Nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA), one of the most severe types of male infertility, etiology often remains unclear in most cases. Therefore, this study aimed to detect four biallelic detrimental variants (0.5%) in the minichromosome maintenance domain containing 2 ( MCMDC2 ) genes in 768 NOA patients by whole-exome sequencing (WES). Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) demonstrated that MCMDC2 deleterious variants caused meiotic arrest in three patients (c.1360G>T, c.1956G>T, and c.685C>T) and hypospermatogenesis in one patient (c.94G>T), as further confirmed through immunofluorescence (IF) staining. The single-cell RNA sequencing data indicated that MCMDC2 was substantially expressed during spermatogenesis. The variants were confirmed as deleterious and responsible for patient infertility through bioinformatics and in vitro experimental analyses. The results revealed four MCMDC2 variants related to NOA, which contributes to the current perception of the function of MCMDC2 in male fertility and presents new perspectives on the genetic etiology of NOA.
Humans ; Male ; Azoospermia/genetics* ; Meiosis/genetics* ; Spermatogenesis/genetics* ; Adult ; Exome Sequencing ; Microtubule-Associated Proteins/genetics* ; Alleles ; Infertility, Male/genetics*

Osteoarthritis （OA） and stroke are common clinical diseases that reduce patients' quality of life and place a burden on families and society. Ruyi Zhenbaowan， a classic prescription in Tibetan medicine， have the functions of clearing heat， awakening the brain and opening orifices， relaxing tendons and promoting meridian circulation， and eliminating yellow water. Clinically， they are used to treat osteoarthritis， post-stroke sequelae， neuropathic pain， and other related conditions. Modern pharmacological studies have demonstrated their anti-inflammatory， analgesic， and nerve-repairing effects. However， current research remains insufficient regarding the appropriate indications， timing， and efficacy of this medicine in treating relevant diseases. To enhance clinicians' understanding of this medicine and promote its standardized and rational clinical use， a panel of national experts， including clinical specialists， Tibetan medicine practitioners， pharmacologists， and methodologists， formulated this consensus based on clinical experience and evidence-based practice. The Cochrane systematic review framework， the Grading of Recommendations Assessment， Development and Evaluation （GRADE） system， and the nominal group method were employed to generate seven graded recommendations and 19 consensus-based suggestions. These recommendations clearly define the key points in the clinical application of Ruyi Zhenbaowan， including therapeutic indications， dosage and administration， treatment duration， and medication safety. The consensus specifically addresses the clinical efficacy， appropriate timing of administration， dosage strategies， treatment cycles， and combination medication strategies for treating osteoarthritis and stroke and provides an overview of safety considerations. The aim is to provide standardized guidance for hospitals and healthcare institutions nationwide to ensure the rational application of Ruyi Zhenbaowan in the treatment of osteoarthritis and stroke， reduce medication-related risks， and further leverage its clinical advantages. This consensus has been approved and issued by the China Association of Chinese Medicine， with the standard number GS/CACM 369-2024.

OBJECTIVE To analyze the correlation of the peak blood concentration （cmax） of compound sulfamethoxazole （TMP/SMZ） and its metabolite N-acetyl sulfamethoxazole （NSMZ） with clinical efficacy and adverse reactions in critically ill patients. METHODS The data of critically ill patients treated with TMP/SMZ in various ICU of Hainan General Hospital from December 2023 to January 2025 were retrospectively collected. The patients were divided into success group and failure group based on the treatment outcome. Simple linear regression and Spearman correlation analysis were used to analyze the correlation of TMP cmax， SMZ cmax， and NSMZ cmax with clinical efficacy and adverse reactions. The receiver operating characteristic curve （ROC） was used to determine the cutoff values of cmax for predicting the occurrence of adverse reactions. RESULTS Among critically ill patients with an acute physiology and chronic health evaluation Ⅱ （APACHE-Ⅱ） ≥15 points 24 h of check-in at ICU， SMZ cmax of success group was significantly higher than failure group （P＜0.05）. The daily total dose of TMP/SMZ was positively correlated with TMP cmax and SMZ cmax（ P＜0.05）. TMP cmax was significantly correlated with hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity， SMZ cmax with hepatotoxicity， and NSMZ cmax with nephrotoxicity （P＜0.05）. The cutoff values of TMP cmax for predicting nephrotoxicity and hepatotoxicity were 7.25 μg/mL and 6.63 μg/mL， respectively. The cutoff value of SMZ cmax for predicting hepatotoxicity was 138.00 μg/mL， and that of NSMZ cmax for predicting nephrotoxicity was 60.76 μg/mL. CONCLUSIONS Among critically ill patients with an APACHE-Ⅱ ≥15 points 24 h of check-in at ICU， SMZ cmax is associated with treatment success. Hepatotoxicity risk significantly increases when TMP cmax ≥6.63 μg/mL or SMZ cmax ≥138.00 μg/mL； nephrotoxicity risk significantly increases when TMP cmax ≥7.25 μg/mL or NSMZ cmax ≥60.76 μg/mL.

Homo- or heterodimeric compounds that affect dimeric protein function through interaction between monomeric moieties and protein subunits can serve as valuable sources of potent and selective drug candidates. Here, we screened an in-house dimeric natural product collection, and panepocyclinol A (PecA) emerged as a selective and potent STAT3 inhibitor with profound anti-tumor efficacy. Through cross-linking C712/C718 residues in separate STAT3 monomers with two distinct Michael receptors, PecA inhibits STAT3 DNA binding affinity and transcription activity. Molecular dynamics simulation reveals the key conformation changes of STAT3 dimers upon the di-covalent binding with PecA that abolishes its DNA interactions. Furthermore, PecA exhibits high efficacy against anaplastic large T cell lymphoma in vitro and in vivo, especially those with constitutively activated STAT3 or STAT3^Y640F. In summary, our study describes a distinct and effective di-covalent modification for the dimeric compound PecA to disrupt STAT3 function.

Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are the primary fibrogenic cells in the liver, and their activation plays a crucial role in the development and progression of hepatic fibrosis. Here, we report that retinoid X receptor-alpha (RXRα), a unique member of the nuclear receptor superfamily, is a key modulator of HSC activation and liver fibrosis. RXRα exerts its effects by modulating calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase β (CaMKKβ)-mediated activation of AMP-activated protein kinase-alpha (AMPKα). In addition, we demonstrate that K-80003, which binds RXRα by a unique mechanism, effectively suppresses HSC activation, proliferation, and migration, thereby inhibiting liver fibrosis in the CCl₄ and amylin liver NASH (AMLN) diet animal models. The effect is mediated by AMPKα activation, promoting mitophagy in HSCs. Mechanistically, K-80003 activates AMPKα by inducing RXRα to form condensates with CaMKKβ and AMPKα via a two-phase process. The formation of RXRα condensates is driven by its N-terminal intrinsic disorder region and requires phosphorylation by CaMKKβ. Our results reveal a crucial role of RXRα in liver fibrosis regulation through modulating mitochondrial activities in HSCs. Furthermore, they suggest that K-80003 and related RXRα modulators hold promise as therapeutic agents for fibrosis-related diseases.

Protein liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS), a pivotal phenomenon intricately linked to cellular processes, is regulated by various other proteins. However, there is still a lack of high-throughput methods for screening protein regulators of LLPS in target proteins. Here, we developed a CRISPR/Cas9-based screening method to identify protein phase separation regulators by integrating bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). Using this newly developed method, we screened the RNA-binding proteins that regulate PABPN1 phase separation and identified the tumor suppressor QKI as a promoter of PABPN1 phase separation. Furthermore, QKI exhibits decreased expression levels and diminished nuclear localization in colorectal cancer cells, resulting in reduced PABPN1 phase separation, which, in turn, promotes alternative polyadenylation (APA), cell proliferation, and migration in colorectal cancer.
Humans ; Colorectal Neoplasms/genetics* ; RNA-Binding Proteins/genetics* ; Poly(A)-Binding Protein I/genetics* ; CRISPR-Cas Systems ; Flow Cytometry ; Cell Proliferation ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Movement

Objective To study the effect and mechanism of high glucose on mesothelial-mesenchymal transition(MMT)of peritoneal mesothelial cells(HMrSV5),and the protective effect of pharmacological blocking of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3)on rat peritoneal fibrosis(PF)model.Methods The animals were divided into three groups:the sham group,the model group,and the STAT3 inhibitor group.A miniature per-itoneal dialysis catheter was implanted under the dorsal skin of rat and the rat peritoneal fibrosis model was induced by daily injection of high glucose dialysate.After 10 weeks,HE staining was used to evaluate the histology of the peritoneum,and the level of transforming growth factor-β1(TGF-β1)in the peritoneum was measured by immuno-histochemistry.HMrSV5 was cultured in high glucose and the optimal stimulation concentration of high glucose was determined by Western blot.High glucose was used to stimulate HMrSV5 after successful transfection with si-STAT3 and Western blot was used to measure the protein level of STAT3,p-STAT3,and the key enzymes of glycol-ysis 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-biphosphatase 3(PFKFB3)and lactate dehydrogenase A(LDHA).Results HE staining showed that administration of STAT3 inhibitor(BP-1-102)could inhibit the thickening of subperitoneal tissue and the proliferation of vessels in HG dialysis rats.The expression of TGF-β1 in the rats perito-neum of the model group was significantly higher than that in the sham group,and the level of TGF-β1 was marked-ly lower in the STAT3 inhibitor group compared to the model group(P<0.05).Compared to the control group,high glucose induced the up-regulation of α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA),the down-regulation of E-cadherin and STAT3 activation in HMrSV5(P<0.05).Mesothelial cells treated with high glucose also exhibited high expres-sion of the key enzymes of glycolysis(PFKFB3,LDHA)(P<0.05),and si-STAT3 can effectively inhibit the overexpression of PFKFB3 and LDHA induced by high glucose(P<0.05).Conclusion STAT3 is involved in high glucose-induced HMrSV5 hyperglycolysis and MMT,and targeting STAT3 alleviates peritoneal fibrosis and an-giogenesis during peritoneal dialysis treatment in rats.

Polysaccharides are the important material basis of traditional Chinese medicine（TCM）， and have various pharmacological activities such as immunomodulation， antitumor and anti-aging. Due to the large molecular weight of TCM polysaccharides， their structural analysis and oral absorption mechanism are facing technical challenges， and the current research on their structure-activity relationships has made some breakthroughs， while the research on their oral absorption mechanisms is relatively slow. In-depth study of the oral absorption mechanism of TCM polysaccharides is not only crucial for the interpretation of their action pathways and efficacy in vivo， but also helpful for the interpretation of their pharmacological effects， rational clinical applications and the discovery of new targets. In recent years， the application of fluorescent labeling and isotopic labeling methods has provided new technical means for the oral absorption studies of polysaccharides， which has promoted the development of oral absorption studies of TCM polysaccharides. In this paper， we reviewed the oral absorption pathways and labeling techniques of TCM polysaccharides， and concluded that they can be absorbed orally through transmembrane， cellular bypass， and M-cell-mediated transport， of which transmembrane pathway is the main absorption pathway， and summarized the labeling reactions of four fluorescent labeling and isotopic labeling methods with TCM polysaccharides， which can provide references for evaluating the absorption pathways of TCM polysaccharides， screening active TCM polysaccharides， establishing pharmacodynamic models and comprehensively elucidating the mechanism of TCM polysaccharides.

Aim To study the mechanism of action of licorice in alleviating cisplatin liver injury.Methods Forty-eight SD rats were randomly divided into a blank group,a model group,a positive control group and lico-rice administration groups(450,900 and 1 800 mg·kg-1).After 5 days of prophylactic administration,8 mg·kg-1 of cisplatin was injected intraperitoneally in-to the model,positive control,and licorice administra-tion groups to establish an acute liver injury model.LC-MS/MS untargeted metabolomics was used to ana-lyze the differential metabolites and metabolic pathways of licorice to alleviate cisplatin acute liver injury.Re-sults PLS-DA score plots showed significant separa-tion of metabolomics samples.The analysis yielded 119 differential metabolites associated with cisplatin liver injury,of which 31 differential metabolites were signifi-cantly regressed after licorice intervention and were mainly involved in D-arginine and D-ornithine metabo-lism;parathyroid hormone synthesis,secretion,and ac-tion;tyrosine metabolism;biosynthesis of phenylala-nine,tyrosine,and tryptophan;β-alanine metabolism;and amino acid and nucleotide sugar metabolism.Con-clusions Metabolomics analysis indicates that licorice can alter the metabolic profile of cisplatin-induced he-patic injury rats,and its mechanism of action may be related to its improvement of the levels of differential metabolites and its involvement in the regulation of a-mino acid metabolism and other related pathways.

Objective To establish a novel clinical application process of the optical surface monitoring system(OSMS)guided volumetric modulated arc therapy(VMAT)for total body irradiation(TBI),and to assess the accuracy and effectiveness of OSMS in inter-fractional auxiliary positioning before radiotherapy and real-time monitoring of intra-fractional motion during radiotherapy.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 15 leukemia patients who underwent OSMS-guided VMAT-TBI before hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.CT simulation positioning was performed,and the whole-body image data which were collected in head-first supine position(HFS)and feet-first supine position(FFS)were transmitted to the treatment planning system for image registration,multicenter VMAT planning and dose verification.The prescription dose was 800 cGy in 4 fractions twice daily.OSMS was used to assist positioning before delivery,and CBCT was used for position verification.During treatment,OSMS was used for monitoring.The intra-fractional error monitored by OSMS in real time was obtained by analyzing the offline log files.Results The mean dose and coverage of the target area in HFS plan were(905.4±19.0)cGy and 93.0%±2.8%.The mean doses to lung and kidney were(603.7±55.7)cGy and(600.4±49.6)cGy,respectively,and the maximum dose to the lens was(393.9±58.9)cGy.The mean dose and coverage of the target area in FFS plan were(888.5±58.9)cGy and 94.0%±3.2%;and the maximum dose at the junction was(1148.9±72.9)cGy.Fractional treatment delivery time was(75.1±15.1)min.OSMS-assisted positioning was carried out before delivery,and the total deviations of CBCT three-dimensional vector in translational and rotation directions were(2.71±1.96)mm and 0.91°±0.90°,respectively.The three-dimensional vector deviation of the intra-fractional motion amplitude in translational direction monitored by OSMS during the treatment was(1.95±1.88)mm,of which the deviation within 1 mm accounted for 57.5%,79.7%and 62.1%in longitudinal,lateral and vertical directions,respectively.The three-dimensional vector deviation in rotation direction was 0.76°±0.72°,of which the deviation within 1°accounted for 93.1%,85.7%and 94.3%in rotation,pitch and roll directions,respectively.Conclusion VMAT simplifies TBI process,while improving target coverage and organs-at-risk sparing.The use of OSMS can reduce positioning errors,especially rotation errors.In order to ensure the accurate implementation of TBI and the safety of patients,it is necessary to use OSMS for auxiliary positioning and intra-fractional position monitoring.