Adipose tissue is a critical energy reservoir in animals and humans, with multifaceted roles in endocrine regulation, immune response, and providing mechanical protection. Based on anatomical location and functional characteristics, adipose tissue can be categorized into distinct types, including white adipose tissue (WAT), brown adipose tissue (BAT), beige adipose tissue, and pink adipose tissue. Traditionally, adipose tissue research has centered on its morphological and functional properties as a whole. However, with the advent of single-cell transcriptomics, a new level of complexity in adipose tissue has been unveiled, showing that even under identical conditions, cells of the same type may exhibit significant variation in morphology, structure, function, and gene expression——phenomena collectively referred to as cellular heterogeneity. Single-cell transcriptomics, including techniques like single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq), enables in-depth analysis of the diversity and heterogeneity of adipocytes at the single-cell level. This high-resolution approach has not only deepened our understanding of adipocyte functionality but also facilitated the discovery of previously unidentified cell types and gene expression patterns that may play key roles in adipose tissue function. This review delves into the latest advances in the application of single-cell transcriptomics in elucidating the heterogeneity and diversity within adipose tissue, highlighting how these findings have redefined the understanding of cell subpopulations within different adipose depots. Moreover, the review explores how single-cell transcriptomic technologies have enabled the study of cellular communication pathways and differentiation trajectories among adipose cell subgroups. By mapping these interactions and differentiation processes, researchers gain insights into how distinct cellular subpopulations coordinate within adipose tissues, which is crucial for maintaining tissue homeostasis and function. Understanding these mechanisms is essential, as dysregulation in adipose cell interactions and differentiation underlies a range of metabolic disorders, including obesity and diabetes mellitus type 2. Furthermore, single-cell transcriptomics holds promising implications for identifying therapeutic targets; by pinpointing specific cell types and gene pathways involved in adipose tissue dysfunction, these technologies pave the way for developing targeted interventions aimed at modulating specific adipose subpopulations. In summary, this review provides a comprehensive analysis of the role of single-cell transcriptomic technologies in uncovering the heterogeneity and functional diversity of adipose tissues.

This study aims to explore the mechanism of lung and gut protection by Tanreqing Capsules on the mice infected with influenza virus based on "the lung-gut axis". A total of 110 C57BL/6J mice were randomized into control group, model group, oseltamivir group, and low-and high-dose Tanreqing Capsules groups. Ten mice in each group underwent body weight protection experiments, and the remaining 12 mice underwent experiments for mechanism exploration. Mice were infected with influenza virus A/Puerto Rico/08/1934(PR8) via nasal inhalation for the modeling. The lung tissue was collected on day 3 after gavage, and the lung tissue, colon tissue, and feces were collected on day 7 after gavage for subsequent testing. The results showed that Tanreqing Capsules alleviated the body weight reduction and increased the survival rate caused by PR8 infection. Compared with model group, Tanreqing Capsules can alleviate the lung injury by reducing the lung index, alleviating inflammation and edema in the lung tissue, down-regulating viral gene expression at the late stage of infection, reducing the percentage of neutrophils, and increasing the percentage of T cells. Tanreqing Capsules relieved the gut injury by restoring the colon length, increasing intestinal lumen mucin secretion, alleviating intestinal inflammation, and reducing goblet cell destruction. The gut microbiota analysis showed that Tanreqing Capsules increased species diversity compared with model group. At the phylum level, Tanreqing Capsules significantly increased the abundance of Firmicutes and Actinobacteria, while reducing the abundance of Bacteroidota and Proteobacteria to maintain gut microbiota balance. At the genus level, Tanreqing Capsules significantly increased the abundance of unclassified＿f＿Lachnospiraceae while reducing the abundance of Bacteroides, Eubacterium, and Phocaeicola to maintain gut microbiota balance. In conclusion, Tanreqing Capsules can alleviate mouse lung and gut injury caused by influenza virus infection and restore the balance of gut microbiota. Treating influenza from the lung and gut can provide new ideas for clinical practice.
Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Mice ; Lung/metabolism* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Capsules ; Orthomyxoviridae Infections/virology* ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome/drug effects* ; Male ; Humans ; Female ; Influenza A virus/physiology* ; Influenza, Human/virology*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the variability of bone metabolism levels among different populations and its association with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) pain. METHODS: A total of 50 people (control group) who participated in physical examination from January 2023 to June 2023 were selected, including 26 males and 24 females, wtih a mean aged of (52.14±9.04) years old ranging 41 to 65 years old. The other 50 patients with knee osteoarthritis(case group) who attended the outpatient clinic of the Orthopedics and Traumatology Department in the same time period, including 19 males and 31 females, with a mean age of (53.60±7.76) years old ranging 40 to 65 years. The two groups of Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index(WOMAC) and bone metabolism markers, such as 25-hydroxy-cholecalciferol[25(OH)D], β-isomerized typeⅠcollagen C-telopeptide breakdown products (β-CTX), total typeⅠprocollagen N-terminal propeptide (t-PINP), osteocalcin (OC), parathormone (PTH) levels were compared. Pearson correlation analysis was used to compare the correlation between two groups of bone metabolism related markers and WOMAC. RESULTS: The WOMAC score of the case group (39.90±2.34) was higher than that of the control group (3.60±0.57), with significant difference (P<0.05). There was no significant difference between the two groups of 25 (OH)D, β-CTX and PTH (P>0.05). The t-PINP and OC of the case group were (62.90±52.40) and (19.88±10.15) ng·ml-1, respectively, and those of the control group were (38.86±10.82) and (14.90±3.62) ng·ml^-1, respectively;the t-PINP and OC of the case group were higher than those of the control group, with significant difference (P<0.05). Pearson correlation analysis showed that t-PINP was positively correlated with WOMAC pain score in the case group (r²=0.045, P<0.01). CONCLUSION Bone metabolism levels in the serum of patients with knee osteoarthritis are different from those of healthy people, and the difference between OC and t-PINP is the most obvious, and the concentration of t-PINP levels is positively correlated with pain symptoms in patients with KOA. However, the specific mechanism of correlation between the bone metabolism levels of patients with KOA and their pain symptoms needs to be further elucidated by basic experimental research as well as by enlarging the samples.
Humans ; Female ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Osteoarthritis, Knee/metabolism* ; Aged ; Adult ; Bone and Bones/metabolism* ; Pain/etiology* ; Biomarkers/metabolism*

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the association between body mass index (BMI) and mortality based on the 10-year population-based multicenter prospective study. METHODS: A general population-based multicenter prospective study was conducted at four sites in rural China between 2013 and 2023. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models and restricted cubic spline analyses were used to assess the association between BMI and mortality. Stratified analyses were performed based on the individual characteristics of the participants. RESULTS: Overall, 19,107 participants with a sum of 163,095 person-years were included and 1,910 participants died. The underweight (< 18.5 kg/m ²) presented an increase in all-cause mortality (adjusted hazards ratio [ aHR] = 2.00, 95% confidence interval [ CI]: 1.66-2.41), while overweight (≥ 24.0 to < 28.0 kg/m ²) and obesity (≥ 28.0 kg/m ²) presented a decrease with an aHR of 0.61 (95% CI: 0.52-0.73) and 0.51 (95% CI: 0.37-0.70), respectively. Overweight ( aHR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.67-0.86) and mild obesity ( aHR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.59-0.87) had a positive impact on mortality in people older than 60 years. All-cause mortality decreased rapidly until reaching a BMI of 25.7 kg/m ² ( aHR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.92-0.98) and increased slightly above that value, indicating a U-shaped association. The beneficial impact of being overweight on mortality was robust in most subgroups and sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSION This study provides additional evidence that overweight and mild obesity may be inversely related to the risk of death in individuals older than 60 years. Therefore, it is essential to consider age differences when formulating health and weight management strategies.
Humans ; Body Mass Index ; China/epidemiology* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Rural Population/statistics & numerical data* ; Aged ; Follow-Up Studies ; Adult ; Mortality ; Cause of Death ; Obesity/mortality* ; Overweight/mortality*

Objective:To investigate the clinical features, pathogen composition, and prognosis of septic shock in pediatric intensive care units (PICU) in China.Methods:A multicenter retrospective cohort study. A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of children with septic shock from 10 hospitals in China between January 2018 and December 2021. The clinical features, pathogen composition, and outcomes were collected. Patients were categorized into malignant tumor and non-malignant tumor groups, as well as survival and mortality groups. T test, Mann Whitney U test or Chi square test were used respectively for comparing clinical characteristics and prognosis between 2 groups. Multiple Logistic regression was used to identify risk factors for mortality. Results:A total of 1 247 children with septic shock were included, with 748 males (59.9%) and the age of 3.1 (0.9, 8.8) years. The in-patient mortality rate was 23.2% (289 cases). The overall pathogen positive rate was 68.2% (851 cases), with 1 229 pathogens identified. Bacterial accounted for 61.4% (754 strains) and virus for 24.8% (305 strains). Among all bacterium, Gram negative bacteria constituted 64.2% (484 strains), with Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacter being the most common; Gram positive bacteria comprised 35.8% (270 strains), primarily Streptococcus and Staphylococcus species. Influenza virus (86 strains (28.2%)), Epstein-Barr virus (53 strains (17.4%)), and respiratory syncytial virus (46 strains (17.1%)) were the top three viruses. Children with malignant tumors were older and had higher pediatric risk of mortality (PRISM) Ⅲ score, paediatric sequential organ failure assessment (pSOFA) score (7.9 (4.3, 11.8) vs. 2.3 (0.8, 7.5) years old, 22 (16, 26) vs. 16 (10, 24) points, 10 (5, 14) vs. 8 (4, 12) points, Z=11.32, 0.87, 4.00, all P<0.05), and higher pathogen positive rate, and in-hospital mortality (77.7% (240/309) vs. 65.1% (611/938), 29.7% (92/309) vs. 21.0% (197/938), χ2=16.84, 10.04, both P<0.05) compared to the non-tumor group. In the death group, the score of PRISM Ⅲ, pSOFA (16 (22, 29) vs. 14 (10, 20) points, 8 (12, 15) vs. 6 (3, 9) points, Z=4.92, 11.88, both P<0.05) were all higher, and presence of neoplastic disease, positive rate of pathogen and proportion of invasive mechanical ventilation in death group were also all higher than those in survival group (29.7% (87/289) vs. 23.2% (222/958), 77.8% (225/289) vs. 65.4% (626/958), 73.7% (213/289) vs. 50.6% (485/958), χ2=5.72, 16.03, 49.98, all P<0.05). Multiple Logistic regression showed that PRISM Ⅲ, pSOFA, and malignant tumor were the independent risk factors for mortality ( OR=1.04, 1.09, 0.67, 95% CI 1.01-1.05, 1.04-1.12, 0.47-0.94, all P<0.05). Conclusions:Bacterial infection are predominant in pediatric septic shock, but viral infection are also significant. Children with malignancies are more severe and resource consumptive. The overall mortality rate for pediatric septic shock remains high, and mortality are associated with malignant tumor, PRISM Ⅲ and pSOFA scores.

It has become a common consensus that resource conservation and intensive recycling for improving resource utilization efficiency is an important way to achieve carbon peak and carbon neutrality(dual carbon). Traditonal Chinese medicine(TCM)resources as national strategic resources are the material basis and fundamental guarantee for the development of TCM industry and health services. However, the rapid growth of China's TCM industry and the continuous expansion and extension of the industrial chain have exposed the low efficiency of TCM resources. Resource waste and environmental pollution caused by the treatment and discharge of TCM waste have emerged as major problems faced by the development of the industry, which has aroused wide concern. Considering the dual carbon goals, this paper expounds the role and potential of TCM resource recycling and circular economy industry development. Taking the typical model of TCM resource recycling as the case of circular economy industry in reducing carbon source and increasing carbon sink, this paper puts forward the suggestions for the TCM circular economy industry serving the double carbon goals. The suggestions mainly include strengthening the policy and strategic leading role of the double carbon goals, building an objective evaluation system of low-carbon emission reduction in the whole industrial chain of TCM resources, building an industrial demonstration park for the recycling of TCM resources, and promoting the establishment of a circular economy system of the whole industrial chain of TCM resources. These measures are expected to guide the green transformation of TCM resource industry from linear economic model to circular economy model, provide support for improving the utilization efficiency and sustainable development of TCM resources, and facilitate the low-carbon and efficient development of TCM resource industry and the achievement of the double carbon goals.
Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Equipment Reuse ; Goals ; Environmental Pollution ; Economic Development ; Carbon ; China

Detailed characterizations of genomic alterations have not identified subtype-specific vulnerabilities in adult gliomas. Mapping gliomas into developmental programs may uncover new vulnerabilities that are not strictly related to genomic alterations. After identifying conserved gene modules co-expressed with EGFR or PDGFRA (EM or PM), we recently proposed an EM/PM classification scheme for adult gliomas in a histological subtype- and grade-independent manner. By using cohorts of bulk samples, paired primary and recurrent samples, multi-region samples from the same glioma, single-cell RNA-seq samples, and clinical samples, we here demonstrate the temporal and spatial stability of the EM and PM subtypes. The EM and PM subtypes, which progress in a subtype-specific mode, are robustly maintained in paired longitudinal samples. Elevated activities of cell proliferation, genomic instability and microenvironment, rather than subtype switching, mark recurrent gliomas. Within individual gliomas, the EM/PM subtype was preserved across regions and single cells. Malignant cells in the EM and PM gliomas were correlated to neural stem cell and oligodendrocyte progenitor cell compartment, respectively. Thus, while genetic makeup may change during progression and/or within different tumor areas, adult gliomas evolve within a neurodevelopmental framework of the EM and PM molecular subtypes. The dysregulated developmental pathways embedded in these molecular subtypes may contain subtype-specific vulnerabilities.
Humans ; Brain Neoplasms/pathology* ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/metabolism* ; Glioma/pathology* ; Neural Stem Cells/pathology* ; Oligodendrocyte Precursor Cells/pathology* ; Tumor Microenvironment

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological characteristics of plurihormonal PIT1-lineage pituitary neuroendocrine tumors. Methods: Forty-eight plurihormonal PIT1-lineage tumors were collected between January 2018 and April 2022 from the pathological database of Sanbo Brain Hospital, Capital Medical University. The related clinical and imaging data were retrieved. H&E, immunohistochemical and special stains were performed. Results: Out of the 48 plurihormonal PIT1-lineage tumors included, 13 cases were mature PIT1-lineage tumors and 35 cases were immature PIT1-lineage tumors. There were some obvious clinicopathological differences between the two groups. Clinically, the mature plurihormonal PIT1-lineage tumor mostly had endocrine symptoms due to increased hormone production, while a small number of immature PIT1-lineage tumors had endocrine symptoms accompanied by low-level increased serum pituitary hormone; patients with the immature PIT1-lineage tumors were younger than the mature PIT1-lineage tumors; the immature PIT1-lineage tumors were larger in size and more likely invasive in imaging. Histopathologically, the mature PIT1-lineage tumors were composed of large eosinophilic cells with high proportion of growth hormone expression, while the immature PIT1-lineage tumors consisted of chromophobe cells with a relatively higher expression of prolactin; the mature PIT1-lineage tumors had consistently diffuse cytoplasmic positive staining for keratin, while the immature PIT1-lineage tumors had various expression for keratin; the immature PIT1-lineage tumors showed more mitotic figures and higher Ki-67 proliferation index; in addition, 25.0% (12/48) of PIT1-positive plurihormonal tumors showed abnormal positive staining for gonadotropin hormones. There was no significant difference in the progression-free survival between the two groups (P=0.648) by Kaplan-Meier analysis. Conclusions: Plurihormonal PIT1-lineage tumor belongs to a rare type of PIT1-lineage pituitary neuroendocrine tumors, most of which are of immature lineage. Clinically increased symptoms owing to pituitary hormone secretion, histopathologically increased number of eosinophilic tumor cells with high proportion of growth hormone expression, diffusely cytoplasmic keratin staining and low proliferative activity can help differentiate the mature plurihormonal PIT1-lineage tumors from the immature PIT1-lineage tumors. The immature PIT1-lineage tumors have more complicated clinicopathological characteristics.
Humans ; Neuroendocrine Tumors ; Pituitary Neoplasms/pathology* ; Pituitary Hormones ; Growth Hormone/metabolism* ; Keratins

BACKGROUND: The occurrence and development of lung cancer are closely linked to epigenetic modification. Abnormal DNA methylation in the CpG island region of genes has been found in many cancers. Protein kinase C delta binding protein (PRKCDBP) is a potential tumor suppressor and its epigenetic changes are found in many human malignancies. This study investigated the possibility of PRKCDBP methylation as a potential biomarker for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: We measured the methylation levels of PRKCDBP in the three groups of NSCLC tissues. Promoter activity was measured by the dual luciferase assay, with 5'-aza-deoxycytidine to examine the effect of demethylation on the expression level of PRKCDBP. RESULTS: The methylation levels of PRKCDBP in tumor tissues and 3 cm para-tumor were higher than those of distant (>10 cm) non-tumor tissues. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis between tumor tissues and distant non-tumor tissues showed that the area under the line (AUC) was 0.717. Dual luciferase experiment confirmed that the promoter region was able to promote gene expression. Meanwhile, in vitro methylation of the fragment (PRKCDBP_Me) could significantly reduce the promoter activity of the fragment. Demethylation of 5'-aza-deoxycytidine in lung cancer cell lines A549 and H1299 showed a significant up-regulation of PRKCDBP mRNA levels. CONCLUSIONS PRKCDBP methylation is a potential and promising candidate biomarker for non-small cell lung cancer.
Biomarkers/metabolism* ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/pathology* ; Cell Line, Tumor ; DNA Methylation ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Humans ; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins/genetics* ; Lung Neoplasms/pathology* ; Promoter Regions, Genetic