Atherosclerosis(AS)is a chronic inflammatory disease involving disorders of lipid and iron metabolism.The establishment of suitable animal models is required to further the study of the etiology,pathogenesis,prevention,and therapeutic measures of AS.The main animal models of AS related to iron and lipid metabolism are mice and miniature piglets,especially male ApoE-/-mice.Single-factor high-fat diet-induced iron and lipid metabolism disorders are a common type of AS model,manifesting as elevated blood lipid levels,large plaques and iron deposition in the aorta,and significant increases in serum and liver iron levels.This review compares the effects of different intervention factors on iron and lipid metabolism in AS animal models,and summarizes the method of establishing AS animal models using dietary induction,chemical intervention,and gene modification,to provide references and inspiration for future research into AS and metabolic diseases and the development of new drugs.

At present,malignant tumor diseases occur frequently and increase year by year.Traditional chemoradiotherapy methods are expensive,have serious toxic and side effects,and are easy to reduce patient tolerance.Natural medicines have advantages of multiple targets,high selectivity and low toxicity and side effects in process of anti-tumor,and are one of important sources of anti-tumor drugs.As a polypeptide substance,lactoferrin has a strong anti-tumor effect and plays a huge role in field of nano-drug delivery.Receptors of lactoferrin are widely expressed on surface of various cancer cells.In addition to its strong anti-tumor effect,it is also widely used to modify nanocarriers.In this paper,anti-tumor mechanism of lactoferrin is reviewed,and the latest research progress of using lactoferrin as an anti-cancer drug delivery carrier is also introduced.

PURPOSE: To investigate the incidence and influencing factors of bone loss in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). METHODS: A retrospective case-control study was conducted. Patients with SCI in our hospital from January 2019 to March 2023 were collected. According to the correlation between bone mineral density (BMD) at different sites, the patients were divided into the lumbar spine group and the hip joint group. According to the BMD value, the patients were divided into the normal bone mass group (t > -1.0 standard deviation) and the osteopenia group (t ≤ -1.0 standard deviation). The influencing factors accumulated as follows: gender, age, height, weight, cause of injury, injury segment, injury degree, time after injury, start time of rehabilitation, motor score, sensory score, spasticity, serum value of alkaline phosphatase, calcium, and phosphorus. The trend chart was drawn and the influencing factors were analyzed. SPSS 26.0 was used for statistical analysis. Correlation analysis was used to test the correlation between the BMD values of the lumbar spine and bilateral hips. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to explore the influencing factors of osteoporosis after SCI. p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The incidence of bone loss in patients with SCI was 66.3%. There was a low concordance between bone loss in the lumbar spine and the hip, and the hip was particularly susceptible to bone loss after SCI, with an upward trend in incidence (36% - 82%). In this study, patients with SCI were divided into the lumbar spine group (n = 100) and the hip group (n = 185) according to the BMD values of different sites. Then, the lumbar spine group was divided into the normal bone mass group (n = 53) and the osteopenia group (n = 47); the hip joint group was divided into the normal bone mass group (n = 83) and the osteopenia group (n = 102). Of these, lumbar bone loss after SCI is correlated with gender and weight (p = 0.032 and < 0.001, respectively), and hip bone loss is correlated with gender, height, weight, and time since injury (p < 0.001, p = 0.015, 0.009, and 0.012, respectively). CONCLUSIONS The incidence of bone loss after SCI was high, especially in the hip. The incidence and influencing factors of bone loss in the lumbar spine and hip were different. Patients with SCI who are male, low height, lightweight, and long time after injury were more likely to have bone loss.
Humans ; Spinal Cord Injuries/complications* ; Male ; Female ; Retrospective Studies ; Incidence ; Adult ; Bone Density ; Middle Aged ; Case-Control Studies ; Osteoporosis/etiology* ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; Bone Diseases, Metabolic/etiology* ; Aged ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the association between body mass index (BMI) and mortality based on the 10-year population-based multicenter prospective study. METHODS: A general population-based multicenter prospective study was conducted at four sites in rural China between 2013 and 2023. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models and restricted cubic spline analyses were used to assess the association between BMI and mortality. Stratified analyses were performed based on the individual characteristics of the participants. RESULTS: Overall, 19,107 participants with a sum of 163,095 person-years were included and 1,910 participants died. The underweight (< 18.5 kg/m ²) presented an increase in all-cause mortality (adjusted hazards ratio [ aHR] = 2.00, 95% confidence interval [ CI]: 1.66-2.41), while overweight (≥ 24.0 to < 28.0 kg/m ²) and obesity (≥ 28.0 kg/m ²) presented a decrease with an aHR of 0.61 (95% CI: 0.52-0.73) and 0.51 (95% CI: 0.37-0.70), respectively. Overweight ( aHR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.67-0.86) and mild obesity ( aHR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.59-0.87) had a positive impact on mortality in people older than 60 years. All-cause mortality decreased rapidly until reaching a BMI of 25.7 kg/m ² ( aHR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.92-0.98) and increased slightly above that value, indicating a U-shaped association. The beneficial impact of being overweight on mortality was robust in most subgroups and sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSION This study provides additional evidence that overweight and mild obesity may be inversely related to the risk of death in individuals older than 60 years. Therefore, it is essential to consider age differences when formulating health and weight management strategies.
Humans ; Body Mass Index ; China/epidemiology* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Rural Population/statistics & numerical data* ; Aged ; Follow-Up Studies ; Adult ; Mortality ; Cause of Death ; Obesity/mortality* ; Overweight/mortality*

Objective To investigate the effects of cinnamic aldehyde(CA)on Bcl-2-associated X protein(Bax)and Bcl-2 homologous antagonist/killer(Bak)in vascular endothelial cells of diabetic ulcer wound tissues,as well as on cell apoptosis.Methods ① Forty-eight healthy SPF-grade male SD rats(5 weeks old,weighing 180～220 g)were randomly assigned to a control group(12 rats)and a diabetes group(36 rats).The diabetic model was established with an intraperitoneal injection of 50 mg/kg STZ-citrate sodium solution and high-fat diet feeding.The diabetes group was further randomly divided into Model group,CA group,and the rb-bFGF group,with 12 animals in each group.Wounds in the Con and Model groups were disinfected and topically treated with normal saline,CA group received topical application of 4 μmol/L CA in PEG 400 gel,and those of the rb-bFGF group were treated with bevacizumab gel.The wound healing rate of each group was calculated at 3,7 and 14 d after intervention.At 14 d after intervention,pathological changes in the wounds were observed with HE staining,and the expression levels of Bax and Bak were detected by Western blotting.② Human umbilical vein endothelial cell line EA.hy926 was treated with 175 mmol/L glucose for 48 h to establish a cell model of high glucose injury.The experimental cells were divided into control group,model group and CA treatment group.Cell scratch test and tube formation test were performed respectively to determine the migration ability and angiogenesis of the cells.The expression levels of Bax and Bak was detected with immunofluorescence assay,and cell apoptosis was detected by TUNEL staining.Results ①The diabetic rats in the Model group exhibited significantly higher blood glucose level(P<0.05),declined wound healing rate at 7 and 14 d after intervention(P<0.05),and enhanced expression levels of Bax and Bak(P<0.05)when compared with the control group.Pathological observation revealed that,at 14 d after intervention,accompanied with inflammatory reactions,dense infiltration of inflammatory cells,fewer new blood vessels,and continuous fluid exudation in the wound were observed in the Model group,but the control group presented complete epithelialization in full-thickness skin.Compared with the conditions in the Model group,both CA and rb-bFGF treatment improved the epithelialization process,with mature granulation tissues,showing good healing condition,promoted wound healing rate(P<0.05),and decreased the expression levels of Bax and Bak(P<0.05).② The results of cell experiments showed that the cells of the model group showed significantly reduced migration ability and tube formation ability(P<0.05),reduced protein levels of Bax and Bak(P<0.05),and lower apoptotic rate(P<0.05)when compared with the cells in the model group.Conclusion CA can inhibit the expression of apoptosis-related proteins Bax and Bak,promote the migration and tube formation of vascular endothelial cells,and inhibit the cell apoptosis under high glucose condition,which may be an important reason for its promoting wound healing in diabetic ulcer rats.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of peripheral T-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified (PTCL-NOS). METHODS: Clinical data of 10 patients with PTCL-NOS in Gansu Provincial Hospital from May 2016 to June 2023 were collected. The treatment outcomes were evaluated, and the factors affecting prognosis were analyzed. RESULTS: The median age of onset for the 10 patients was 60.7 (47-75) years, with 7 males and 3 females. Nine cases received chemotherapy, while one case died suddenly after diagnosis, and the median course of chemotherapy was 6.9 (1-13) courses. Assessing the efficacy, 3 patients achieved complete remission (CR) while 7 patients showed progression. Age, sex, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level, Ki-67 and the presence of hemophagocytic lymphohistocytosis (HLH) were not statistically correlated with CR rate ( P >0.05). Patients with IPI score 3-5, and Ann Arbor stage III-IV had statistically lower CR rates (both P <0.05). Age, B symptoms, LDH level ,hemoglobin, Ki-67 index and PLR value were not statistically correlated with overall survival (OS) time ( P >0.05). Male, platelet <150×10⁹/L, IPI score 3-5, Ann Arbor stage III-IV, presence of HLH, NLR≥4.05, and LMR <2.81 were statistically correlated with shorter OS (all P <0.05). Among the 10 patients, 3 cases have survived and are still in CR status, while 7 cases have died, with a median survival time of 7.5 (1-85) months. CONCLUSIONS Patients with IPI score 3-5 and Ann Arbor stage III-IV have low CR rate and poor prognosis. The OS of patients who are male, with platelet <150×10⁹/L, IPI score 3-5, Ann Arbor stage III-IV, complication of HLH, NLR≥4.05, and LMR <2.81 is short, and prognosis is poor.
Humans ; Lymphoma, T-Cell, Peripheral/diagnosis* ; Male ; Prognosis ; Middle Aged ; Female ; Aged

At present,malignant tumor diseases occur frequently and increase year by year.Traditional chemoradiotherapy methods are expensive,have serious toxic and side effects,and are easy to reduce patient tolerance.Natural medicines have advantages of multiple targets,high selectivity and low toxicity and side effects in process of anti-tumor,and are one of important sources of anti-tumor drugs.As a polypeptide substance,lactoferrin has a strong anti-tumor effect and plays a huge role in field of nano-drug delivery.Receptors of lactoferrin are widely expressed on surface of various cancer cells.In addition to its strong anti-tumor effect,it is also widely used to modify nanocarriers.In this paper,anti-tumor mechanism of lactoferrin is reviewed,and the latest research progress of using lactoferrin as an anti-cancer drug delivery carrier is also introduced.

Atherosclerosis(AS)is a chronic inflammatory disease involving disorders of lipid and iron metabolism.The establishment of suitable animal models is required to further the study of the etiology,pathogenesis,prevention,and therapeutic measures of AS.The main animal models of AS related to iron and lipid metabolism are mice and miniature piglets,especially male ApoE-/-mice.Single-factor high-fat diet-induced iron and lipid metabolism disorders are a common type of AS model,manifesting as elevated blood lipid levels,large plaques and iron deposition in the aorta,and significant increases in serum and liver iron levels.This review compares the effects of different intervention factors on iron and lipid metabolism in AS animal models,and summarizes the method of establishing AS animal models using dietary induction,chemical intervention,and gene modification,to provide references and inspiration for future research into AS and metabolic diseases and the development of new drugs.

Active immunotherapy for cancer aims to treat disease by inducing effective cellular immunity and humoral immunity.Research on virus-like particles(VLPs)vaccines has made tremendous progress in recent years,dramatically reducing morbidity and mortality from some infectious diseases.VLPs are nanoparticles self-assembled from one or more structural proteins,with highly ordered repeat sequences and good immunogenicity,which can induce strong cellular immune and humoral immune responses.VLPs can overcome immunosuppressive state of tumor microenvironment,break self-tolerance,and trigger strong cytotoxic T lymphocyte activity,which is critical for both viral clearance and destruction of cancer cells.This article mainly reviews current research progress of VLPs-based cancer vaccines and potential defects of VLPs as vaccine carriers in development of cancer vaccines.

Virus-like particles(VLPs)are nanoparticles that are self-assembled from one or more structural proteins,which can be arranged in several layers or contain a lipid outer membrane.Due to the lack of genetic material,VLPs cannot infect host cells,but are highly immunogenic and can induce immune responses different from conventional inactivated vaccines.VLPs can be produced using a variety of systems including bacterial,yeast,plant,insect and mammalian cells.Compared with traditional vaccines,VLPs have incomparable advantages,so they are becoming more and more popular in the biomedical field.To date,a series of vaccine candi-dates based on VLPs have been developed for immunization and prevention of various infectious diseases.At the same time,the recent successful application of VLPs in targeted drug delivery and gene therapy has attracted attention.This paper mainly reviews the com-monly used expression systems of VLPs and the research progress of their applications.