and clinical experience in treating gastroesophageal reflux disease （GERD） with qi constraint and phlegm obstruction syndrome. It is believed that the core pathogenesis of GERD is the dysfunction of the liver， gallbladder， spleen and stomach， with binding of phlegm and stasis. The basic pathogenesis is the liver and gallbladder failing to dredge and disperse， the stomach failing to harmonize and descend， and the stomach qi counterflowing upward. In clinical practice， the treatment principle of regulating qi as the priority， resolving phlegm as the key， and activating blood as the assistant is applied， with harmonizing the stomach and directing counterflow downward throughout the whole process. A self-made Shugan Hewei Huatan Formula （疏肝和胃化痰方） is employed with the function of soothing the liver and rectifying qi， opening constraint and dissipating knot， dissolving phlegm and dispelling stasis， harmonizing stomach and directing counterflow downward， with an emphasis on flexible modification according to the syndrome as well as careful protection of stomach qi.

Objective To investigate the distribution and antimicrobial resistance profiles of clinically isolated Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis in hospitals across China from 2015 to 2021,and provide evidence for rational use of antimicrobial agents.Methods Data of H.influenzae and M.catarrhalis strains isolated from 2015 to 2021 in CHINET program were collected for analysis,and antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed by disc diffusion method or automated systems according to the uniform protocol of CHINET.The results were interpreted according to the CLSI breakpoints in 2022.Beta-lactamases was detected by using nitrocefin disk.Results From 2015 to 2021,a total of 43 642 strains of Haemophilus species were isolated,accounting for 2.91％of the total clinical isolates and 4.07％of Gram-negative bacteria in CHINET program.Among the 40 437 strains of H.influenzae,66.89％were isolated from children and 33.11％were isolated from adults.More than 90％of the H.influenzae strains were isolated from respiratory tract specimens.The prevalence of β-lactamase was 53.79％in H.influenzae strains.The H.influenzae strains isolated from children showed higher resistance rate than the strains isolated from adults.Overall,779 strains of H.influenzae did not produce β-lactamase but were resistant to ampicillin(BLNAR).Beta-lactamase-producing strains showed significantly higher resistance rates to these antimicrobial agents than the β-lactamase-nonproducing strains.Of the 16 191 M.catarrhalis strains,80.06％were isolated from children and 19.94％isolated from adults.M.catarrhalis strains were mostly susceptible to both amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and cefuroxime,evidenced by resistance rate lower than 2.0％.Conclusions The emergence of antibiotic-resistant H.influenzae due to β-lactamase production poses a challenge for clinical anti-infective treatment.Therefore,it is very important to implement antibiotic resistance surveillance for H.influenzae and guide rational antibiotic use.All local clinical microbiology laboratories should actively improve antibiotic susceptibility testing and strengthen antibiotic resistance surveillance for H.influenzae.

Objective:To explore the clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of fumarate hydratase-deficient uterine leiomyoma (FH-dUL).Methods:Clinical data and follow-up information for 117 patients with FH-dUL diagnosed through surgical pathology and immunohistochemistry in the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from January 2020 to December 2024, were collected. A control group of 130 patients with common uterine leiomyomas was also included. The differences between the two groups in clinical, imaging, and pathological characteristics were compared. Additionally, recurrence rates, fertility outcomes for FH-dUL patients, and the incidence of renal cancer in FH germline mutation carriers were monitored.Results:(1) Comparison of clinicopathological characteristics: the median age of 117 FH-dUL patients was 35 years, and the median age at first diagnosis of uterine leiomyomas was 29 years, both significantly younger than the control group (41 and 36 years; both P<0.01). The FH-dUL group showed significantly higher incidences of uterine myomectomy, multiple leiomyomas, diffusion restriction on pelvic magnetic resonance imaging diffusion weighted imaging, and typical pathological features (candelabra-like vessels, bizarre nuclei, cytoplasmic eosinophilic globules, perinuclear halo, cellular atypia) and higher ultrasound blood flow score (all P<0.05). Of the 30 FH-dUL patients who underwent genetic testing, 9 had germline mutations, 3 had somatic mutations, and 6 had mutations of unclear origin. Among the 9 FH gene germline mutation patients, 2 had already developed renal cell carcinoma. (2) Recurrence analysis: among the 56 patients who underwent uterine myomectomy, 22 (39.3%, 22/56) experienced recurrence during follow-up, compared to 12 (21.8%, 12/55) of the 55 patients in the control group, the difference between the two groups was statistically significant ( P=0.046). Multivariate binary logistic regression analysis showed that cellular leiomyomas ( OR=9.489, 95% CI: 1.740-51.755; P=0.009) and multiple uterine leiomyomas ( OR=10.709, 95% CI: 1.354-84.683; P=0.025) were significant risk factors for recurrence in FH-dUL. (3) Fertility analysis: among the 66 FH-dUL patients who underwent fertility-preserving surgery, 16 had the intention to have fertility desire, only 2 (2/16) completed their fertility plans during follow-up. Conclusions:Clinicopathological features and imaging features help to differentiate FH-dUL from common type uterine fibroids, but lack specificity, and the diagnosis of FH-dUL is based on immunohistochemistry. The recurrence rate after resection of FH-dUL is high, and cellular and multiple leiomyomas are important predictors of recurrence. It is crucial to perform genetic testing, genetic counseling, drug treatment to prevent recurrence, fertility guidance, and long-term comprehensive management after surgery for FH-dUL management.

AIM:This study aims to investigate the synergistic cytotoxic effects of chrysin and venetoclax on acute myeloid leukemia(AML)cells and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.METHODS:Human AML cell lines MV411 and MOLM13 were cultured in vitro and treated with chrysin in combination with venetoclax.Cell viability was as-sessed using the CCK8 assay,while flow cytometry was employed to measure cell cycle distribution and apoptosis rates.Western blot was used to detect the expression of apoptosis-related proteins and protein kinase B(PKB/Akt)/nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB)signaling pathway-related proteins.RESULTS:The results from the CCK8 assay and flow cytometry demon-strated that treatment with 16 and 32 μmol/L chrysin significantly inhibited the viability of AML cells and increased the proportion of cells in G1 phase,as well as the apoptosis rate.Notably,the cells in combination treatment group exhibited a marked reduction in proliferation and an elevated apoptosis rate compared with either chrysin or venetoclax group alone.Western blot analysis indicated that increasing concentrations of chrysin led to an elevation in cleaved poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase(PARP)level,alongside a down-regulation of proteins associated with the Akt/NF-κB signaling pathway.Fur-thermore,the combination treatment significantly up-regulated cleaved PARP level and down-regulated Akt/NF-κB path-way-related proteins compared with the treatment with chrysin or venetoclax alone.CONCLUSION:Chrysin and veneto-clax synergistically inhibit the proliferation of AML cells and promote apoptosis by modulating the Akt/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Objective To analyze the main epidemiological characteristics of fungal infection in this hospital in the past 7 years,and to provide reference for clinical treatment and prevention and control strategies of fun-gal infection.Methods The fungal data and clinical data of related patients isolated from clinical samples in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from early January 2018 to the end of May 2024 were selected,and the main epidemiological characteristics of fungal infection in this hospital were identified and described through multi-angle statistical analysis.Results A total of 4 479 patients with filamentous fungal infection were en-rolled.The proportion of male patients[57.5％(2 576/4 479)]was higher than that of female patients[42.5％(1 903/4 143)],mainly distributed in internal medicine,Intensive Care Unit(ICU)and emergency de-partment,among which internal medicine accounted for the highest proportion[50.0％(2 241/4 479)].About 90.0％of the specimens were from the lower respiratory tract,in addition to specimens from skin and soft tis-sue,tissue,ear and blood culture.In terms of seasonal distribution,there are more patients in winter.The fun-gi were mainly composed of Aspergillus,Mucor,Cerdosporium,Fusarium and Penicillium,among which As-pergillus was the most abundant,accounting for 74.6％of the total.Aspergillus fumigatus was the most a-bundant Aspergillus,accounting for 42.5％of the total Aspergillus(1 418/3 340).Among the related infec-tions caused by mold,Aspergillus was the most common in the lower respiratory tract,accounting for 76.8％.Among them,Aspergillus fumigatus accounted for the highest proportion(33.6％).98.6％of the molds infected the ear were Aspergillus,of which Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus terreus were the most common.Skin infections are mainly caused by Sporothrix schenckii,Trichophyton rubrum,Microsporum ca-nis.The results of in vitro drug sensitivity test showed that the four common Aspergillus isolated in this hos-pital were sensitive to voriconazole,and amphotericin B had better antifungal activity against Mucorales in vitro.Conclusion Based on the main epidemiological characteristics of fungal infections in this hospital,it is recommended that special attention be paid to the admission of patients in the respiratory department during the peak infection period in autumn and winter.In the treatment of fungal infections in different regions and on different body parts,attention should be paid to the differences in the distribution of bacterial species.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2022.03.002.].

Objective:To investigate the effects of the transforming growth factor-β/Wingless 5a/c-Jun N-terminal kinase (TGF-β/WNT5a/JNK) signaling pathway on fibrosis of lens epithelial cells (LECs).Methods:The human LECs line SRA01/04 was divided into three groups, control group cultured with conventional medium, TGF-β group treated with TGF-β1 for 24 hours and WNT5a group treated with WNT5a for 24 hours.Western blot was performed to detect the relative protein expression levels of WNT5a, JNK, and phosphorylated JNK (p-JNK) in cells of the three groups.The SRA01/04 cell line was further divided into four groups, control group cultured with conventional medium, TGF-β group treated with TGF-β 1 for 24 hours, TGF-β+ SP600125 group treated with TGF-β1 for 24 hours+ JNK inhibitor SP600125 for 2 hours, and WNT5a+ SP600125 group treated with WNT5a for 24 hours+ SP600125 for 2 hours.The relative expression of WNT5a, JNK, p-JNK, type Ⅰ collagen (Col-Ⅰ), fibronectin (FN), and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) in cells of the four groups was detected by Western blot.The distribution of α-SMA in cells was determined by immunofluorescence staining.Cell migration was evaluated via Transwell assay, and Col-Ⅰ gel area ratio was measured at 8, 16, 24, and 48 hours of culture by gel contraction experiment. Results:Western blot revealed that the relative protein expression levels of WNT5a, JNK, and p-JNK were significantly higher in the TGF-β and WNT5a groups than in the control group (all P<0.05).The expression levels of Col-Ⅰ, FN, and α-SMA were significantly higher in the TGF-β, TGF-β+ SP600125, and WNT5a+ SP600125 groups than in the control group and significantly lower in the TGF-β+ SP600125 and WNT5a+ SP600125 groups than in the TGF-β group (all P<0.05).Immunofluorescence staining showed that TGF-β-treated SRA01/04 cells transformed from columnar epithelial cells to spindle-shaped myofibroblasts in TGF-β group, whereas most cells in the TGF-β+ SP600125 and WNT5a+ SP600125 groups were still columnar epithelial cells.The relative fluorescence intensity of α-SMA was significantly higher in the TGF-β, TGF-β+ SP600125 and WNT5a+ SP600125 groups than in the control group, and the relative fluorescence intensity of α-SMA was significantly lower in the TGF-β+ SP600125 and WNT5a+ SP600125 groups than in the TGF-β group (all P<0.05).Transwell assay showed that there were more migrating cells in TGF-β group than in the control group, and the migrating cell count was lower in TGF-β+ SP600125 group and WNT5a+ SP600125 group than in the control group, with statistically significant differences (all P<0.05).Col-Ⅰ gel contraction experiment results showed that with the extension of culture time, the Col-Ⅰ gel area in each group decreased significantly, with significant overall comparison differences in the Col-Ⅰ gel area shrinkage ratios in each group at different time points ( Ftime=71.599, P<0.001) and among different groups ( Fgroup=71.604, P<0.001).After 48 hours of culture, the Col-Ⅰ gel shrinkage ratios in TGF-β group, TGF-β+ SP600125 and WNT5a+ SP600125 groups were (26.24±0.28)%, (64.02±1.05)%, and (76.81±0.28)%, respectively, which were significantly lower than (90.20±0.31)% of the control group (all P<0.05). Conclusions:The WNT5a/JNK signaling pathway, acting as a downstream target of the TGF-β signaling pathway, promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition and extracellular matrix deposition in LECs, and enhances cell contractility.

Objective:To establish an ion chromatography-integrated amperometric detection method for iodide in water.Methods:After the water sample was filtered through a filter membrane, the AS 11-HC anion chromatography column of ion chromatography method was used to separate iodide ions under the conditions of 70 mmol/L sodium hydroxide solution as the eluent, injection volume of 100 μl, column temperature of 30 ℃, and flow rate of 1.0 ml/min. The results were determined by silver working electrode integral amperometric detection method. Under the optimized experimental conditions, methodological evaluations such as method calibration curves, detection limits, quantification limits, precision, and accuracy were conducted.Results:Iodide followed a square correction curve within the concentration range of 0 - 100 μg/L, with a correlation coefficient ( r) > 0.999 9. The detection limit of the method was 0.30 μg/L, and the quantification limit was 1.00 μg/L. The determination results of the national standard substances GBW09113f and GBW09114f for iodine composition analysis in water were within the reference range [(8.4 ± 1.2), (55 ± 6) μg/L]. The recovery rates of low, medium, and high concentration spiked samples with low background values ranged from 91.7% to 97.2%, and the relative standard deviation ranged from 0.40% to 1.60%. Conclusion:This method has the characteristics of simple water sample pretreatment, high sensitivity, and good accuracy, which can meet the determination of trace iodides in bulk water samples for iodine deficiency disorders monitoring.