Ferroptosis of chondrocytes is a significant contributor to osteoarthritis (OA), for which there is still a lack of safe and effective therapeutic drugs targeting ferroptosis. Here, we screen for anti-ferroptotic drugs in Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drug library via a high-throughput manner in chondrocytes. We identified a group of FDA-approved anti-ferroptotic drugs, among which vitamin K showed the most powerful protective effect. Further study demonstrated that vitamin K effectively inhibited ferroptosis and alleviated the extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation in chondrocytes. Intra-articular injection of vitamin K inhibited ferroptosis and alleviated OA phenotype in destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM) mouse model. Mechanistically, transcriptome sequencing and knockdown experiments revealed that the anti-ferroptotic effects of vitamin K depended on growth arrest-specific 6 (Gas6). Furthermore, exogenous expression of Gas6 was found to inhibit ferroptosis through the AXL receptor tyrosine kinase (AXL)/phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT serine/threonine kinase (AKT) axis. Together, we demonstrate that vitamin K inhibits ferroptosis and alleviates OA progression via enhancing Gas6 expression and its downstream pathway of AXL/PI3K/AKT axis, indicating vitamin K as well as Gas6 to serve as a potential therapeutic target for OA and other ferroptosis-related diseases.

Objective To predict the risk of in-hospital death in patients with chronic heart failure(CHF)complicated by lung infections using interpretable machine learning.Methods The clinical data of 1415 patients diagnosed with CHF complicated by lung infections were obtained from the MIMIC-IV database.According to the pathogen type,the patients were categorized into bacterial pneumonia and non-bacterial pneumonia groups,and their risks of in-hospital death were compared using Kaplan-Meier survival curves.Univariate analysis and LASSO regression were used to select the features for constructing LR,AdaBoost,XGBoost,and LightGBM models,and their performance was compared in terms of accuracy,precision,F1 value,and AUC.External validation of the models was performed using the data from eICU-CRD database.SHAP algorithm was applied for interpretive analysis of XGBoost model.Results Among the 4 constructed models,the XGBoost model showed the highest accuracy and F1 value for predicting the risk of in-hospital death in CHF patients with lung infections in the training set.In the external test set,the XGBoost model had an AUC of 0.691(95%CI:0.654-0.720)in bacterial pneumonia group and an AUC of 0.725(95%CI:0.577-0.782)in non-bacterial pneumonia group,and showed better predictive ability and stability than the other models.Conclusion The overall performance of the XGBoost model is superior to the other 3 models for predicting the risk of in-hospital death in CHF patients with lung infections.The SHAP algorithm provides a clear interpretation of the model to facilitate decision-making in clinical settings.

Keratoconus(KC)is a disease characterized by limited corneal cone-like protrusions accompanied by thinning of the corneal stroma in the area of protrusion, which commonly occurs before and after puberty, manifests itself bilaterally, and is a potentially blinding ophthalmic disease. It is a potentially blinding eye disease. Studies have shown that its pathogenesis is related to environmental factors, inflammatory response, immune function, and mechanical stimulation, but the mechanism of the occurrence and progression of KC has not yet been conclusively determined. A variety of genes, represented by corneal remodeling-related genes, have been found to have some influence on the development of cone cornea. More studies are still digging into the genetic targets associated with the development of cone cornea. This article reviews the targets and influence of genes in the pathogenesis of cone cornea, to explore the application value of genes in the early diagnosis and intervention of cone cornea, and to provide new ideas for future research on the pathogenesis of cone cornea.

Objective:To identify potential therapeutic targets of chronic sinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) through proteomics screening of and verify its effectiveness experimentally.Methods:The nasal tissue samples were collected from patients undergoing surgical treatment in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery in Yuhuangding Hospital of Yantai from June 2010 to December 2021, including 69 patients with CRSwNP and 39 patients in the control group. Tissue samples were analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) in data-independent acquisition (DIA) mode to find differentially expressed proteins. Bioinformatics tools were employed to analyze the functions of differentially expressed proteins. The expression of hematopoietic cell kinase (HCK) in nasal tissues of patients with CRSwNP was further confirmed by qPCR and western blot. The mouse model of CRSwNP was established and treated with HCK inhibitor. The levels of inflammatory factors IgE, IL-4 and IL-5 in serum of CRSwNP mice, both treated and untreated with HCK inhibitors, were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) across different experimental groups. The experimental data were analyzed by Graphpad Prism 9 software.Results:DIA analysis identified 1 850 differential proteins, including 760 up-regulated proteins and 1 090 down-regulated proteins. Weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA) correlation analysis of phenotypic data such as cell count and CT score with the results of genomics indemnified 575 proteins of MEBrown module which intersected with 35 kinases further screened from 1 850 differential proteins, yielding eight protein kinases: HCK, SYK, PDK2, FGR, PRKCB, ROR1, CAMK1 and GRK6. qPCR showed that the expression of HCK in CRSwNP was significantly higher than that in the control group ( P<0.05). Further experiments in mice confirmed that the secretion of IgE, IL-4 and IL-5 in the serum of CRSwNP group was significantly higher than the control group (all P<0.05), indicating successful model establishment. The intervention of HCK significantly decreased the secretion of IgE, IL-4 and IL-5 in serum of mice (all P<0.05). Conclusion:The HCK inhibitor can reduce the inflammatory index of mice with CRSwNP, and HCK is a potential therapeutic target of CRSwNP.

Pathological mechanism of ulcerative colitis(UC)is not fully clear,which may be the result of Th17/Treg immune imbalance and the interaction of multiple complex factors.Numerous studies have found that classical TCM prescriptions,experienced formulas and TCM active components could regulate Th17/Treg balance by intervening in cytokines,transcription factors,and signaling pathways,restore intestinal mucosal immune function,suppress intestinal mucosal inflammatory response,and repair intestinal mucosal barrier damage.Based on the research status of UC,Th17/Treg balance and TCM treatment,this article reviewed the relationship between Th17/Treg balance and UC,and explained the key role of Th17/Treg balance in the occurrence and development of UC.At the same time,the Chinese materia medica targeting to regulate the balance of Th17/Treg in the treatment of UC in recent years was summarized,in order to provide reference for the treatment of UC.

Objective To predict the risk of in-hospital death in patients with chronic heart failure(CHF)complicated by lung infections using interpretable machine learning.Methods The clinical data of 1415 patients diagnosed with CHF complicated by lung infections were obtained from the MIMIC-IV database.According to the pathogen type,the patients were categorized into bacterial pneumonia and non-bacterial pneumonia groups,and their risks of in-hospital death were compared using Kaplan-Meier survival curves.Univariate analysis and LASSO regression were used to select the features for constructing LR,AdaBoost,XGBoost,and LightGBM models,and their performance was compared in terms of accuracy,precision,F1 value,and AUC.External validation of the models was performed using the data from eICU-CRD database.SHAP algorithm was applied for interpretive analysis of XGBoost model.Results Among the 4 constructed models,the XGBoost model showed the highest accuracy and F1 value for predicting the risk of in-hospital death in CHF patients with lung infections in the training set.In the external test set,the XGBoost model had an AUC of 0.691(95%CI:0.654-0.720)in bacterial pneumonia group and an AUC of 0.725(95%CI:0.577-0.782)in non-bacterial pneumonia group,and showed better predictive ability and stability than the other models.Conclusion The overall performance of the XGBoost model is superior to the other 3 models for predicting the risk of in-hospital death in CHF patients with lung infections.The SHAP algorithm provides a clear interpretation of the model to facilitate decision-making in clinical settings.

OBJECTIVE To study the impr ovement effects of Dianxianqing granule on blood-brain barrier （BBB）injury in Alzheimer’s disease （AD）model mice by regulating NLR family pyrin domain containing 3（NLRP3）inflammasome signaling pathway. METHODS Totally 125 mice were randomly divided into sham operation group （n＝25）and modeling group （n＝100） by body weight. AD model was induced by intracerebroventricular injection of β-amyloid 25-35 in model group. Sham operation group was given normal saline with same method. The 100 model mice were randomly divided into model group ，Donepezil hydrochloride tablets group （positive control 1，1.3 mg/kg，i.g.），MCC950 group [positive control 2（selective NLRP 3 inhibitor），10 mg/kg，i.p.] and Dianxianqing granule group （12.48 g/kg by crude drug ，i.g.）by body weight ，with 25 mice in each group. Second day after modeling ，administration groups were given relevant medicine ，once a day ，for consecutive 21 d. Sham operation group and model group were given intragastric administration of water and intraperitoneal injection of normal saline. At last administration，the learning and memory ability was determined by Y maze test ，and blood-brain barrier permeability was measured by Evans blue leakage assay. The expressions of NLRP 3，anti-ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1（IBA-1），nuclear factor kappa B （NF-κB）p65，p53 upregulated modulator of apoptosis （PUMA），occludin（ocln），zonula occluden- 1（ZO-1）and claudin-5 （cldn5） in cerebral tissue were determined. RESULTS Compared with model group ， spontaneous alternate response rate ，protein expressions of ocln ，cldn5 lnzyxyqy2003@163.com and ZO- 1 in cerebral tissue were increased significantly in administration groups （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）；Evans blue E-mail：jiadg2003@126.com content and protein expressions of NLRP 3，IBA-1，PUMA and NF-κB p65 in cerebral tissue were decreased significantly （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. CONCLUSIONS Dianxianqing granule can improve BBB injury of AD model m ice by inhibiting NLRP 3 inflammasome signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVE：To study the improvement effect and possible mechanism of Leontopodium leontopodioides combined with Astragalus membranaceus on the renal function of mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis （MsPGN） model rats. METHODS：Totally 85 rats were randomly divided into sham operation group （n＝10）and modeling group （n＝75）. Sham operation group underwent sham operation ，and MsPGN model was induced by immunological method [Freund ’s adjuvant+BSA + lipopolysaccharide（LPS）] in modeling group. After successfully modeling ，70 rats were randomly divided into model group ，L. leontopodioides+A. membranaceus high-dose，medium-dose and low-dose groups （4.05，2.03，1.02 g/kg，by total crude drug ），L. leontopodioides alone group （2.70 g/kg，by crude drug ），Tripterygium glycosides tablet group （positive control 1，0.02 g/kg）， Lotensin tablet group （positive control 2，0.02 g/kg），with 10 rats in each group. Sham operation group and model group were given constant volume of normal saline intragastrically ； administration groups were given relevant drug solution intrasgastrcially at a volume of 15 mL/kg，once a day ，for consecutive 5 weeks. At last administration ，24 h urinary lnzyxyqy2003@163.com protein，urine creatinine and serum creatinine were determined in rats. The right kidney was weighed ，and HE staining was used to observe the pathomorpholog y changes of renal tissue. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the protein expression of NF-κB p65 in renal tissue. Western blotting assay was used to determine the protein expressions of NF-κB p65，IκBα，ERK，p-ERK and p 38 MAPK in renal tissue. RESULTS ：Compared with sham operation group ，right kidney weight ，24 h urine protein and serum creatinine levels ，protein expressions of NF-κB p65， p-ERK and p 38 MAPK in renal tissue were increased significantly in model group （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）；the level of urine creatinine and protein expression of IκBα in renal tissue were decreased significantly（P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）；there were obvious glomerular hypertrophy ，diffuse increase of mesangial cells ，necrosis of renal tubules and other pathomorphological changes in renal tissue. Compared with model group ，right kidney weight and serum creatinine level were decreased significantly in L. leontopodioides alone group （P＜0.05），while urine creatinine level was increased significantly （P＜0.05），but there was no statistical significance in the level of 24 h urine protein （P＞0.05）；the right kidney weight ，24 h urine protein ，serum creatinine level and protein expression levels of NF-κB p65，p-ERK and p38 MAPK in renal tissue were decreased significantly in L. leontopodioides+A. membranaceus high-dose group （P＜0.05），while the urine creatinine level and protein expression level of IκBα in renal tissue were increased significantly （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）；there was no statistical significance in above indexes in L. leontopodioides+A. membranaceus medium-dose，low-dose groups （P＞0.05）；pathological changes of renal tissue were improved to different extents in administration groups ，especially in L. leontopodioides +A. membranaceus high-dose group. CONCLUSIONS ： High dose of L. leontopodioides +A. membranaceus can improve renal function of MsPGN model rats by inhibiting MAPK/NF-κB signal pathway.

Objective To explore the clinical application value of blood routine examination in judgment of the activity of inflammatory bowel diseases.Methods 102 patients with inflammatory bowel disease were selected as the main research objects,60 healthy persons in the same period were selected as the control group,all of the subjects were received routine testing of blood,C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate,and the relationships between disease and blood routine indexes were compared.Results In UC group,the PLT,WBC RDW index levels of remission were higher than those of the control group,the differences were statistically significant(t =6.75,8.21,5.73,all P ＜0.05).In patients with UC,the HGB,HCTand MPV index levels were lower than those in the remission patients and the control group,the differences were statistically significant(t =8.12,11.03,6.72,9.35,10.23,8.71,all P ＜0.05).But the PLT index was higher than that of patients in remission,the RDW and WBC indexes were higher than those in the control group and the remission period,there were statistically significant differences (t =7.59,8.51,6.03,all P ＜ 0.05).The routine blood indexes of the relief patients of CD group had significant differences compared with the control group(t =6.17,7.29,9.01,10.35,8.27,7.69,8.01,9.91,allP ＜ 0.05),the HCT,MCV,HGB and MPV indexes were lower than those of the control group,the differences were statistically significant (t =9.01,10.35,8.27,9.9i,all P ＜ 0.05),the WBC,PLT,N and RDW indexes were higher than those of the control group,the differences were statistically significant (t =6.17,7.29,7.69,8.01,all P ＜ 0.05).In UC group,the HGB,HCT,MCV and MPV indexes were lower than those in the remission patients and the control group,there were statistically significant differences(t =8.19,6.97,7.53,9.02,all P ＜ 0.05).But the PLT,RDW,WBC and N indexes were higher than those in the remission patients and the control group,the differences were statistically significant (t =9.81,7.94,8.36,7.61,P ＜ 0.05).In the active patients of CD group,the WBC and N indexes were significantly higher than those of UC group,the differences were statistically significant (t =8.15,9.07,all P ＜ 0.05).In the remission patients of CD group,the PLT index was significandy higher than that in the remission patients of UC group,the difference was statistically significant (t =10.35,P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion Indexes of blood routine has obvious significance in activity of inflammatory bowel disease,and it is significant correlation with inflammation index,which can be used as one of the routine clinical method to determine the activity of inflammatory bowel diseases.