Successful cloning through somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) faces significant challenges due to epigenetic obstacles. Recent studies have highlighted the roles of H3K4me3 and H3K27me3 as potential contributors to these obstacles. However, the underlying mechanisms remain largely unclear. In this study, we generated genome-wide maps of H3K4me3 and H3K27me3 in mouse pre-implantation NT embryos. Our analysis revealed that aberrantly over-represented broad H3K4me3 domain and H3K27me3 signal lead to increased bivalent marks at gene promoters in NT embryos compared with naturally fertilized (NF) embryos at the 2-cell stage, which may link to relatively low levels of H3K36me3 in NT 2-cell embryos. Notably, the overexpression of Setd2, a H3K36me3 methyltransferase, successfully restored multiple epigenetic marks, including H3K36me3, H3K4me3, and H3K27me3. In addition, it reinstated the expression levels of ZGA-related genes by reestablishing H3K36me3 at gene body regions, which excluded H3K27me3 from bivalent promoters, ultimately improving cloning efficiency. These findings highlight the excessive bivalent state at gene promoters as a potent barrier and emphasize the removal of these barriers as a promising approach for achieving higher cloning efficiency.
Animals ; Mice ; Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase/biosynthesis* ; Histones/genetics* ; Nuclear Transfer Techniques ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; Epigenesis, Genetic ; Embryo, Mammalian/metabolism*

The regulation of gut flora metabo-lites-short-chain fatty acids(SCFAs),NLRP3 inflam-matory vesicles,and interactions has been shown to play a key role in many diseases.While chronic kidney disease(CKD)is a common progressive dis-ease whose pathogenesis is related to the reduc-tion of SCFAs,a metabolite of intestinal flora,and the over-activation of NLRP3 inflammatory vesicles.In this paper,we summarize the role of SCFAs and NLRP3 inflammatory pathway in the pathogenesis of CKD,and sort out the research on the interven-tion of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)in this inflammatory pathway in the treatment of CKD in recent years,so as to provide the direction and ideas for the exact mechanism of TCM in the treat-ment of CKD.

Objective·To identify different comorbidity types resulting from the spontaneous association of psychopathological symptoms among male drug addicts,explore the relationship between latent types and drug addiction,and examine the mediating role of psychological distress.Methods·Four hundred and fifty male drug addicts,recruited by Yunnan First Compulsory Isolation Drug Rehabilitation Center according to the 2017 revised Drug Addiction Identification Method by the Ministry of Public Security,were enrolled as participants.The Symptom Checklist-90(SCL-90),Craving Automated Scale for Substances(CAS-S),and Psychache Scale(PAS)were used to assess the severity of psychopathological symptoms,drug addiction,and psychological distress,respectively.Latent class analysis was employed to identify different types of psychopathological comorbidity that may exist in the participants,and the types were named based on the analysis results.Variance analysis was used to test differences in the severity of drug addiction and psychological distress among different latent types,and a mediation model was established to explore the mediating role of psychological distress between different latent types and drug addiction.Results·Latent class analysis identified three types of psychopathology:high,medium,and low levels,with decreasing positive rates and numbers of comorbidity in each type based on the ten psychopathological symptoms included in the SCL-90.There were significant differences in the severity of psychological distress and drug addiction among the three types of participants.Psychopathological symptoms positively predicted the severity of psychological distress and drug addiction.Psychological distress completely mediated the relationship between medium levels of psychopathology and drug addiction,while partially mediating the relationship between high levels of psychopathology and drug addiction.Conclusion·There are three types of psychopathological comorbidity among male drug addicts:high,medium,and low.Psychological distress plays a complete mediating role between medium levels of psychopathology and drug addiction,and a partial mediating role between high levels of psychopathology and drug addiction.

The regulation of gut flora metabo-lites-short-chain fatty acids(SCFAs),NLRP3 inflam-matory vesicles,and interactions has been shown to play a key role in many diseases.While chronic kidney disease(CKD)is a common progressive dis-ease whose pathogenesis is related to the reduc-tion of SCFAs,a metabolite of intestinal flora,and the over-activation of NLRP3 inflammatory vesicles.In this paper,we summarize the role of SCFAs and NLRP3 inflammatory pathway in the pathogenesis of CKD,and sort out the research on the interven-tion of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)in this inflammatory pathway in the treatment of CKD in recent years,so as to provide the direction and ideas for the exact mechanism of TCM in the treat-ment of CKD.

Objective·To identify different comorbidity types resulting from the spontaneous association of psychopathological symptoms among male drug addicts,explore the relationship between latent types and drug addiction,and examine the mediating role of psychological distress.Methods·Four hundred and fifty male drug addicts,recruited by Yunnan First Compulsory Isolation Drug Rehabilitation Center according to the 2017 revised Drug Addiction Identification Method by the Ministry of Public Security,were enrolled as participants.The Symptom Checklist-90(SCL-90),Craving Automated Scale for Substances(CAS-S),and Psychache Scale(PAS)were used to assess the severity of psychopathological symptoms,drug addiction,and psychological distress,respectively.Latent class analysis was employed to identify different types of psychopathological comorbidity that may exist in the participants,and the types were named based on the analysis results.Variance analysis was used to test differences in the severity of drug addiction and psychological distress among different latent types,and a mediation model was established to explore the mediating role of psychological distress between different latent types and drug addiction.Results·Latent class analysis identified three types of psychopathology:high,medium,and low levels,with decreasing positive rates and numbers of comorbidity in each type based on the ten psychopathological symptoms included in the SCL-90.There were significant differences in the severity of psychological distress and drug addiction among the three types of participants.Psychopathological symptoms positively predicted the severity of psychological distress and drug addiction.Psychological distress completely mediated the relationship between medium levels of psychopathology and drug addiction,while partially mediating the relationship between high levels of psychopathology and drug addiction.Conclusion·There are three types of psychopathological comorbidity among male drug addicts:high,medium,and low.Psychological distress plays a complete mediating role between medium levels of psychopathology and drug addiction,and a partial mediating role between high levels of psychopathology and drug addiction.

Objective:To assess the feasibility and efficacy of hypofractionated radiotherapy with simultaneous integrated boost (HFRT-SIB) for patients with non-osteogenic spinal metastases who were not suitable for stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT).Methods:A totoal of 26 spinal metastatic lesions in 24 patients with non-osteogenic spinal metastases admitted to Beijing Luhe Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University from March 2020 to April 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. In our institution, a higher-dose fractionated regimen for spinal metastases was introduced, at a dose of 3 Gy/f ×10 times (5 times a week, once a day) to the clinical target volume (CTV), and simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) of 4 Gy/f ×10 times (5 times a week, once a day) to the gross tumor volume (GTV). The primary endpoint was the overall relief (OR) rates of pain at 12 and 24 weeks post-radiotherapy, while secondary endpoints included the pain response time and duration of pain relief, the incidence of adverse events post-radiotherapy, and the 1-year overall survival (OS) rate. The differences before and after treatment were analyzed by Wilcoxon signed-rank test. OS was assessed using Kaplan-Meier method.Results:The median follow-up was 11.7 (8.0, 17.0) months. At 12 weeks post-radiotherapy, 92% (22/24) of patients achieved OR, and 81% (17/21) obtained OR at 24 weeks post-radiotherapy. The median pain response time was 4 (3, 5) d. At the last follow-up, 42% (10/24) of patients maintained pain relief for over 1 year, with a median duration of pain relief up to 11.0 (6.0, 16.9) months. The 1-year OS rate was 66.3%, and no patients experienced grade 3 or higher acute or chronic adverse events.Conclusion:HFRT-SIB can effectively alleviate pain, and achieve sustained pain control, and does not lead to severe adverse effects in patients with non-osteogenic spinal metastases.

Objective To investigate the effect and mechanism of Liuling Jiedu Pills on acute pharyngitis caused by Staphylococcus aureus in rats.Methods The rat model of acute pharyngitis was replicated using the method of injecting 1×109 CFU·mL-1 of Staphylococcus aureus solution into the pharynx of rats.SD rats were randomly divided into a blank group,a model group,a Lanqin Oral Solution group(5 mL·kg-1),and a low-,medium-,and high-dose group of Liuling Jiedu Pills(4.375,8.750,and 17.500 mg·kg-1),with 10 rats in each group.Rats in each group were administered the drug by gavage once a day for 7 days.The general conditions of the rats were observed and recorded every day during the modeling and drug administration periods,and the local inflammation in the pharynx was scored;histopathological changes in the pharynx of the rats were observed by hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining;serum interleukin 1β(IL-1β),interleukin 6(IL-6),tumor necrosis factor α(TNF-α),and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)were detected by ELISA.Immunohistochemistry and Western Blot were used to detect the protein expression levels of IL-1β,IL-6 and TNF-α in rat pharyngeal tissue.Results Compared with the blank group,rats in the model group had significantly increased pharyngeal erythema,significantly higher inflammation scores(P＜0.01),significantly lower body mass on days 5-7 after modeling(P＜0.05,P＜0.01),significantly higher pathological scores(P＜0.01),significantly higher levels of the serum inflammatory factors IL-1β,IL-6,and TNF-α(P＜0.01),and significantly higher pharyngeal tissues showed significantly higher levels of IL-1β,IL-6,and TNF-α proteins(P＜0.01).Compared with the model group,the pharyngeal erythema was significantly reduced in the Lanqin Oral Solution group and the low-,medium-and high-dose groups of Liuling Jiedu Pills,and the inflammation scores were significantly reduced(P＜0.01),and the serum levels of IL-1β,IL-6,and TNF-α were significantly reduced(P＜0.01);the body mass of the rats in the Lanqin Oral Solution group,and in the medium-and high-dose groups of Liuling Jiedu Pills,were significantly increased on the seventh day of the modeling(P＜0.01);the histopathological scores and the levels of IL-1β,IL-6 and TNF-α proteins in pharyngeal tissue were significantly decreased(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).Conclusion Liuling Jiedu Pills can significantly improve the symptoms and inflammatory pathological changes of pharyngeal tissues in rats with acute pharyngitis,and its mechanism may be related to the down-regulation of the expression levels of inflammatory factors such as IL-1β,IL-6,and TNF-α.

We conducted a prospective study to assess the non-inferiority of adjuvant chemotherapy alone versus adjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) as an alternative strategy for patients with early-stage (FIGO 2009 stage IB-IIA) cervical cancer having risk factors after surgery. The condition was assessed in terms of prognosis, adverse effects, and quality of life. This randomized trial involved nine centers across China. Eligible patients were randomized to receive adjuvant chemotherapy or CCRT after surgery. The primary end-point was progression-free survival (PFS). From December 2012 to December 2014, 337 patients were subjected to randomization. Final analysis included 329 patients, including 165 in the adjuvant chemotherapy group and 164 in the adjuvant CCRT group. The median follow-up was 72.1 months. The three-year PFS rates were both 91.9%, and the five-year OS was 90.6% versus 90.0% in adjuvant chemotherapy and CCRT groups, respectively. No significant differences were observed in the PFS or OS between groups. The adjusted HR for PFS was 0.854 (95% confidence interval 0.415-1.757; P = 0.667) favoring adjuvant chemotherapy, excluding the predefined non-inferiority boundary of 1.9. The chemotherapy group showed a tendency toward good quality of life. In comparison with post-operative adjuvant CCRT, adjuvant chemotherapy treatment showed non-inferior efficacy in patients with early-stage cervical cancer having pathological risk factors. Adjuvant chemotherapy alone is a favorable alternative post-operative treatment.
Female ; Humans ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Prospective Studies ; Quality of Life ; Neoplasm Staging ; Chemoradiotherapy ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant/adverse effects* ; Adjuvants, Immunologic ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use* ; Retrospective Studies

LIN28 is an RNA binding protein with important roles in early embryo development, stem cell differentiation/reprogramming, tumorigenesis and metabolism. Previous studies have focused mainly on its role in the cytosol where it interacts with Let-7 microRNA precursors or mRNAs, and few have addressed LIN28's role within the nucleus. Here, we show that LIN28 displays dynamic temporal and spatial expression during murine embryo development. Maternal LIN28 expression drops upon exit from the 2-cell stage, and zygotic LIN28 protein is induced at the forming nucleolus during 4-cell to blastocyst stage development, to become dominantly expressed in the cytosol after implantation. In cultured pluripotent stem cells (PSCs), loss of LIN28 led to nucleolar stress and activation of a 2-cell/4-cell-like transcriptional program characterized by the expression of endogenous retrovirus genes. Mechanistically, LIN28 binds to small nucleolar RNAs and rRNA to maintain nucleolar integrity, and its loss leads to nucleolar phase separation defects, ribosomal stress and activation of P53 which in turn binds to and activates 2C transcription factor Dux. LIN28 also resides in a complex containing the nucleolar factor Nucleolin (NCL) and the transcriptional repressor TRIM28, and LIN28 loss leads to reduced occupancy of the NCL/TRIM28 complex on the Dux and rDNA loci, and thus de-repressed Dux and reduced rRNA expression. Lin28 knockout cells with nucleolar stress are more likely to assume a slowly cycling, translationally inert and anabolically inactive state, which is a part of previously unappreciated 2C-like transcriptional program. These findings elucidate novel roles for nucleolar LIN28 in PSCs, and a new mechanism linking 2C program and nucleolar functions in PSCs and early embryo development.
Animals ; Cell Differentiation ; Embryo, Mammalian/metabolism* ; Embryonic Development ; Mice ; Pluripotent Stem Cells/metabolism* ; RNA, Messenger/genetics* ; RNA, Ribosomal ; RNA-Binding Proteins/metabolism* ; Transcription Factors/metabolism* ; Zygote/metabolism*

Betacoronavirus ; isolation & purification ; pathogenicity ; Bile Acids and Salts ; metabolism ; Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic ; pathology ; virology ; Cell Culture Techniques ; Coronavirus Infections ; complications ; pathology ; Cytokine Release Syndrome ; etiology ; physiopathology ; Cytopathogenic Effect, Viral ; Epithelial Cells ; enzymology ; pathology ; virology ; Humans ; Hyperbilirubinemia ; etiology ; Liver ; pathology ; Organoids ; pathology ; virology ; Pandemics ; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A ; analysis ; Pneumonia, Viral ; complications ; pathology ; Receptors, Virus ; analysis ; Serine Endopeptidases ; analysis ; Viral Load