Mesangial cell proliferation is an early pathological indicator of diabetic nephropathy (DN). Growing evidence highlights the pivotal role of paired-related homeobox 1 (Prrx1), a key regulator of cellular proliferation and tissue differentiation, in various disease pathogenesis. Notably, Prrx1 is highly expressed in mesangial cells under DN conditions. Both in vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated that Prrx1 overexpression promotes mesangial cell proliferation and contributes to renal fibrosis in db/m mice. Conversely, Prrx1 knockdown markedly suppresses hyperglycemia-induced mesangial cell proliferation and mitigates renal fibrosis in db/db mice. Mechanistically, Prrx1 directly interacts with the Yes-associated protein 1 (YAP) promoter, leading to the upregulation of YAP expression. This upregulation promotes mesangial cell proliferation and exacerbates renal fibrosis. These findings emphasize the crucial role of Prrx1 upregulation in high glucose-induced mesangial cell proliferation, ultimately leading to renal fibrosis in DN. Therefore, targeting Prrx1 to downregulate its expression presents a promising therapeutic strategy for treating renal fibrosis associated with DN.

Objective To evaluate the predictive abilities of the triglyceride and glucose(TyG)index,metabolic insulin resistance score(METSIR),and ratio of triglyceride to high-density lipopro-tein cholesterol(TG/HDL-C)for the risk of onset and severity of lesions in patients with acute coro-nary syndrome(ACS)complicated with multivessel coronary artery disease.Methods A retrospec-tive analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 260 ACS patients admitted to Yunnan Provincial Third People's Hospital,and the patients were divided into multivessel disease group(n=160)and non-multivessel disease group(n=100);based on the SYNTAX score,the multivessel disease group was further divided into high-risk group with 71 cases(score＞22.5)and low-risk group with 89 cases(score ≤22.5).Results The multivessel disease group had significantly higher proportions of males,history of diabetes,history of smoking,TyG index,METSIR,and TG/HDL-C compared to the non-multivessel disease group(P＜0.05).Correlation analysis showed that the TyG index and TG/HDL-C were significantly positively correlated with the SYNTAX score(P＜0.05),while MET-SIR had no correlation with the SYNTAX score(P＞0.05).Logistic regression analysis indicated that METSIR was an independent risk factor for ACS complicated with multivessel coronary artery disease(P＜0.05),and TyG,METSIR and TG/HDL-C were all independent factors for predicting the severity of lesions(P＜0.05).Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis showed that TyG had the highest predictive value for ACS complicated with multivessel coronary artery dis-ease and its severity(area under the curve was 0.804).Conclusion The TyG index,METSIR,and TG/HDL-C are of great significance in the early identification and assessment of ACS complicat-ed with multi vessel coronary artery disease,with TyG having the highest predictive value.

Objective To investigate the predictive value of serum uric acid(UA),homocysteine(Hcy)and the product index of UA and Hcy in patients with stable coronary artery disease(SCAD).Methods A total of 783 patients with suspected coronary heart disease were collected,all of whom underwent coronary angiography.Patients were divided into coronary heart disease(CHD)group and non-coronary heart disease(NCHD)group.The CHD group was further divided into low score group(≤35 points)and high score group(>35 points)according to Gensini scores.Baseline data,blood lipids,Hcy,UA,left ventricular function ultrasound indicators,and comorbidities were collected.Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the risk factors associated with the onset of SCAD and severe coronary artery disease,while the Receiver Operating Characteristic(ROC)curve was conducted to assess the predictive efficacy of the product index of UA and Hcy,and related risk factors,for SCAD onset and severe coronary artery disease.Results 1.In CHD group,UA,Hcy and the product index of UA and Hcy were all higher than in the NCHD group(P<0.001);the high-score group had higher UA,Hcy and the product index of UA and Hcy than the low Gensini score group(P<0.001).2.Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that female age,sex,body mass index(BMI),product index of UA and Hcy,high density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C),low density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C),left ventricular end-systolic volume(LVESV),left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF),type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)and hypertension(HTN)were independent risk factors for SCAD(P<0.05).BMI,the product index of UA and Hcy,HDL-C,LDL-C and LVEF were independent risk factors for severe coronary artery disease(P<0.05).3.There was a positive correlation between UA and Hcy product index and Gensini scores(r=0.433,P<0.05).4.Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the product index of UA and Hcy and combined detection of coronary heart disease risk factors had predictive value for the occurrence of SCAD(P<0.05),and the predictive value of combined detection was higher(area under the curve 0.808);both the product index of UA and Hcy and the combined detection of coronary heart disease risk factors had predictive value for severe coronary artery lesions(P<0.05),with a higher predictive value for combined detection(area under the curve 0.771).Conclusion As an independent predictor of the risk of SCAD and severe coronary stenosis,the product index of UA and Hcy has a high predictive efficacy regarding disease risk and the severity of coronary artery in patients with SCAD.

Objective To evaluate the predictive value of changes in serum homocysteine(Hcy),high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C),and the homocysteine-to-HDL-C ratio(HHR)for the incidence and short-term prognosis of patients with premature coronary heart disease(PCHD).Methods Between January 2022 and December 2023,301 patients with the suspected coronary heart disease(males≤55 years,females≤65 years)were retrospectively selected from the Department of Cardiology at the Third People's Hospital of Yunnan Province.All patients who underwent coronary angiography(CAG)were divided into the premature coronary heart disease(PCHD)group(n=98)and the non-coronary heart disease(NCHD)group(n=203).Patients with PCHD were followed up six months after the discharge and were further classified into the good prognosis group(n=55)and the poor prognosis group(n=43)based on the presence of worsening clinical symptoms such as chest tightness,chest pain,arrhythmias,heart failure,or death.Data collected included general patient information,blood lipid levels,Hcy levels,left ventricular function ultrasound indicators,and the presence of hypertension and type 2 diabetes.Results Hcy and HHR levels were significantly higher in the PCHD group compared to the NCHD group,while HDL-C levels were lower(P<0.001).In the poor prognosis group,Hcy and HHR levels were elevated,and HDL-C levels were reduced compared to the good prognosis group(P<0.001).The Hcy and HHR levels in the severe coronary artery stenosis group were markedly higher than those in the normal coronary artery group and the mild to the moderate stenosis group,with HDL-C levels being lower(P<0.001).Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified that male sex,HHR,Hcy,low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C),and left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF)were independent factors influencing premature coronary heart disease(P<0.05).HHR was found to be an independent risk factor for the poor short-term prognosis in PCHD.The analysis of the operating characteristic curve of the subjects showed that serum Hcy and HHR had the predictive value for the occurrence of PCHD(P<0.05),with HHR showing higher predictive value(area under the curve[AUC]=0.713).HHR also had the substantial predictive value for the short-term prognosis of PCHD(AUC=0.715).Conclusion Elevated HHR levels are associated with the severe coronary artery disease in patients with PCHD.HHR serves as a significant predictor for both the occurrence and short-term prognosis of PCHD.

Objective: To investigate the effects of cranial electrotherapy stimulation(CES) with varying parameter configurations on sleep quality in patients diagnosed with chronic insomnia disorder. Methods: Seventy-two participants meeting diagnostic criteria for chronic insomnia disorder were randomly allocated to a four-arm parallel study design.The intervention protocol comprised:Group 1(G1) received CES at 0.5 Hz,300 μA;Group 2(G2) underwent CES treatment at 1.5 Hz,300 μA;Group 3(G3) administered 100 Hz,300 μA stimulation;and Group4(G4) received sham stimulation with identical device placement but no current delivery.Primary outcomes were quantified through polysomnography(PSG) recordings conducted at baseline and post-intervention,whereas secondary outcomes were assessed via standardized sleep questionnaires including the Pittsburgh sleep quality index(PSQI) and Insomnia Severity Index(ISI). Results: Following a 10-day intervention protocol,significant clinical improvements were observed across all active treatment groups(G1-G3) as evidenced by reductions in PSQI.Insomnia severity index(ISI) scores quantitative polysomnographic analysis revealed that both G2(1.5 Hz) and G3(100 Hz) cohorts demonstrated statistically significant enhancements in Flinders Fatigue Scale(FFS) scores,total sleep time(TST),and sleep efficiency(SE),accompanied by reduced sleep onset latency(SOL) compared to baseline measurements.However,no statistically significant differences were detected between the G2 and G3 intervention arms across all measured parameters.CES exerted no significant effect on sleep architecture. Conclusion CES can effectively improve the sleep of patients with chronic insomnia.Within a certain range,a higher frequency of CES leads to better sleep improvement effects.

Background Improper settings of outdoor smoking points in public places may increase the risk of secondhand smoke exposure among the population. Conducting research on air pollution in and around smoking spots and related influencing factors can provide valuable insights for optimizing the setting of outdoor smoking points. Objective To investigate the influence of the number of smokers at outdoor smoking points and the distance on the diffusion characteristics of surrounding air pollutants, in order to optimize the setting of outdoor smoking points. Methods Surrounding the exhibition halls in the China International Import Expo (CIIE), two outdoor smoking points were randomly selected, one on the first floor (ground level) and the other on the second floor (16 m above ground), respectively. At 0, 3, 6, and 9 m from the smoking points in the same direction, validated portable air pollutant monitors were used to measure the real-time fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentrations for consecutive 5 d during the exhibition, as well as the environmental meteorological factors at 0 m with weather meters including wind speed, wind direction, and air pressure. An open outdoor atmospheric background sampling point was selected on each of the two floors to carry out parallel sampling. Simultaneously, the number of smokers at each smoking point were double recorded per minute. The relationships between the number of smokers, distance from the smoking points, and ambient PM_2.5 and CO₂ concentrations were evaluated by generalized additive regression models for time-series data after adjustment of confounders such as temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed. Results The median numbers of smokers at smoking points on the first and second floors were 6 [interquartile range (IQR): 3, 9] and 9 (IQR: 6, 13), respectively. Windless (wind speed <0.6 m·s⁻¹) occupied most of the time (85.9%) at both locations. The average concentration of ambient PM_2.5 at the smoking points (0 m) [mean ± standard deviation, (106±114) μg·m⁻³] was 4.2 times higher than that of the atmospheric background [(25±7) μg·m⁻³], the PM_2.5 concentration showed a gradient decline with the increase of distance from the smoking points, and the average PM_2.5 concentration at 9 m points [(35±22) μg·m⁻³] was close to the background level (1.4 times higher). The maximum concentration of CO₂ [(628±23) μmol·mol⁻¹] was observed at 0 m, and its average value was 1.3 times higher than that of the atmospheric background [(481±40) μmol·mol⁻¹], and there was no gradient decrease in CO₂ concentration with increasing distance at 0, 3, 6, and 9 m points. The regression analyses showed that, taking smoking point as the reference, every 3 m increase in distance was associated with a decrease of ambient PM_2.5 by 24.6 [95% confidence interval (95%CI): 23.5, 25.8] μg·m⁻³ (23.2%) and CO₂ by 54.1 (95%CI: 53.1, 55.1) μmol·mol⁻¹ (8.6%). Every one extra smoker at the smoking point was associated with an average increase of PM_2.5 and CO₂ by 2.0 (95%CI: 1.7, 2.8) μg·m⁻³ and 1.0 (95%CI: 0.7，1.2) μmol·mol⁻¹, respectively. The sensitivity analysis indicated that, under windless conditions, the concentrations of PM_2.5 and CO₂ at the smoking points were even higher but the decreasing and dispersion characteristics remained consistent. Conclusion Outdoor smoking points could significantly increase the PM_2.5 concentrations in the surrounding air and the risks of secondhand smoke exposure, despite of the noticeable decreasing trend with increasing distance. Considering the inevitable poor dispersion conditions such as windless and light wind, outdoor smoking points are recommended to be set at least 9 m or farther away from non-smoking areas.

Objective:To assess the prevalence and type of tissue prolapse (TP) occurring after endovascular treatment (ET), investigate the association between TP types and plaque morphological characteristics before ET, and observe in-stent neointimal hyperplasia (NIH) using optical coherence tomography (OCT).Methods:Patients who underwent carotid artery stenting and received pre- and post-ET OCT assessment at Jinling Hospital between July 2018 and December 2019 were collected. Baseline plaque characteristics and TP features were evaluated using OCT. The TPs were classified into two categories: smooth TP (STP) and irregular and/or high attenuated TP (I/HTP). The association between I/HTP and plaque characteristics was analyzed, while NIH feature was also summarized.Results:A total of 29 patients were included in the study, of whom 23 patients (79.3%) presented with TP. Among these 23 patients, 9 were classified as I/HTP and 14 were classified as STP. Compared with STP, I/HTP was more commonly observed in lipid-rich plaques (7/9 vs 2/14, P=0.007), and lesions with cap rupture (7/9 vs 4/14, P=0.036). Additionally, the longitudinal length of TP appeared to be longer in cases with I/HTP compared to those with STP [3.0 (1.5, 4.6) mm vs 1.1 (0.7, 3.2) mm, Z=1.294, P=0.201]. Six patients underwent OCT follow-up for a mean duration of 6.7 months, of whom 3 patients with I/HTP showed severe heterogeneous NIH (50.1%-61.8%), while 1 patient with STP and 2 patients without TP only demonstrated mild NIH. Conclusions:The study observed that I/HTP was commonly found in plaques with larger lipid core and/or cap rupture, and suggested a potential relationship between I/HTP and NIH. These preliminary findings obtained from a limited sample should be verified by prospective large-scale studies.

Nearly a quarter of the world's population is infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis and remains long-term asymptomatic infection. Rv2626c is a latent infection-related protein regulated by DosR of M. tuberculosis. In this study, the Rv2626c protein was prokaryotically expressed and purified, and its immunobiological characteristics were analyzed using RAW264.7 cells and mice as infection models. SDS-PAGE and Western blotting analysis showed that the Rv2626c-His fusion protein was mainly expressed in soluble form and specifically reacted with the rabbit anti-H37RV polyclonal serum. In addition, we found that the Rv2626c protein bound to the surface of RAW264.7 macrophages and up-regulated the production of NO. Moreover, the Rv2626c protein significantly induced the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-6 and MCP-1, and induced strong Th1-tendency immune response. These results may help to reveal the pathogenic mechanism of M. tuberculosis and facilitate the development of new tuberculosis vaccine.
Animals ; Mice ; Rabbits ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis/genetics* ; Tuberculosis ; Antigens, Bacterial ; Cytokines ; Immunity, Cellular

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and metabolic disorders are major components of noncommunicable diseases, causing an enormous health and economic burden worldwide. There are common risk factors and developmental mechanisms among them, indicating the far-reaching significance in exploring the corresponding therapeutic targets. MST1/2 kinases are well-established proapoptotic effectors that also bidirectionally regulate autophagic activity. Recent studies have demonstrated that MST1/2 influence the outcome of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases by regulating immune inflammation. In addition, drug development against them is in full swing. In this review, we mainly describe the roles and mechanisms of MST1/2 in apoptosis and autophagy in cardiovascular and metabolic events as well as emphasis on the existing evidence for their involvement in immune inflammation. Moreover, we summarize the latest progress of pharmacotherapy targeting MST1/2 and propose a new mode of drug combination therapy, which may be beneficial to seek more effective strategies to prevent and treat CVDs and metabolic disorders.

Objective:To investigate the influencing factors, periprocedural complications, and long-term outcomes of successful recanalization after endovascular treatment in patients with non-acute symptomatic internal carotid artery occlusion.Methods:Patients with non-acute internal carotid artery occlusion received endovascular treatment in the Nanjing Stroke Registration System between January 2010 and December 2021 were retrospectively enrolled. Clinical endpoint events were defined as successful vascular recanalization, periprocedural complications (symptomatic embolism and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage), neurological function improvement, and recurrence of ipsilateral ischemic events. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the independent influencing factors of successful vascular recanalization. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to investigate the correlation between endovascular treatment outcomes and neurological function improvement, as well as ipsilateral ischemic cerebrovascular events. Results:A total of 296 patients were included, of which 190 (64.2%) were successfully recanalized. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that symptoms manifest as ischemic stroke (odds ratio [ OR] 3.353, 95% confidence interval [ CI] 1.399-8.038; P=0.007), the time from the most recent symptom onset to endovascular therapy within 1 to 30 d ( OR 2.327, 95% CI 1.271-4.261; P=0.006), proximal conical residual cavity ( OR 2.853, 95% CI 1.242-6.552; P=0.013) and focal occlusion (C1-C2: OR 3.255, 95% CI 1.296-8.027, P=0.012; C6/C7: OR 5.079, 95% CI 1.334-19.334; P=0.017) were the independent influencing factors for successful vascular recanalization. Successful recanalization did not increase the risk of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage within 7 d after procedure (3.2% vs. 0.9%; P=0.428). The median follow-up time after procedure was 38 months. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis showed that after adjusting for confounding factors, successful recanalization was significantly associated with postprocedural neurological improvement (hazard ratio 1.608, 95% CI 1.091-2.371; P=0.017), and significantly reduced the risk of recurrence of long-term ischemic events (hazard ratio 0.351, 95% CI 0.162-0.773; P=0.010). Conclusion:In patients with non-acute internal carotid artery occlusion, successful endovascular recanalization can effectively reduce the risk of long-term ischemic events without increasing the risk of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage.