OBJECTIVES: To investigate the therapeutic mechanism of 2,6-dimethoxy-1,4-benzoquinone (DMQ) for alleviating dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced ulcerative colitis (UC) in mice. METHODS: Eighteen male C57BL/6J mice were equally randomized into control group, DSS group and DMQ treatment group. In DSS and DMQ groups, the mice were treated with DSS in drinking water to induce UC, and received intraperitoneal injections of sterile PBS or DMQ (20 mg/kg) during modeling. The changes in body weight, disease activity index (DAI), colon length, spleen weight, and colon histological scores of the mice were examined, and the percentages of Th17 and IFN-γ⁺ CD8⁺ T cells in the mesenteric lymph nodes and spleen were analyzed using flow cytometry. The expressions of tight junction proteins (Occludin and ZO-1), proteins associated with inflammasome activation (caspase-1 and p20), IL-1β and TNF-α in the colon tissues were detected using Western blotting or ELISA. In the cell experiment, mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) primed with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were treated with DMQ, followed by stmulation with nigericin to activate the classical NLRP3 inflammasome pathway. In cultured human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) treated with either LPS alone or LPS plus nigericin, the effects of DMQ on inflammasome activation, pyroptosis, and cytokine release were evaluated via Western blotting, ELISA, and flow cytometry. RESULTS: In DSS-treated mice, DMQ treatment significantly alleviated DSS-induced body weight loss, colon shortening, spleen enlargement, and colon inflammation. The DMQ-treated mice showed significantly reduced percentages of Th17 cells and IFN-γ⁺ CD8⁺ T cells in the mesenteric lymph nodes and spleen, with increased occludin and ZO-1 expressions and decreased caspase-1 expression in the colon tissue. DMQ obviously inhibited classical NLRP3 inflammasome activation in mouse BMDMs and both the classical and alternative pathways of NLRP3 activation in human PBMCs, causing also suppression of caspase-1-dependent pyroptosis. CONCLUSIONS DMQ ameliorates DSS-induced UC in mice by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation.
Animals ; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein/metabolism* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Colitis, Ulcerative/metabolism* ; Dextran Sulfate/adverse effects* ; Male ; Inflammasomes/metabolism* ; Mice ; Benzoquinones/therapeutic use* ; Th17 Cells ; Caspase 1/metabolism*

Gene regulation relies on the precise binding of transcription factors (TFs) at regulatory elements, but simultaneously detecting hundreds of TFs on chromatin is challenging. We developed cFOOT-seq, a cytosine deaminase-based TF footprinting assay, for high-resolution, quantitative genome-wide assessment of TF binding in both open and closed chromatin regions, even with small cell numbers. By utilizing the dsDNA deaminase SsdAtox, cFOOT-seq converts accessible cytosines to uracil while preserving genomic integrity, making it compatible with techniques like ATAC-seq for sensitive and cost-effective detection of TF occupancy at the single-molecule and single-cell level. Our approach enables the delineation of TF footprints, quantification of occupancy, and examination of chromatin influences on TF binding. Notably, cFOOT-seq, combined with FootTrack analysis, enables de novo prediction of TF binding sites and tracking of TF occupancy dynamics. We demonstrate its application in capturing cell type-specific TFs, analyzing TF dynamics during reprogramming, and revealing TF dependencies on chromatin remodelers. Overall, cFOOT-seq represents a robust approach for investigating the genome-wide dynamics of TF occupancy and elucidating the cis-regulatory architecture underlying gene regulation.
Transcription Factors/genetics* ; Humans ; Chromatin/genetics* ; Animals ; Binding Sites ; Mice ; DNA Footprinting/methods*

Objective To investigate the mechanism of 2,6-dimethoxy-1,4-benzoquinone(DMQ),an active ingredients in fermented wheat germ extract,for inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation and alleviating septic shock in mice.Methods Cultured murine bone marrow-derived macrophages(BMDM)stimulated with lipopolysaccharide(LPS)were treated with DMQ,followed by treatment with Nigericin,ATP,and MSU for activating the canonical NLRP3 inflammasome;the non-canonical NLRP3 inflammasome was activated by intracellular transfection of LPS,and AIM2 inflammasome was activated using Poly A:T.In human monocytic THP-1 cells,the effect of Nigericin on inflammasome activation products was examined using Western blotting and ELISA.Co-immunoprecipitation was performed to explore the mechanism of DMQ-induced blocking of NLRP3 inflammasome activation.In a male C57BL/6J mouse model of LPS-induced septic shock treated with 20 and 40 mg/kg DMQ,the levels of IL-1β and TNF-α in the serum and peritoneal lavage fluid were determined using ELISA,and the survival time of the mice within 36 h was observed.Results Treatment with DMQ effectively inhibited LPS-induced activation of canonical NLRP3 inflammasome in mouse BMDM and human THP-1 cells and also inhibited non-canonical NLRP3 inflammasome activation in mouse BMDM,but produced no significant effect on AIM2 inflammasome activation.DMQ significantly blocked the binding between ASC and NLRP3.In the mouse models of septic shock,DMQ treatment significantly reduced the levels of IL-1β in the serum and peritoneal fluid and obviously prolonged survival time of the mice.Conclusion DMQ can effectively block ASC-NLRP3 interaction to inhibit NLRP3 inflammasome activation and alleviate LPS-induced septic shock in mice.

Cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury(CIR1)refers to the recovery of blood supply after cerebral ischemia,which leads to further damage and the dysfunction of brain tissue.Modern medicine has made some progress in the prevention and treatment of CIRI,but it still faces some challenges and limitations.Therefore,it is of great clinical value to find effective interventions to prevent and treat CIRI.AMP-activated protein kinase(AMPK)and its downstream proteins are important targets for the treatment of CIRI and play key roles in the regulation of cellular energy homeostasis.Traditional Chinese medicine for CIRI has multi-target and multi-pathway activities and multiple effects.It can activate a cascade of reactions in the AMPK signaling pathway and can be used to treat CIRI by regulating autophagy,oxidative stress,inflammatory response,and apoptosis,and has achieved certain result.Therefore,this paper summarizes the structure and mechanisms of the AMPK-related signaling pathway,elaborates on its relationship with CIRI,and systematically summarizes the research status of traditional Chinese medicine's ability to regulate the AMPK signaling pathway in the prevention and treatment of CIRI.This paper aims to provide new ideas for the prevention and treatment of CIRI using traditional Chinese medicine and the development of new drugs.

Objective To investigate the mechanism of 2,6-dimethoxy-1,4-benzoquinone(DMQ),an active ingredients in fermented wheat germ extract,for inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation and alleviating septic shock in mice.Methods Cultured murine bone marrow-derived macrophages(BMDM)stimulated with lipopolysaccharide(LPS)were treated with DMQ,followed by treatment with Nigericin,ATP,and MSU for activating the canonical NLRP3 inflammasome;the non-canonical NLRP3 inflammasome was activated by intracellular transfection of LPS,and AIM2 inflammasome was activated using Poly A:T.In human monocytic THP-1 cells,the effect of Nigericin on inflammasome activation products was examined using Western blotting and ELISA.Co-immunoprecipitation was performed to explore the mechanism of DMQ-induced blocking of NLRP3 inflammasome activation.In a male C57BL/6J mouse model of LPS-induced septic shock treated with 20 and 40 mg/kg DMQ,the levels of IL-1β and TNF-α in the serum and peritoneal lavage fluid were determined using ELISA,and the survival time of the mice within 36 h was observed.Results Treatment with DMQ effectively inhibited LPS-induced activation of canonical NLRP3 inflammasome in mouse BMDM and human THP-1 cells and also inhibited non-canonical NLRP3 inflammasome activation in mouse BMDM,but produced no significant effect on AIM2 inflammasome activation.DMQ significantly blocked the binding between ASC and NLRP3.In the mouse models of septic shock,DMQ treatment significantly reduced the levels of IL-1β in the serum and peritoneal fluid and obviously prolonged survival time of the mice.Conclusion DMQ can effectively block ASC-NLRP3 interaction to inhibit NLRP3 inflammasome activation and alleviate LPS-induced septic shock in mice.

Objective:To investigate whether memantine hydrochloride (MEM) could promote the bactericidal effect of neutrophils against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and the possible mechanism. Methods:Neutrophils were co-incubated with different concentrations of MEM and MRSA for 4 h. Then the cell lysates were collected and cultured on plate for survival bacteria counting. After co-incubation, the neutrophils were collected to detect the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the release of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). A mouse model of MRSA infection was established, and then the mice were treated with or without MEM. Blood, spleen and kidney samples were collected from the mice for bacterial colony counting and blood procalcitonin (PCT) detection. In the 48 h survival experiment, the mice were first infected with MRSA, and then treated with MEM or PBS. The survival rates of the mice were calculated and the survival curves were drawn.Results:The number of MRSA co-cultured with neutrophils decreased significantly in the presence of MEM, and within a certain concentration range, the survival number of MRSA decreased with the increase of MEM concentration. Moreover, MEM could significantly promote the production of ROS by neutrophils and the formation of NETs. In vivo experiment showed that the concentration of PCT in mouse blood samples was lower in the MRSA+ MEM group than in the MRSA+ PBS group. The animal experiment also revealed that MEM significantly decreased the bacteria loads in mouse blood and organs and increased the 48 h survival rate after MRSA infection.Conclusions:MEM could significantly promote the bactericidal effect of neutrophils against MRSA, which might be related to the enhanced generation of ROS by neutrophils and the formation of NETs.

Objective : To investigate whether Mitochondria-targeted antioxidant peptide SS-31 can inhibit the ozone ( O3 ) -induced mice lung airway hyperresponsiveness and mucus hypersecretion． Methods : Eight-week C57BL /6 mice were randomized into four groups，including phosphate buffer saline (PBS) + Air group，SS-31 + Air group， PBS + O3 group and SS-31 + O3 group．C57BL /6 mice were injected intraperitoneally with SS-31 ( 10 mg / kg) one hour before ozone exposure ，and then single-exposed to ozone at a concentration of 5. 01 × 10 －6 mol / m3 for 3 hours．After 24 hours，airway hyperresponsiveness(AHR) and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) cells numbers were measured．Lung tissue schiff periodic acid shiff (PAS) staining，malondialdehyde (MDA) ，inflammatory factors ( interleukin，IL ) -1 β , IL-6 ，IL-18 and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 ( MCP-1 ) ) and mucin factor (MUC5B) were detected，and the protein expression levels of NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3 (NLRP3) ，pro-Caspase 1 / Caspase 1 (p20) ，Gasdermin D ( GSDMD) and Cleaved GSDMD were determined by Western blot. Results: O3 exposure caused both mice lung airway hyperresponsiveness and mucus hypersecretion．However，SS-31 could inhibit the O3 -induced airway hyperresponsiveness and mucus secretion，reduce the levels of oxidative stress and inflammatory factor mRNA expression ，and downregulate the protein expression level of NLRP3 and the activated forms of Caspase 1 and GSDMD． Conclusion SS-31 could suppress O3 -induced mice airway hyperresponsiveness and mucus hypersecretion by inhibiting the NLRP3 / Caspase 1 / GSDMD signaling pathway.

Objective:To explore the current situation of turnover intention of male nurses in Shanghai and its influencing factors.Methods:From March 2017 and August 2017, this study selected 349 male nurses at all levels of hospitals in Shanghai by snowball sampling to carry out questionnaire survey through internet questionnaire distribution platform. The questionnaire consisted of the General Demographic Characteristics, Turnover Intention Scale (TIS) , Maslach Burnout Inventory General Survey (MBI-GS) and the Organization Commitment Scale.Results:Among 349 male nurses in Shanghai, the score of turnover intention was (15.43±3.48) , 274 of them were with a high level of turnover intention accounting for 78.49%. There were statistical differences in the scores of turnover intention among male nurses with different positional titles and night shifts ( P<0.05) . Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the important influencing factors of turnover intention of male nurses included the emotional burnout, emotional commitment, ideal commitment and economic commitment, in which the emotional burnout was the strongest predictor and the emotional commitment was the strongest protective factor. Conclusions:The turnover intention of male nurses is in the high level. The important influencing factors of turnover intention of male nurses include the job burnout and organizational commitment except for positional titles and night shifts. Nursing managers should pay attention to the cultivation of emotions for hospital and profession among male nurses so as to reduce male nurses' turnover intention and stabilize the male nursing team.

Objective:To investigate the characteristics of serum cytokine IL-4 and IFN- γ levels in patients with chronic insomnia with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and to further explore the relationship between cognitive function and IL-4 and IFN-γ in patients with chronic insomnia.Methods:Sixty-two patients with chronic insomnia were divided into MCI group( n=30) and non-MCI group( n=32) according to the scores of Montreal cognitive assessment(MoCA), mini-mental state examination(MMSE) score and chief complaint of cognitive decline. Pittsburgh sleep quality index(PSQI), Hamilton depression scale(HAMD 24) and Hamilton anxiety scale 14 item(HAMA 14) were evaluated. Serum IL-4 and IFN-γ were detected by flow fluorescence, correlation analysis and regression analysis were carried out. Results:The levels of IL-4 and IFN-γ in MCI group were significantly lower than those in non-MCI group (IL-4: 0.875(0.143, 1.655)μg/L, 1.855(0.813, 2.723)μg/L; IFN-γ: 0.450(0.173, 1.163)μg/L, 1.160(0.483, 3.075)μg/L, all P<0.05). There was no significant difference in IFN- γ/IL-4, PSQI, HAMA 14 and HAMD 24 scores between MCI group and non-MCI group. IL-4 was positively correlated with the total score of MoCA( r=0.318, P<0.05), orientation( r=0.324, P<0.05)and delayed recall( r=0.368, P<0.01). The results of multivariate regression showed that IL-4 had significant effects on MCI in patients with chronic insomnia( B=2.161, OR=8.682, 95% CI=2.058~36.633, P=0.003). Conclusion:The cognitive function of chronic insomnia is closely related to serum IL-4 and IFN-γ, and serum IL-4 has a protective effect on cognition in chronic insomnia patients. Therefore, it can be speculated that cytokines may be an important pathophysiological link of cognitive change in chronic insomnia patients.

Objective To evaluate the relative safety of different ventilation methods regarding mortality and rates of complication,on neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS).Methods Network Meta-analysis was used to collect data on randomized controlled trials of pulmonary ventilation strategies in preterm infants with a mean gestational age of less than 32 weeks.Diagnostic criteria on NRDS were published in the PubMed,Cochrane,Web of Science,EBSCO,and Springer Link databases from January 1986 to June 2018.Revman 5.3 software was used to evaluate the quality of studies,based on the Cochrane quality assessment tool.Data were analyzed by Bayesian and frequency methods,using both Win BUGS 1.4.3 and STATA 13.0 software.Safety of different ventilation strategies for NRDS mortality and complications would include intraventficular hemorrhage (IVH),patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and were evaluated.Counted data was displayed by OR and 95％CI.Results A total of 31 RCTs were included in this paper,including 5 827 preterm infants and 11 ventilation strategies.There were no statistically significant differences appearing in 11 ventilation strategies on mortality,PDA or ROE IVH results were reported in 28 studies.Compared with nasal intermittent positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV),both high-frequency oscillation ventilation (HFOV) (OR=3.33,95％ CI:1.08-16.67,P＜0.05) and synchronized intermittent mechanical ventilation (SIMV) (OR=8.22,95％CI:1.25-29.44,P＜0.05) schemes seemed to have increased the risk of IVH in preterm infants with NRDS.NIPPV appeared the optimal ventilation strategy in the rankings of cumulative probability.Results on clustering showed that NIPPV was probably the best ventilation strategy for children with NRDS after considering the orders of IVH,PDA and ROP on mortality,respectively.However,HFOV,IMV,and SIMV did not seem to be the ideal ventilated strategies.Conclusions Most of the clinical decision makers might prefer using NIPPV in the treatment of children with NRDS through mechanical ventilation systems to reduce both the incidence and death caused by IVH,PDA and ROP.It was not recommended to use HFOV,SIMV and IMV in treating NRDS with gestational less than 32 weeks.We suggested that larger numbers of multi-center RCTs ba carried out to make the above conclusions more convincing.