ObjectiveTo investigate the risk factors for atherosclerosis （AS） in rheumatoid arthritis （RA） patients and its correlation with traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndromes. MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted， enrolling 16,082 RA patients from 122 medical centers nationwide. Patient demographics， disease assessment data including disease activity （DAS-28）， tender joint count （TJC）， swollen joint count （SJC）， patient's global assessment （PGA）， evaluator's global assessment （EGA）， and visual analogue scale （VAS）， major clinical symptoms including insomnia， loss of appetite， irritability， and fatigue， and laboratory indicators including blood routine， inflammatory markers， liver and kidney function， metabolic indices， and coagulation markers were collected through questionnaire. Based on the four examinations in TCM， patients were classified into eight TCM syndromes， which were wind-damp obstruction， cold-damp obstruction， damp-heat obstruction， phlegm-stasis obstruction， blood stasis obstructing the collaterals， qi-blood deficiency， liver-kidney insufficiency， and qi-yin deficiency. Patients who experienced AS events were included in the event group （564 cases）， while those without AS events were included in the non-event group （15,518 cases）. Intergroup difference tests were used to screen potential risk factors， and binary logistic regression analysis was employed to assess the correlation between TCM syndromes and rheumatoid arthritis with atherosclerosis （RA-AS）. ResultsCompared to the non-event group， patients in the event group had longer disease duration， higher body weight， and older age （P＜0.05）， and showed significantly higher DAS28， TJC， SJC， PGA， EGA， VAS， ESR， low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C）， triglycerides （TG）， total cholesterol （TC）， and D-dimer levels， and lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C）， with more severe symptoms of insomnia， irritability， and fatigue （P＜0.05）. Damp-heat obstruction syndrome was the most prevalent in both groups， with a higher proportion in the event group （393/564， 69.68%） than in the non-event group （4578/15,518， 29.50%） showing significant difference （P＜0.05）. Logistic regression analysis showed that patients with damp-heat obstruction syndrome had a 5.326-fold higher risk of developing RA-AS compared to those without this syndrome （OR=5.326， 95%CI 4.517 to 7.089， P＜0.001）. ConclusionThe occurrence of RA-AS is associated with TCM syndromes， disease activity， inflammatory markers and lipid metabolic indices， and damp-heat obstruction syndrome is an independent risk factor for RA-AS.

ObjectiveTo investigate the predictive factors for HBsAg clearance in chronic hepatitis B （CHB） patients with a low level of hepatitis B surface antigen （HBsAg） treated with pegylated interferon α-2b （PEG-IFN-α-2b）， to establish a combined predictive model and a nomogram based on multiple factors， and to provide a reference for formulating individualized treatment regimens and predicting treatment outcome in clinical practice. MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed for 167 CHB patients with HBsAg <1 500 IU/mL who attended The Third People’s Hospital of Kunming from January 2022 to January 2024 and were treated with PEG-IFN-α-2b. According to whether clinical cure was achieved， the patients were divided into HBsAg clearance group and HBsAg non-clearance group. Related data were collected， including general information and serological/biochemical/virological indicators at different time points during treatment. The independent samples t-test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data， and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data； the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data. The multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent influencing factors. The receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve was used to assess the value of indicators used alone or in combination in predicting clinical cure， and calibration curves were plotted to assess the risk prediction model. ResultsThe univariate analysis showed that there were significant differences between the two groups in age （t=-6.839， P<0.05）， history of nucleos（t）ide analogue treatment for over 1 year （χ²=59.339， P<0.05）， genotype （χ²=4.610， P<0.05）， nonalcoholic fatty liver disease （χ²=5.319， P<0.05）， hepatitis B virus DNA status before treatment （χ²=60.861， P <0.05）， compensated liver cirrhosis （χ²=10.960， P<0.05）， HBeAg status before treatment （χ²=19.060， P<0.05）， a history of interferon treatment （χ²=8.162， P<0.05）， presence of interferon antibodies after treatment （χ²=12.858， P<0.05）， HBsAg level before treatment （Z=-7.412， P<0.05）， alanine aminotransaminase （ALT） level at baseline （Z=-6.117， P<0.05）， ALT level at 12 weeks of treatment （Z=-7.171， P<0.05）， platelet count （PLT） at 24 weeks of treatment （Z=-3.622， P<0.05）， and thyroid stimulating hormone （TSH） level at 24 weeks of treatment （Z=-2.830， P<0.05）. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age （odds ratio ［OR］=1.230， P=0.007）， history of nucleos（t）ide analogue treatment for over 1 year （OR=0.008， P=0.011）， HBeAg status before treatment （OR=0.003， P=0.012）， HBsAg level before treatment （OR=1.005， P=0.014）， ALT level at baseline （OR=0.949， P=0.014）， ALT level at 12 weeks of treatment （OR=0.969， P=0.016）， PLT at 24 weeks of treatment （OR=0.969， P=0.022）， and TSH level at 24 weeks of treatment （OR=3.608， P=0.045） were independent influencing factors for HBsAg clearance at 48 weeks of treatment in CHB patients with HBsAg <1 500 IU/mL. The Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test yielded χ²=1.398， P=0.994， indicating that the model had good fitting. The Bootstrap method was used to perform internal validation of the nomogram model， and there was a good degree of fitting between the calibration curve and the ideal curve， with a mean absolute error of 0.029. The ROC curve analysis showed that the combination of predictive factors had an area under the ROC curve of 0.982 （95% confidence interval： 0.961 — 0.999）， with a sensitivity of 94.10% and a specificity of 93.10%， suggesting that the nomogram model had a good discriminatory ability. For the CHB patients with HBsAg <1 500 IU/mL and different features， further analysis of HBsAg clearance rate at 48 weeks of treatment showed an HBsAg clearance rate of 69.60% for those with HBsAg ≤67.65 IU/mL before treatment， 58.30% for those with a baseline ALT level of ≥62.50 U/L， 68.30% for those with an ALT level of ≥92.50 U/L at 12 weeks of treatment， 42.40% for those with PLT ≥104×10⁹/L at 24 weeks of treatment， and 48.30% for those with a TSH level of ≤1.38 μIU/mL at 24 weeks of treatment， with significant differences between the two groups （all P<0.001）. ConclusionAge， history of nucleos（t）ide analogue treatment for over 1 year， HBeAg status before treatment， HBsAg level before treatment， baseline ALT level， ALT level at 12 weeks of treatment， PLT level at 24 weeks， and TSH level at 24 weeks of treatment are independent predictive factors. The combined prediction nomogram model constructed in this study has a relatively high value in predicting clinical cure at 48 weeks of PEG-IFN-α-2b treatment in CHB patients with HBsAg<1 500 IU/mL， thereby providing a reference for selecting suitable treatment population and predicting clinical cure.

ObjectiveTo construct and validate a predictive model for hepatic encephalopathy （HE） in patients with end-stage liver disease （ESLD） by combining key indicators such as cytokines and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease （MELD） score， and to provide evidence-based support for the early identification of high-risk populations and the optimization of intervention strategies in clinical practice. MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed for 2 167 patients with ESLD who were admitted to The Third People’s Hospital of Kunming from January 2022 to December 2024， the patients were divided into a training set with 1 517 patients and a validation set with 650 patients at a ratio of 7∶3 using the stratified random sampling method. A univariate analysis and a least absolute shrinkage and selection operator （LASSO） regression analysis were performed for the training set to identify potential influencing variables， and then a binary Logistic regression model was constructed to investigate the independent influencing factors for HE in ESLD patients. A nomogram prediction model was established based on this regression model， and the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test was performed. The receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve， calibration curves， decision curve analysis， and clinical impact curve were used to comprehensively evaluate the degree of fit， accuracy， consistency， and clinical practicability of the predictive model derived from the training set. The Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed quantitative data between two groups. The chi-square test or Fisher exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. ResultsThe univariate analysis showed that there were significant differences between the study group and the control group in age， sex， blood ammonia， lymphocytes， hemoglobin， platelet count， prothrombin time， fibrinogen， international normalized ratio， total bilirubin， aspartate aminotransferase， total protein， albumin， prealbumin， alkaline phosphatase， cholinesterase， total bile acid， triglyceride， total cholesterol， high-density lipoprotein， low-density lipoprotein， blood glucose， CD3⁺ T cells， CD4⁺ T cells， CD8⁺ T cells， high-sensitivity C-reactive protein， carcinoembryonic antigen， triiodothyronine， thyroxine， free triiodothyronine， free thyroxine， interleukin-1β， interleukin-5， interleukin-6， interleukin-8， interleukin-12p70， interleukin-17， interferon-γ， and MELD score （all P<0.05）. The LASSO regression analysis identified nine variables of age， blood ammonia， albumin， prealbumin， cholinesterase， total cholesterol， thyroxine， interleukin-17， and MELD score， and the binary Logistic regression analysis showed that blood ammonia， interleukin-17， and MELD score were independent risk factors for HE in ESLD patients， while age and thyroxine were independent protective factors （all P<0.05）. A nomogram model was constructed based on these five variables. The Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test in the training set showed a good degree of fit （P=0.207）， with a McFadden’s pseudo-R² of 0.184， suggesting that the model had acceptable explanatory power； the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test in the internal validation set further confirmed the calibration stability of the model （P=0.067）， suggesting that the model had a good degree of fit in independent data. The model had an area under the ROC curve of 0.784 in the validation set， with a sensitivity of 0.710 and a specificity of 0.752. The mean absolute error of the calibration curve was 0.067， and decision curve analysis and clinical impact curve showed that the nomogram model had positive net benefit and good clinical practicability. ConclusionThe nomogram model constructed based on age， blood ammonia， thyroxine， interleukin-17， and MELD score for predicting HE in patients with ESLD has a good degree of fit， high accuracy and consistency， and excellent clinical practicability.

ObjectiveTo investigate the influencing factors for hepatic hydrothorax （HH） before intervention for primary hepatic carcinoma （PHC）， and to construct and assess the nomogram risk prediction model. MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 353 hospitalized patients who attended the Third People’s Hospital of Kunming for the first time from October 2012 to October 2021 and there diagnosed with PHC， and according to the presence or absence of HH， they were divided into HH group with 153 patients and non-HH group with 200 patients. General data and the data of initial clinical testing after admission were collected from all PHC patients. The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups， and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups； the chi-square test or the Fisher’s exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups. After the multicollinearity test was performed for the variables with statistical significance determined by the univariate analysis， the multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent influencing factors. The “rms” software package was used to construct a nomogram risk prediction model， and the Hosmer-Lemeshow test and the receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve were used to assess the risk prediction model； the “Calibration Curves” software package was used to plot the calibration curve， and the “rmda” software package was used to plot the clinical decision curve and the clinical impact curve. ResultsAmong the 353 patients with PHC， there were 153 patients with HH， with a prevalence rate of 43.34%. Child-Pugh class B （odds ratio ［OR］=2.652， 95% confidence interval ［CI］： 1.050 — 6.698， P=0.039）， Child-Pugh class C （OR=7.963， 95%CI： 1.046‍ ‍—‍ ‍60.632， P=0.045）， total protein （OR=0.947， 95%CI： 0.914‍ ‍—‍ ‍0.981， P=0.003）， high-sensitivity C-reactive protein （OR=1.007， 95%CI： 1.001‍ ‍—‍ ‍1.014， P=0.025）， and interleukin-2 （OR=0.801， 95%CI： 0.653‍ ‍—‍ ‍0.981， P=0.032） were independent influencing factors for HH before PHC intervention， and a nomogram risk prediction model was established based on these factors. The Hosmer-Lemeshow test showed that the model had a good degree of fitting （χ²=5.006， P=0.757）， with an area under the ROC curve of 0.752 （95%CI： 0.701‍ ‍—‍ ‍0.803）， a sensitivity of 78.40%， and a specificity of 63.50%. The calibration curve showed that the model had good consistency in predicting HH before PHC intervention， and the clinical decision curve and the clinical impact curve showed that the model had good clinical practicability within a certain threshold range. ConclusionChild-Pugh class， total protein， interleukin-2， and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein are independent influencing factors for developing HH before PHC intervention， and the nomogram model established based on these factors can effectively predict the risk of developing HH.

ObjectiveTo investigate the value of noninvasive imaging detection （FibroScan）， two serological models of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase-to-platelet ratio （GPR） score and S index， and two inflammatory factors of interleukin-6 （IL-6） and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） in predicting liver fibrosis in patients with HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B （CHB）， as well as the consistency of liver biopsy in pathological staging， and to provide early warning for early intervention of CHB. MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed for 131 HBeAg-positive CHB patients who underwent liver biopsy in The Third People’s Hospital of Kunming from January 2019 to December 2023. The results of liver biopsy were collected from all patients， and related examinations were performed before liver biopsy， including total bilirubin， alanine aminotransferase， platelet count， gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase， albumin， IL-6， TNF-α， liver stiffness measurement （LSM）， and abdominal ultrasound. An analysis of variance was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between groups， and the Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between groups； the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups. A Kappa analysis was used to investigate the consistency between LSM noninvasive histological staging and pathological staging based on liver biopsy， and the Spearman analysis was used to investigate the correlation between each variable and FibroScan in the diagnosis of liver fibrosis stage. The Logistic regression analysis was used to construct joint predictive factors. The receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve was used to evaluate the value of each indicator alone and the joint predictive model in the diagnosis of liver fibrosis， and the Delong test was used for comparison of the area under the ROC curve （AUC）. ResultsIn the consistency check， inflammation degree based on liver biopsy had a Kappa value of 0.807 （P<0.001）， and liver fibrosis degree based on liver biopsy had a Kappa value of 0.827 （P<0.001）， suggesting that FibroScan noninvasive histological staging and liver biopsy showed good consistency in assessing inflammation degree and liver fibrosis stage. Age was positively correlated with LSM， GPR score， S index， IL-6， and TNF-α （all P<0.05）， and GPR score， S index， IL-6， and TNF-α were positively correlated with LSM （all P<0.05）. GPR score， S index， IL-6， and TNF-α were all independent risk factors for diagnosing significant liver fibrosis （≥S2） and progressive liver fibrosis （≥S3） （all P<0.05）. As for each indicator alone， GPR score had the highest value in the diagnosis of significant liver fibrosis （≥S2）， followed by S index， IL-6， and TNF-α， while S index had the highest value in the diagnosis of progressive liver fibrosis （≥S3）， followed by GPR score， TNF-α， and IL-6. The joint model had a higher predictive value than each indicator alone （all P<0.05）. ConclusionThere is a good consistency between FibroScan noninvasive histological staging and pathological staging based on liver biopsy. GPR score， S index， IL-6， and TNF-α are independent risk factors for evaluating different degree of liver fibrosis in CHB， and the combined prediction model established by them can better diagnose liver fibrosis.

ObjectiveTo investigate the efficacy and safety of the direct-acting antiviral agents coblopasvir hydrochloride/sofosbuvir （CLP/SOF） regimen used alone or in combination with ribavirin （RBV） in the treatment of patients with genotype 3 hepatitis C virus （HCV） infection in terms of virologic response rate， liver function recovery， improvement in liver stiffness measurement （LSM）， and adverse drug reactions， and to provide a reference for clinical medication. MethodsA total of 98 patients with genotype 3 HCV infection who attended The Third People’s Hospital of Kunming from January 2022 to December 2023 were enrolled， and according to the treatment method， the patients were divided into CLP/SOF+RBV treatment group with 55 patients and CLP/SOF treatment group with 43 patients. The patients were observed in terms of rapid virologic response at week 4 （RVR4）， sustained virologic response （SVR）， previous treatment experience， underlying diseases， laboratory and imaging indicators， and adverse reactions during treatment. The course of treatment was 12 weeks， and the patients were followed up for 12 weeks after drug withdrawal. The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups， and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups； the Friedman test was used for comparison within each group at different time points， and the Bonferroni method was used for further comparison and correction of P value； the chi-square test or the Fisher’s exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. The univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analyses were used to investigate the influencing factors for SVR12. ResultsBefore treatment， there were significant differences between the CLP/SOF+RBV treatment group and the CLP/SOF treatment group in terms of LSM， total bilirubin （TBil）， gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase （GGT）， HCV genotype， and the presence or absence of liver cirrhosis and compensation （all P<0.05）. The 98 patients with genotype 3 HCV infection had an RVR4 rate of 81.6% and an SVR12 rate of 93.9%. The patients with genotype 3a HCV infection had an RVR4 rate of 84.44% and an SVR12 rate of 97.78%， while the patients with genotype 3b HCV infection had an RVR4 rate of 79.25% and an SVR12 rate of 90.57%. There were significant differences in RVR4 and SVR12 rates between the patients without hepatocellular carcinoma and those with hepatocellular carcinoma， there was a significant difference in RVR4 rate between the patients without HIV infection and those with HIV infection， and there was a significant difference in SVR12 rate between the previously untreated patients and the treatment-experienced patients （all P<0.05）. The univariate Logistic regression analysis showed that treatment history， hypertension， hepatocellular carcinoma， ascites， albumin （Alb）， and platelet count were influencing factors for SVR12 （all P<0.05）， and the multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that hepatocellular carcinoma （odds ratio=0.034， 95% confidence interval： 0.002‍ ‍—‍‍ 0.666， P=0.026） was an independent influencing factor for SVR12. After treatment with CLP/SOF combined with RBV or CLP/SOF alone， the patients with genotype 3 HCV infection showed gradual reductions in the liver function parameters of TBil， GGT， and alanine aminotransferase （all P<0.05） and a gradual increase in the level of Alb （P<0.05）. As for renal function， there were no significant changes in blood urea nitrogen and creatinine after treatment （P>0.05）. For the patients with or without liver cirrhosis， there was a significant reduction in LSM from baseline after treatment for 12 weeks （P<0.05）. Among the 98 patients with genotype 3 HCV infection， 9 tested positive for HCV-RNA at 12 weeks after treatment， 2 showed no response during treatment， 4 showed virologic breakthrough， and 3 experienced recurrence. The overall incidence rate of adverse events during treatment was 17.35% for all patients. ConclusionCLP/SOF alone or in combination with RBV has a relatively high SVR rate in the treatment of genotype 3 HCV infection， with good tolerability and safety in patients during treatment， and therefore， it holds promise for clinical application.

ObjectiveTo investigate the value of albumin-bilirubin （ALBI）， easy albumin-bilirubin （EZ-ALBI）， and platelet-albumin-bilirubin （PALBI） scores in predicting 2-year survival in patients with HCV-associated hepatocellular carcinoma （HCV-HCC）. MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 174 patients with HCV-HCC who were admitted to The Third People’s Hospital of Kunming from January 2020 to January 2022， and the patients were followed up till 2 years after admission. According to the follow-up results， the patients were divided into survival group with 95 patients and death group with 79 patients. The independent-samples t test or the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of continuous data between two groups， and the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional-hazards regression model analyses were used to investigate the influencing factors for the survival of HCV-HCC patients. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to plot survival curves and analyze the 2-year survival rate of HCV-HCC patients with different EZ-ALBI grades， and the log-rank test was used for comparison between groups. ResultsThere were significant differences between the survival group and the death group in platelet count， aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， total bilirubin， albumin （Alb）， alpha-fetoprotein （AFP）， prealbumin， prothrombin time， international normalized ratio， PALBI score， ALBI score， EZ-ALBI score， Model for End-Stage Liver Disease （MELD） score， HCV genotype， peritoneal effusion， and vascular invasion （all P<0.05）. The univariate Cox regression analysis showed that AST， Alb， AFP， ALBI score， EZ-ALBI score， PALBI score， MELD score， Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer Staging， and peritoneal effusion were influencing factors for the survival of patients （all P<0.05）， and the multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that EZ-ALBI score （hazard ratio ［HR］=1.850， 95% confidence interval ［CI］： 1.054 — 3.247， P=0.032） and peritoneal effusion （HR=1.993， 95%CI： 1.030 — 3.858， P=0.041） were independent risk factors for the survival of HCV-HCC patients. The survival curve analysis showed that the patients with EZ-ALBI grade 1/2/3 had a 2-year survival rate of 90.9%， 60.2%， and 32.2%， respectively， and there was a significant difference in cumulative survival rate between the patients with different EZ-ALBI grades （χ²=26.294， P<0.001）. ConclusionEZ-ALBI score and the presence or absence of peritoneal effusion can be used as predictors of the survival of HCV-HCC patients.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the effects of cannabidiol on endoplasmic reticulum stress and neuronal apoptosis in rats with multiple concussions (MCC). METHODS: SD rats were randomized into sham group, MCC group, 1% tween20 (TW) treatment group, and low-dose (10 mg/kg) and high-dose (40 mg/kg) cannabidiol treatment groups. In all but the sham group, MCC models were established using a metal pendulum percussion device, after which the rats received daily intraperitoneal injections of the corresponding agents for 2 weeks. The expressions of PERK, eIF2α, ATF4, CHOP, TRIB3, p-Akt and pro-caspase-3 in the brain tissue of the rats were detected with qRT-PCR, Western blotting and immunofluorescence staining. The core targets of cannabidiol in treatment of traumatic brain injury (TBI) were identified by network pharmacology analysis, and molecular docking was carried out to simulate the interaction of cannabidiol with the factors related to endoplasmic reticulum stress and apoptosis. RESULTS: Compared with the sham-operated rats, the rat models of MCC showed significantly increased mRNA expressions of PERK, eIF2α and CHOP and protein expressions of PERK, eIF2α, ATF4, CHOP, TRIB3, p-AKT and pro-caspase-3 in the cerebral cortex. CBD treatment, especially at the high dose, obviously increased the expression of p-Akt and lowered the expression levels of the other factors tested in the rat models. Network pharmacology analysis indicated interactions of the core targets of CBD with the factors related to endoplasmic reticulum stress and TBI, and molecular docking study showed a high binding energy of CBD with multiple factors pertaining to endoplasmic reticulum stress and apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS MCC induce endoplasmic reticulum stress and apoptosis in rat brain tissues, for which CBD, especially at a high dose, provides neuroprotective effects by inhibiting endoplasmic reticulum stress and cell apoptosis.
Animals ; Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress/drug effects* ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Activating Transcription Factor 4/metabolism* ; Transcription Factor CHOP/metabolism* ; Rats ; Eukaryotic Initiation Factor-2/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; eIF-2 Kinase/metabolism* ; Cannabidiol/pharmacology* ; Neurons/metabolism* ; Brain Concussion/metabolism* ; Male ; Molecular Docking Simulation

AIM:This study aims to investigate the molecular mechanism by which tubeimoside I(TBMS1)inhibits Snail expression in pancreatic cancer cells(PANC-1).METHODS:Human pancreatic cancer PANC-1 cells were cultured in vitro.The inhibitory effect of TBMS1 on PANC-1 cells was assessed using the MTT assay,and the data were analyzed based on the IC50 value of TBMS1.The impact of TBMS1 on the clonal formation ability of PANC-1 cells was evaluated through colony formation assays.The Transwell assay was employed to assess the effect of TBMS1 on the migrato-ry capability of PANC-1 cells.Apoptosis and cell cycle alterations in PANC-1 cells were analyzed using acridine orange staining and flow cytometry.The expression of Snail protein in pancreatic cancer and its relationship with survival of the patients were analyzed using the GEPIA database and Kaplan-Meier Plotter data.Immunofluorescence staining was con-ducted to investigate the effect of TBMS1 on Snail expression,while Western blot was used to evaluate the expression of poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase(PARP),E-cadherin and Snail in the cells.The ubiquitination of Snail protein was mea-sured using immunoprecipitation techniques.RESULTS:As the concentration of TBMS1 increased,the survival rate and number of clones formed by PANC-1 cells progressively decreased,leading to apoptosis,cleavage of PARP,and cell cycle arrest in the G1 phase.There was also a reduction in the proportion of cells in the S phase and a decrease in cell migration ability.The expression of Snail protein,a critical factor in cell migration,was inhibited,while E-cadherin protein levels were increased.Treatment with the proteasome inhibitor MG132 was able to reverse the suppression of Snail protein ex-pression caused by TBMS1.Immunoprecipitation results indicated that TBMS1 enhances the ubiquitination and subse-quent degradation of Snail protein.CONCLUSION:TBMS1 effectively inhibits the malignant progression of pancreatic cancer cells by promoting the ubiquitination and degradation of Snail protein in PANC-1 cells.

AIM:To compare the degree of disease simulation between the two mouse models of acute exacer-bation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(AECOPD)using intranasal instillation of lipopolysaccharide(LPS)and fine particulate matter(PM2.5)for 3 d based on exposure to cigarette smoke(CS)for 90 d.METHODS:Thirty-two male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into 4 groups:control group(n=8),CS group(n=8),CS+PM2.5 group(n=8)and CS+LPS group(n=8).The AECOPD models in CS+PM2.5 and CS+LPS groups were established by CS exposure combined with intranasal PM2.5 and LPS instillation.Lung function,lung pathology and airway goblet cell hyperplasia using histologi-cal staining were measured.To evaluate the degree of lung inflammation and mucus secretion in mice,the prorein levels of mucin 5AC(MUC5AC),interleukin-6(IL-6)and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF)were detected by ELISA and total white blood cell(WBC)counts and the BALF differential cell counts(neutro-phils,macrophages,lymphocytes)were detected by Giemsa staining.RESULTS:In CS group,lung function decreased(P<0.05),and bronchial inflammation index increased(P<0.01),airway goblet cell hyperplasia and airway collagen de-position were significant(P<0.01),total WBC count and differential cell count in the BALF increased(P<0.05),MUC5AC and inflammatory factor IL-6 and TNF-α levels increased(P<0.05),compared with control group.Compared with CS group,lung function decreased(P<0.05),the bronchial inflammation index increased(P<0.01),airway goblet cell hyperplasia and airway collagen deposition were significant(P<0.01),total WBC count and differential cell count in the BALF increased(P<0.05),and MUC5AC and inflammatory factor IL-6 and TNF-α levels increased(P<0.05)in CS+PM2.5 and CS+LPS groups.Compared with CS+PM2.5 group,lung function decreased(P<0.05),the bronchial inflamma-tion index increased(P<0.01),airway goblet cell hyperplasia and airway collagen deposition were significant(P<0.01),total WBC count and differential cell count in the BALF increased(P<0.05),and MUC5AC and inflammatory factor IL-6 and TNF-α levels increased(P<0.05)in CS+LPS group.CONCLUSION:Exposure to CS combined with both intrana-sal PM2.5 and LPS instillation allowed for establishing AECOPD models in mice,and CS exposure combined with intrana-sal LPS instillation better simulated AECOPD characteristics.