This paper aimed to use non-targeted urine metabolomics to reveal the potential biomarkers of toxicity in rats with hepatic injury induced by aqueous extracts of Dictamni Cortex(ADC). Forty-eight SD rats were randomly assigned to a blank group and high-dose, medium-dose, and low-dose ADC groups, with 12 rats in each group(half male and half female), and they were administered orally for four weeks. The hepatic injury in SD rats was assessed by body weight, liver weight/index, biochemical index, L-glutathione(GSH), malondialdehyde(MDA), and pathological alterations. The qPCR was utilized to determine the expression of metabolic enzymes in the liver and inflammatory factors. Differential metabolites were screened using principal component analysis(PCA) and partial least squares-discriminant analysis(PLS-DA), followed by a metabolic pathway analysis. The Mantel test was performed to assess differential metabolites and abnormally expressed biochemical indexes, obtaining potential biomarkers. The high-dose ADC group showed a decrease in body weight and an increase in liver weight and index, resulting in hepatic inflammatory cell infiltration and hepatic steatosis. In addition, this group showed elevated levels of MDA, cytochrome P450(CYP) 3A1, interleukin-1β(IL-1β), and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), as well as lower levels of alanine transaminase(ALT) and GSH. A total of 76 differential metabolites were screened from the blank and high-dose ADC groups, which were mainly involved in the pentose phosphate pathway, tryptophan metabolism, purine metabolism, pentose and glucuronic acid interconversion, galactose metabolism, glutathione metabolism, and other pathways. The Mantel test identified biomarkers of hepatotoxicity induced by ADC in SD rats, including glycineamideribotide, dIDP, and galactosylglycerol. In summary, ADC induced hepatotoxicity by disrupting glucose metabolism, ferroptosis, purine metabolism, and other pathways in rats, and glycineamideribotide, dIDP, and galactosylglycerol could be employed as the biomarkers of its toxicity.
Animals ; Male ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rats ; Metabolomics ; Biomarkers/metabolism* ; Liver/metabolism* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/adverse effects* ; Female ; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury/metabolism* ; Glutathione/metabolism* ; Humans

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the dynamic changes of glucocorticoid (GC) dose and the feasibility of GC discontinuation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients under the background of Chinese medicine (CM). METHODS: This multicenter retrospective cohort study included 1,196 RA patients enrolled in the China Rheumatoid Arthritis Registry of Patients with Chinese Medicine (CERTAIN) from September 1, 2019 to December 4, 2023, who initiated GC therapy. Participants were divided into the Western medicine (WM) and integrative medicine (IM, combination of CM and WM) groups based on medication regimen. Follow-up was performed at least every 3 months to assess dynamic changes in GC dose. Changes in GC dose were analyzed by generalized estimator equation, the probability of GC discontinuation was assessed using Kaplan-Meier curve, and predictors of GC discontinuation were analyzed by Cox regression. Patients with <12 months of follow-up were excluded for the sensitivity analysis. RESULTS: Among 1,196 patients (85.4% female; median age 56.4 years), 880 (73.6%) received IM. Over a median 12-month follow-up, 34.3% (410 cases) discontinued GC, with significantly higher rates in the IM group (40.8% vs. 16.1% in WM; P<0.05). GC dose declined progressively, with IM patients demonstrating faster reductions (median 3.75 mg vs. 5.00 mg in WM at 12 months; P<0.05). Multivariate Cox analysis identified age <60 years [P<0.001, hazard ratios (HR)=2.142, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.523-3.012], IM therapy (P=0.001, HR=2.175, 95% CI: 1.369-3.456), baseline GC dose ⩽7.5 mg (P=0.003, HR=1.637, 95% CI: 1.177-2.275), and absence of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs use (P=0.001, HR=2.546, 95% CI: 1.432-4.527) as significant predictors of GC discontinuation. Sensitivity analysis (545 cases) confirmed these findings. CONCLUSIONS RA patients receiving CM face difficulties in following guideline-recommended GC discontinuation protocols. IM can promote GC discontinuation and is a promising strategy to reduce GC dependency in RA management. (Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, No. NCT05219214).
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/drug therapy* ; Glucocorticoids/therapeutic use* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Retrospective Studies

Objective To establish a safe disposal management program for home used sharps waste of insulin injection so as to provide a reference for the standardised management of sharps waste after insulin.injection.Methods Based on the model of information-motivation-behavioural skills,the safe disposal management program for insulin needles used at home was developed by literature reviews and semi-structured interviews to investigate the perceptions and requirements of patients.The program was then modified and refined by two rounds of expert consultation with Delphi method.Results The effective retrieval rates of questionnaire for two rounds of expert consultations were 88.89%and 93.75%,with an expert authority coefficient at 0.93.In the second round,the mean importance scores of the items were 4.40 to 5.00,with a coefficient of variation ranged from 0 to 0.168.The established program consisted of three primary items,six secondary items,and 20 tertiary items.Conclusion The safe disposal management program for home used sharps waste of insulin injection established from the perspectives of information,motivation and behavioural skills was scientific and practical,which offered a guidance to healthcare professionals in the clinical practices.

Objective:To evaluate the effect of individualized positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) titration based on open-lung strategy on the intraoperative thoracic fluid content (TFC) in elderly patients undergoing transurethral ultrasound-guided laser-induced prostatectomy (TULIP).Methods:Eighty-six American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status classification Ⅱ or Ⅲ, patients, aged 65-80 yr, with body mass index of 18-28 kg/m 2, scheduled for elective TULIP, were divided into 2 groups ( n=43 each) by the random number table method: fixed PEEP group (group C) and individualized PEEP titration group (group P). PEEP was set at 4 cmH 2O after routine mechanical ventilation in group C. Patients underwent pulmonary recruitment maneuvers combined with individualized PEEP titration during surgery in group P. TFC was measured using a non-invasive cardiac output monitor at 5 min after tracheal intubation (T 0), 30 min after PEEP titration and ventilation (T 1), 5 min before surgery (T 2), and 5 min before leaving the recovery room (T 3). Cardiac output, oxygenation index and stroke volume index were recorded from T 0-T 2, arterial blood gas analysis was simultaneously performed to record peak airway pressure and dynamic lung compliance, and oxygenation index was calculated. The duration of postanesthesia care unit stay, pulmonary complications within 7 days after surgery, and length of hospital stay were also recorded. Results:Eighty-three patients were finally included, with 42 in group C and 41 in group P. Compared with group C, TFC was significantly decreased at T 1-T 3, cardiac index, cardiac output and stroke volume index were decreased at T 1, dynamic lung compliance, PaO 2 and oxygenation index were increased at T 1 and T 2, PaCO 2 was decreased, the incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications was reduced, and the duration of postanesthesia care unit stay and postoperative length of hospital stay were shortened in group P ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Individualized PEEP titration based on open-lung strategy can effectively decrease TFC and improve intraoperative oxygenation and prognosis in elderly patients undergoing TULIP.

Hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated(HCN)channels are widely expressed in the central and peripheral nervous systems.They can generate hyperpolarization-activated current(Ih)that regulates the resting membrane potential and excitability of neurons.Furthermore,it can affect the precise processing and con-duction of hearing,which plays a crucial role in the accurate analysis of temporal information.Therefore,through the review of HCN channel structure and distribution,as well as electrophysiological effects,the role and mecha-nism of HCN channels in the auditory pathways of the normal and unilateral or bilateral deafness patients will be fur-ther investigated.

Objective To explore the association between R611H(G/A,rs734312)variation of WFS1 gene and early-onset type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM).Methods A total of 181 Chinese patients with early-onset T2DM(T2DM group)and 196 non-diabetic controls(NC group)were enrolled in this study.The rs734312 variation was detected by PCR-direct sequencing.Genotypic and allelic frequencies of rs734312 and clinical variables were compared and analyzed between the two groups.Results Compared with the NC group,the frequencies of AA genotype and A allele in R611H(G→A)variation were significantly elevated in the early-onset T2DM group,AA vs GA+GG(OR 1.720,95%CI 1.100～2.680,P<0.05).A vs G(OR 1.500,95%CI 1.020～2.220,P<0.05).The remarkable differences of frequencies of genotype and allele in rs734312(G/A)were observed between Asians(China,Japan and Korea)and Caucasians(Denmark,Britain,Spain,France and Russia,P<0.01 for each).Compared with AA genotype,fasting and 2 hours postprandial insulin(FIns and 2 hIns)as well as HOMA-β were significantly rise in GG+GA genotype carriers of early-onset T2DM group(P<0.05).Conclusions The a allele of rs734312 in WFS1 may be a risk factor for early-onset T2DM in Chinese population,and the variation might be a potential genetic marker for predicting the islet β-cell dysfunction in early-onset T2DM in Chinese population.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the genetic basis for 7 families with gonadal mosaicism for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). METHODS: For the 7 families presented at the CITIC Xiangya Reproductive and Genetic Hospital from September 2014 to March 2022, clinical data were collected. Preimplantation genetic testing for monogenic disorders (PGT-M) was carried out for the mother of the proband from family 6. Peripheral venous blood samples of the probands, their mothers and other patients from the families, amniotic fluid samples from families 1 ~ 4 and biopsied cells of embryos cultured in vitro from family 6 were collected for the extraction of genomic DNA. Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) was carried out for the DMD gene, and short tandem repeat (STR)/single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based haplotypes were constructed for the probands, other patients, fetuses and embryos. RESULTS: The results of MLPA showed that the probands and the fetuses/probands' brothers in families 1 ~ 4, 5, 7 had carried the same DMD gene variants, whilst the probands' mothers were all normal. The proband in family 6 carried the same DMD gene variant with only 1 embryo (9 in total) cultured in vitro, and the DMD gene of the proband's mother and the fetus obtained through the PGT-M were normal. STR-based haplotype analysis showed that the probands and the fetuses/probands' brothers in families 1 ~ 3 and 5 have inherited the same maternal X chromosome. SNP-based haplotype analysis showed that the proband from family 6 has inherited the same maternal X chromosome with only 1 embryo (9 in total) cultured in vitro. The fetuses in families 1 and 6 (via PGT-M) were both confirmed to be healthy by follow up, whilst the mothers from families 2 and 3 had chosen induced labor. CONCLUSION Haplotype analysis based on STR/SNP is an effective method for judging gonad mosaicism. Gonad mosaicisms should be suspected for women who have given births to children with DMD gene variants but with a normal peripheral blood genotype. Prenatal diagnosis and reproductive intervention may be adapted to reduce the births of further affected children in such families.
Male ; Pregnancy ; Child ; Humans ; Female ; Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne/diagnosis* ; Dystrophin/genetics* ; Mosaicism ; Exons ; Prenatal Diagnosis/methods* ; Nucleotides

Objective:To retrieve and summarize the best evidence related to the management of insulin injection-related sharps waste disposal in diabetic patients at home and abroad, so as to provide reference for clinical healthcare professionals.Methods:This was a evidence-based research. Evidence on insulin injection-related sharps waste management in patients with diabetes, including guidelines, expert consensus, evidence summaries, best practice information sheet, recommended practices, clinical decisions and systematic reviews was systematically searched from domestic and international databases and professional websites, and the search time frame was from the establishment of the database to December 2021. Evidence was extracted and summarized following a quality evaluation of the literature that met the criteria.Results:A total of 15 papers were included, summarizing 25 pieces of best evidence on four areas including risk assessment and management of sharps waste associated with insulin injections, education and training, and the use of safe devices and sharps containers.Conclusions:Best evidence on the management of insulin injection-related sharps waste disposal provides evidence to support clinical practice for healthcare professionals to standardized sharps waste disposal practices in patients with diabetes.

Objective:To explore the causal relationship between body mass index (BMI) and hypothyroidism using the two-sample Mendelian randomization model.Methods:A large-scale anthropometric genome-wide association study published in the GIANT database was used to select single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) which were statistically significantly associated with BMI as an instrumental variable ( P<5×10 -8, linkage disequilibrium r 2<0.1). The causal relationship between BMI and hypothyroidism was determined by the inverse variance weighted (IVW), weighted median method and the MR-Egger method, respectively. A heterogeneity test, gene pleiotropy test, and sensitivity analysis were performed to evaluate the stability and reliability of the results. Results:A total of 89 SNPs related to BMI were screened out as instrumental variables. IVW analysis suggested that for every standard deviation increase in BMI, the risk of hypothyroidism increased by 0.9% (odd ratio ( OR)=1.009, 95% confidence interval ( CI): 1.006-1.012, P<0.001). Similar results were obtained with the weighted median method ( OR=1.007, 95% CI: 1.002-1.011, P=0.003) and the MR-Egger method ( OR=1.008, 95% CI: 1.001-1.015, P=0.006). The MR-Egger analysis showed that genetic pleiotropy did not bias the results (intercept=0.000 1, P=0.776), the one-by-one exclusion method did not show that a single instrumental variable SNP had a significant impact on the results, and the difference was not statistically significant ( P>0.05). Conclusion:Mendelian randomized analysis showed a positive causal relationship between BMI and hypothyroidism.

Xanthocillin is a unique natural product with an isonitrile group and shows remarkable antibacterial activity. In this study, the genome of an endophytic fungus Penicillium chrysogenum MT-40 isolated from Huperzia serrata was sequenced, and the gene clusters with the potential to synthesize xanthocillin analogues were mined by local BLAST and various bioinformatics analysis tools. As a result, a biosynthetic gene cluster (named for) responsible for the biosynthesis of xanthocillin analogues was identified by further heterologous expression of the key genes in Aspergillus oryzae NSAR1. Specifically, the ForB catalyzes the synthesis of 2-formamido-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl) acrylic acid, and the ForG catalyzes the dimerization of 2-formamido-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl) acrylic acid to produce the xanthocillin analogue N, N'-(1, 4-bis (4-hydroxyphenyl) buta-1, 3-diene-2, 3-diyl) diformamide. The results reported here provide a reference for further discovery of xanthocillin analogues from fungi.
Penicillium chrysogenum/genetics* ; Huperzia/microbiology* ; Acrylates ; Multigene Family