OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the regulatory effects of lncRNA LINC00261 on proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) cells. METHODS: The differentially expressed RNAs in ESCC were identified using the GSE149612 dataset from the GEO database. PCR was used to detect LINC00261 expression levels in clinical ESCC and normal esophageal tissue samples and in multiple ESCC cell lines and normal esophageal epithelial cells (HEEC). In ESCC cells, the effects of overexpression of LINC00261 on cell proliferation, invasion, metastasis and apoptosis were analyzed using CCK-8 assay, clone formation assay, Transwell assay and flow cytometry. The potential targets of LINC00261 were predicted using bioinformatics tools including ENCORI and verified using dual-luciferase reporter assay and Western blotting. The effects of LINC00261 overexpression on ESCC were confirmed in a nude mouse model bearing ESCC xenograft. RESULTS: Analysis of the GSE149612 dataset revealed significantly lower LINC00261 expression in ESCC tissues and cell lines. In cultured ESCC cells, LINC00261 overexpression markedly suppressed cell proliferation, invasion, and metastasis and promoted cell apoptosis. Dual-luciferase reporter assays confirmed that LINC00261 targets the miR-23a-3p/ZNF292 axis. In the tumor-bearing mouse model, LINC00261 overexpression significantly inhibited ESCC xenograft proliferation and metastasis. CONCLUSIONS LINC00261 suppresses ESCC progression by targeting the miR-23a-3p/ZNF292 axis, suggesting a potential therapeutic strategy for ESCC treatment.
Humans ; MicroRNAs/genetics* ; Cell Proliferation ; Esophageal Neoplasms/genetics* ; Animals ; Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma ; Mice, Nude ; RNA, Long Noncoding/genetics* ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; Mice ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/genetics* ; Apoptosis ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Neoplasm Metastasis

BACKGROUND:Immunosuppression leads to impaired body immune function and aggravates the disease.Herb-partitioned moxibustion can effectively regulate immune function and improve immunity in the body,but its regulatory mechanism has not been elucidated. OBJECTIVE:To sequence immunosuppressed model rats treated with herb-partitioned moxibustion using bioinformatics techniques based on transcriptomics and to explore the mechanisms by which it regulates immunity. METHODS:Twenty-four Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to three groups:control,model,and herb-partitioned moxibustion groups,with eight rats in each group.The model and herb-partitioned moxibustion groups were subjected to establishment of an immune suppression model by intraperitoneal injection of cyclophosphamide at a dose of 35 mg/kg for 3 consecutive days.No interventions were administered to the control and model groups after modeling.In contrast,the herb-partitioned moxibustion group received moxibustion treatment at Zhongwan,Shenque,Guanyuan,and Zusanli acupoints using a combination of moxa and herbal cakes,once a day,for 10 consecutive days,with samples being collected the day after the end of the intervention.Peripheral blood was collected from all groups of rats to measure their white blood cell count.RNA-seq was performed on the Illumina sequencing platform,and differentially expressed genes were selected for bioinformatics analysis using the GO and KEGG databases. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Compared with the control group,the model group exhibited a significant decrease in white blood cell count(P<0.001).RNA-seq analysis identified 3 026 differentially expressed genes between the model and control groups,with 1 565 upregulated and 1 461 downregulated.There were 535 differentially expressed genes identified between the herb-partitioned moxibustion group and the model group,with 280 upregulated and 255 downregulated.The Venn diagram analysis revealed that 159 genes were downregulated in the model group compared with the control group.However,after moxibustion with herbal cakes,these genes were upregulated.Protein-protein interaction network analysis identified 10 core targets,including Oasl,Oas2,Isg15,Herc6,Mx2,Helz2,Mx1,Syk,Hspa1a,and Ret.According to GO and KEGG analyses,moxibustion with herbal cakes regulated the body through pathways related to immune response,viruses,angiogenesis,and the autoimmune system.To conclude,there is a significant association between herbal cake-separated moxibustion intervention and immune suppression targets,including Oasl,Oas2,Isg15,Herc6,Mx2,Helz2,and Mx1.The intervention exhibits regulatory effects in the pathways related to immune responses,viral activities,and angiogenesis.

Objective This study aims to investigate the effects of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization(TACE)using EqualSpheres,CalliSpheres,and Lipiodol loaded with idarubicin on VX2 liver cancer in rabbits.Methods Twelve New Zealand white rabbits were randomly assigned to three groups:EqualSpheres group,CalliSpheres group,and Lipiodol group(n=4 per group).The VX2 liver cancer animal model was successfully established through ultrasound-guided percutaneous puncture.EqualSpheres,CalliSpheres,and Lipiodol were employed as embolization agents loaded with idarubicin for the embolization procedure.Peripheral blood samples were collected at intervals of 5 minutes,0.5,1,4,12 and 24 hours following embolization and were centrifuged to obtain serum.At 24 hours post-TACE treatment,the rabbits in both the experimental and control groups were euthanized,and both liver cancer tissues and normal liver tissues were collected.UPLC-MS/MS was used to measure the drug concentration of idarubicin in peripheral blood and tissue samples,and Graphpad software was used to construct drug concentration-time curves in peripheral blood.The pharmacokinetic curves were constructed to evaluate the dynamic in vivo distribution characteristics.Results The average drug concentration in the EqualSpheres group(920.06 ng/mL)was significantly higher than that in both the CalliSpheres group(79.47 ng/mL)and the Lipiodol group(118.71 ng/mL).However,the average drug concentration in normal liver tissue of all the three groups was lower,and the difference was not statistically significant.The peripheral blood drug concentration of the three groups decreased at 5 minutes post-TACE and increased over the next 24 hours.The average blood concentration curve of EqualSpheres group increased more steadily compared to the CalliSpheres group and the Lipiodol group.The Cmax of the Lipiodol group was reached at 0.5 hours,measuring 11.54 ng/mL.Both the CalliSpheres group and the EqualSpheres group achieved their Cmax at 5 minutes,with values of 7.82 and 8.36 ng/mL,respectively.Conclusion EqualSpheres loaded with idarubicin achieve a high drug concentration at the tumor site while maintaining a low concentration in peripheral blood over 24 hours.This study demonstrates the stable drug release capability of idarubicin-loaded EqualSpheres.

ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism of herbal cake-separated moxibustion using the classical formula Xiaoyaosan in alleviating neuroimmune inflammatory responses in chronic fatigue syndrome （CFS） rats， based on the regulation of the toll-like receptor 4 （TLR4）/myeloid differentiation factor 88 （MyD88）/nuclear transcription factor-κB （NF-κB） signaling pathway. MethodsFifty SPF-grade SD rats aged 6-8 weeks were randomly divided into five groups： Normal group， model group， sham herbal cake moxibustion group， Chinese medicine intragastric administration group， and herbal cake-separated moxibustion group， with 10 rats in each group. Except for the normal group， all other groups underwent a 21-day modeling process， followed by behavioral testing. The herbal cake-separated moxibustion and sham herbal cake moxibustion groups received interventions at the Shenque （CV8）， Guanyuan （CV4）， Zusanli （ST36）， and Qimen （LR14） acupoints. The Chinese medicine intragastric administration group was treated with a Xiaoyaosan suspension via gavage. Behavioral tests were conducted after 10 days of continuous intervention. Serum levels of interleukin （IL）-1β， IL-6， and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， as well as hippocampal levels of IL-1β， IL-6， TNF-α， and NF-κB， were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Morphological changes in the hippocampus were observed using hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to detect mRNA expression levels of TLR4， MyD88， and NF-κB in the hippocampus. Western blot analysis was performed to detect the relative expression levels of TLR4， MyD88， NF-κB， and p65 proteins in the hippocampus. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group showed a significant decrease in upright times during the open field test （P<0.01）， as well as significant reductions in total movement distance， resting time， and center region duration （P<0.01）. In the tail suspension test， immobility time increased （P<0.01）， and struggle times decreased （P<0.01）. Serum and hippocampal levels of IL-1β， IL-6， and TNF-α， as well as hippocampal NF-κB levels and TLR4， MyD88， and NF-κB mRNA expression， were significantly elevated （P<0.01）. After treatment， compared with the model group， the total movement distance and upright times in the open field test were significantly increased in all treatment groups （P<0.01）， while resting time and center region duration were notably prolonged （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Immobility time in the tail suspension test was significantly shortened （P<0.01）， and struggle times significantly increased （P<0.05）. Serum and hippocampal levels of IL-1β， IL-6， TNF-α， hippocampal NF-κB levels， and TLR4 and NF-κB mRNA expression were significantly reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the sham herbal cake moxibustion group， the herbal cake-separated moxibustion group showed a significant extension in center region duration during the open field test （P<0.05） and a significant increase in upright times （P<0.01）. In the tail suspension test， immobility time was reduced （P<0.01）， and struggle times increased （P<0.01）. Serum TNF-α levels in the Chinese medicine intragastric administration group were significantly reduced （P<0.01）， while serum IL-6 levels， as well as hippocampal levels of IL-1β， TNF-α， NF-κB， and TLR4， MyD88， and NF-κB mRNA expression， were significantly decreased in both the Chinese medicine intragastric administration group and the herbal cake-separated moxibustion group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the Chinese medicine intragastric administration group， the herbal cake-separated moxibustion group exhibited significantly increased upright times in the open field test （P<0.01）. In the tail suspension test， immobility time was reduced （P<0.01）， and struggle times increased （P<0.01）. Serum IL-1β， hippocampal TNF-α levels， and TLR4， MyD88， and NF-κB mRNA expression were significantly decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionHerbal cake-separated moxibustion effectively improves fatigue and memory function in CFS rats， regulates neuroimmune inflammatory responses， and its mechanism may be related to the modulation of the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Objective To investigate the effect of a G-protein receptor 110(GPR110)ligand on retinal neuroinflam-mation in diabetic mice by regulating the Janus kinase 2/signal transduction and activator of transcription 3(JAK2/STAT3)signaling pathway.Methods This experiment was divided into two parts.(1)Twelve C57BL/6J mice(24 eyes)were randomly divided into the control group,4-week streptozotocin(STZ)induction(STZ4-week)group,STZ 8-week group,and STZ 12-week group,with 3 mice in each group.The diabetic model was induced by intraperitoneal injection of STZ(150 mg·kg-1)in all groups except the control group.The expression of GPR110 and glutamine synthetase(GS)in the retinal tissue of mice was detected by immunofluorescence staining to screen the optimal acting time.(2)Thirty-two C57BL/6J mice(64 eyes)were divided into the control group,STZ 8-week group,the STZ+N-docosahexaenol ethanola-mine(SYN)group,and the STZ+SYN+adeno-associated virus-mediated GPR110(AAV-GPR110)group,with 8 mice in each group,and they were subjected to corresponding treatment.Immunohistochemistry was performed to detect the ex-pression of glial fibrillary acidic protein(GFAP)in mouse retinal tissues.ELISA was performed to detect the level of inter-leukin-1β(IL-1β),interleukin-6(IL-6),and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)in mouse retinal tissues.Western blot was performed to detect the ratio of JAK2 to phosphorylated JAK2(p-JAK2)and that of STAT3 to phosphorylated STAT3(p-STAT3).Results(1)GPR110 in the retina of mice in the STZ 4-week group,STZ 8-week group,and STZ 12-week group was mainly expressed in Müller cells.The highest expression intensity of GPR110 was observed in the retina of mice in the STZ 8-week group;therefore,the diabetic mice in the STZ 8-week group were selected for subsequent experiments.(2)Compared with the control group,mice in the STZ 8-week group and the STZ+SYN+AAV-GPR110 group exhibited a decrease in the retinal thickness and the number of retinal ganglion cells,those in the STZ+SYN group displayed a de-crease in the retinal thickness(all P＜0.05),and those in the other three groups presented a significant increase in the in-tensity of GFAP-positive expression and an increase in the level of IL-6,IL-1β,and TNF-α and the p-JAK2/JAK2 and p-STAT3/STAT3 values(all P＜0.05).Compared with the STZ 8-week group,the retinal thickness and the number of retinal ganglion cells in the STZ+SYN group increased,the intensity of GFAP-positive expression decreased,and the level of IL-6,IL-1 β,and TNF-α and the p-JAK2/JAK2 and p-STAT3/STAT3 values decreased(all P＜0.05).Compared with the STZ+SYN group,mice in the STZ+SYN+AAV-GPR110 group showed a decrease in the retinal thickness and the number of retinal ganglion cells,a significant increase in the intensity of GFAP-positive expression,and an increase in the level of IL-6,IL-1 β,and TNF-α and the p-JAK2/JAK2 and p-STAT3/STAT3 values(all P＜0.05).Conclusion The GPR110 ligand could alleviate retinal neuroinflammation in diabetic mice by inhibiting the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND:Currently,there are various rat models of lumbar disc herniation used in experiments,each with its own advantages and disadvantages.The most common modeling methods include autologous nucleus pulposus transplantation and annulus fibrosus puncture models.OBJECTIVE:To establish two autologous nucleus pulposus transplantation models(with spinous process and mastoid process excision and with transverse process and mastoid process excision)as well as an annulus fibrosus puncture model,and to compare and evaluate the characteristics of the three models.METHODS:Forty male adult Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups(n=10 per group):sham surgery group,spinous process group,transverse process group,and annulus fibrosus puncture group.In the sham surgery group,surgical preparation was performed,the skin was incised,and the spinous process was exposed,and then sutured.In the spinous process group,L5 spinous process and transverse process were excised,and two pieces of tail nucleus pulposus were placed in the intervertebral foramen.In the transverse process group,L5 transverse process and transverse process were excised,and two pieces of tail nucleus pulposus were placed in the intervertebral foramen.In the annulus fibrosus puncture group,the transverse process was excised and annulus fibrosus puncture and intervertebral disc injection of interleukin 1β were then performed.Thermal paw withdrawal latencies were tested before and after modeling.Lumbar spine MRI was performed 2 weeks after modeling.Pathological changes in the intervertebral discs were observed using hematoxylin-eosin staining and safranin-O-fast green staining.Immunofluorescence was used to observe CD68+positive expression.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Thermal withdrawal threshold testing results showed that compared with the sham surgery group,pain sensitivity and tolerance time of rats decreased significantly after modeling(P<0.05).(2)Lumbar spine MRI images showed that the spinous process and transverse process groups had obvious protrusion of nucleus pulposus tissue,which more closely resembled MRI images of patients with common lumbar disc herniation.(3)Hematoxylin-eosin staining revealed that compared with the sham surgery group,nucleus pulposus tissues in the model groups showed varying degrees of degeneration,inflammatory cell infiltration,and degradation of spinal cord cells,with the appearance of cystic changes,among which the annulus fibrosus puncture group had the most severe pathological changes.(4)Safranin-O-fast green staining showed that compared with the sham surgery group,the boundaries of nucleus pulposus tissues in the three model groups were blurred,with extensive inflammatory reactions and varying degrees of degeneration in the annulus fibrosus.(5)CD68+immunofluorescence staining results showed that compared with the sham surgery group,the expression of CD68+in the model groups was higher and more widespread,with the annulus fibrosus puncture model showing the highest expression.All the three methods could be used to effectively establish rat models of lumbar disc herniation,with the annulus fibrosus puncture model established after excision of the transverse process being superior to the autologous nucleus pulposus transplantation model(spinous process+mastoid process),and the first two models being superior to the autologous nucleus pulposus transplantation model(transverse process+mastoid process).

Objective To explore the intervention effect of remote hypertension health management mode with"Dayi Jiankangxing"as the core on hypertension patients.Methods Patients with primary hypertension who were treated in the First Affiliated Hospital of Baotou Medical College from January 2023 to January 2024 were divided into control group and intervention group by random number table method,with 101 cases in each group.The patients in control group were managed with traditional hypertension management,while the patients in intervention group were managed with a remote hypertension mode centered on"Dayi Jiankangxing".After 6 months of management,the blood pressure compliance rate,quality of life and medication compliance of two groups were compared.Results After 6 months,the blood pressure compliance rate of intervention group was significantly higher than that of control group(60.4％vs.40.6％,x2=7.922,P=0.005).The medication compliance of patients in intervention group was significantly higher than that in control group(x2=7.371,P=0.025).The scores of physiological function,general health status,energy,social function,emotional function and mental health of patients in intervention group were significantly higher than those in control group(P＜0.05).Conclusion The remote hypertension health management mode with"Dayi Jiankangxing"as the core is helpful for hypertension patients to control blood pressure,improve medication compliance and improve quality of life.

Objective To investigate the effect of a G-protein receptor 110(GPR110)ligand on retinal neuroinflam-mation in diabetic mice by regulating the Janus kinase 2/signal transduction and activator of transcription 3(JAK2/STAT3)signaling pathway.Methods This experiment was divided into two parts.(1)Twelve C57BL/6J mice(24 eyes)were randomly divided into the control group,4-week streptozotocin(STZ)induction(STZ4-week)group,STZ 8-week group,and STZ 12-week group,with 3 mice in each group.The diabetic model was induced by intraperitoneal injection of STZ(150 mg·kg-1)in all groups except the control group.The expression of GPR110 and glutamine synthetase(GS)in the retinal tissue of mice was detected by immunofluorescence staining to screen the optimal acting time.(2)Thirty-two C57BL/6J mice(64 eyes)were divided into the control group,STZ 8-week group,the STZ+N-docosahexaenol ethanola-mine(SYN)group,and the STZ+SYN+adeno-associated virus-mediated GPR110(AAV-GPR110)group,with 8 mice in each group,and they were subjected to corresponding treatment.Immunohistochemistry was performed to detect the ex-pression of glial fibrillary acidic protein(GFAP)in mouse retinal tissues.ELISA was performed to detect the level of inter-leukin-1β(IL-1β),interleukin-6(IL-6),and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)in mouse retinal tissues.Western blot was performed to detect the ratio of JAK2 to phosphorylated JAK2(p-JAK2)and that of STAT3 to phosphorylated STAT3(p-STAT3).Results(1)GPR110 in the retina of mice in the STZ 4-week group,STZ 8-week group,and STZ 12-week group was mainly expressed in Müller cells.The highest expression intensity of GPR110 was observed in the retina of mice in the STZ 8-week group;therefore,the diabetic mice in the STZ 8-week group were selected for subsequent experiments.(2)Compared with the control group,mice in the STZ 8-week group and the STZ+SYN+AAV-GPR110 group exhibited a decrease in the retinal thickness and the number of retinal ganglion cells,those in the STZ+SYN group displayed a de-crease in the retinal thickness(all P＜0.05),and those in the other three groups presented a significant increase in the in-tensity of GFAP-positive expression and an increase in the level of IL-6,IL-1β,and TNF-α and the p-JAK2/JAK2 and p-STAT3/STAT3 values(all P＜0.05).Compared with the STZ 8-week group,the retinal thickness and the number of retinal ganglion cells in the STZ+SYN group increased,the intensity of GFAP-positive expression decreased,and the level of IL-6,IL-1 β,and TNF-α and the p-JAK2/JAK2 and p-STAT3/STAT3 values decreased(all P＜0.05).Compared with the STZ+SYN group,mice in the STZ+SYN+AAV-GPR110 group showed a decrease in the retinal thickness and the number of retinal ganglion cells,a significant increase in the intensity of GFAP-positive expression,and an increase in the level of IL-6,IL-1 β,and TNF-α and the p-JAK2/JAK2 and p-STAT3/STAT3 values(all P＜0.05).Conclusion The GPR110 ligand could alleviate retinal neuroinflammation in diabetic mice by inhibiting the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway.

Objective To explore the intervention effect of remote hypertension health management mode with"Dayi Jiankangxing"as the core on hypertension patients.Methods Patients with primary hypertension who were treated in the First Affiliated Hospital of Baotou Medical College from January 2023 to January 2024 were divided into control group and intervention group by random number table method,with 101 cases in each group.The patients in control group were managed with traditional hypertension management,while the patients in intervention group were managed with a remote hypertension mode centered on"Dayi Jiankangxing".After 6 months of management,the blood pressure compliance rate,quality of life and medication compliance of two groups were compared.Results After 6 months,the blood pressure compliance rate of intervention group was significantly higher than that of control group(60.4％vs.40.6％,x2=7.922,P=0.005).The medication compliance of patients in intervention group was significantly higher than that in control group(x2=7.371,P=0.025).The scores of physiological function,general health status,energy,social function,emotional function and mental health of patients in intervention group were significantly higher than those in control group(P＜0.05).Conclusion The remote hypertension health management mode with"Dayi Jiankangxing"as the core is helpful for hypertension patients to control blood pressure,improve medication compliance and improve quality of life.

BACKGROUND:Currently,there are various rat models of lumbar disc herniation used in experiments,each with its own advantages and disadvantages.The most common modeling methods include autologous nucleus pulposus transplantation and annulus fibrosus puncture models.OBJECTIVE:To establish two autologous nucleus pulposus transplantation models(with spinous process and mastoid process excision and with transverse process and mastoid process excision)as well as an annulus fibrosus puncture model,and to compare and evaluate the characteristics of the three models.METHODS:Forty male adult Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups(n=10 per group):sham surgery group,spinous process group,transverse process group,and annulus fibrosus puncture group.In the sham surgery group,surgical preparation was performed,the skin was incised,and the spinous process was exposed,and then sutured.In the spinous process group,L5 spinous process and transverse process were excised,and two pieces of tail nucleus pulposus were placed in the intervertebral foramen.In the transverse process group,L5 transverse process and transverse process were excised,and two pieces of tail nucleus pulposus were placed in the intervertebral foramen.In the annulus fibrosus puncture group,the transverse process was excised and annulus fibrosus puncture and intervertebral disc injection of interleukin 1β were then performed.Thermal paw withdrawal latencies were tested before and after modeling.Lumbar spine MRI was performed 2 weeks after modeling.Pathological changes in the intervertebral discs were observed using hematoxylin-eosin staining and safranin-O-fast green staining.Immunofluorescence was used to observe CD68+positive expression.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Thermal withdrawal threshold testing results showed that compared with the sham surgery group,pain sensitivity and tolerance time of rats decreased significantly after modeling(P<0.05).(2)Lumbar spine MRI images showed that the spinous process and transverse process groups had obvious protrusion of nucleus pulposus tissue,which more closely resembled MRI images of patients with common lumbar disc herniation.(3)Hematoxylin-eosin staining revealed that compared with the sham surgery group,nucleus pulposus tissues in the model groups showed varying degrees of degeneration,inflammatory cell infiltration,and degradation of spinal cord cells,with the appearance of cystic changes,among which the annulus fibrosus puncture group had the most severe pathological changes.(4)Safranin-O-fast green staining showed that compared with the sham surgery group,the boundaries of nucleus pulposus tissues in the three model groups were blurred,with extensive inflammatory reactions and varying degrees of degeneration in the annulus fibrosus.(5)CD68+immunofluorescence staining results showed that compared with the sham surgery group,the expression of CD68+in the model groups was higher and more widespread,with the annulus fibrosus puncture model showing the highest expression.All the three methods could be used to effectively establish rat models of lumbar disc herniation,with the annulus fibrosus puncture model established after excision of the transverse process being superior to the autologous nucleus pulposus transplantation model(spinous process+mastoid process),and the first two models being superior to the autologous nucleus pulposus transplantation model(transverse process+mastoid process).