Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), characterized by fatty acid overload, secondary chronic inflammation, and fibrosis, has become the most prevalent chronic liver disease globally. While no effective pharmacotherapy exists for MAFLD, mitigating inflammatory responses represents a promising approach to preventing the progression from steatosis to severe steatohepatitis. The NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, which detects endogenous danger and stress signals, has emerged as a significant target for inflammatory disease treatment, as transcriptional inactivation of its components demonstrates the therapeutic potential for MAFLD. Natural products targeting NLRP3 inflammasome activation have shown promising efficacy in MAFLD therapy. This review synthesizes the current understanding of NLRP3 inflammasome activation and therapeutic targets for NLRP3 homeostasis. Additionally, natural products reported to inhibit NLRP3 inflammasome for MAFLD improvement are categorized according to their mechanisms of action. The review also addresses limitations and future directions regarding natural products targeting NLRP3 inflammasome in MAFLD treatment. Enhanced understanding of NLRP3 inflammasome activation mechanisms in MAFLD and the identification of novel natural products supported by mechanistic research will significantly advance MAFLD treatment.
Humans ; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein/immunology* ; Inflammasomes/metabolism* ; Biological Products/therapeutic use* ; Animals ; Fatty Liver/immunology*

Objective To investigate the effects of long intergenic non-coding RNA 467(linc00467)on the proliferation,apoptosis and migration,invasion ability of endometrial carcinoma cells.Methods Human endometrial carcinoma cells HC1A,Ishikawa,KLE and RL-95-2 were cultured in vitro,the expression level of linc00467 in the four cells was detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR).Endometrial carcinoma cell lines HEC-1A and Ishikawa with the highest linc00467 expression levels were selected for subsequent experiment.Two Iinc00467 lentivirus silencing expression vectors of sh-linc00467#1 and sh-linc00467#2,and empty lentivirus plasmids were constructed,respectively;the HEC-1A and Ishikawa cells in logarithmic growth phase were divided into sh-NC group,sh-linc00467#1 group,and sh-linc00467#2 group.The cells in the sh-NC group were transfected with empty lentivirus plasmids,the cells in the sh-linc00467#1 group and sh-linc00467#2 group were transfected with sh-linc00467#1 and sh-linc00467#2,respectively;the relative expression level of linc00467 in cells of the three groups was detected by RT-qPCR,the proliferation ability of cells in the three groups was detected by 5-ethynyl-2-deoxyuridine(EdU)assay and colony formation assay,the migration ability of cells in the three groups was detected by scratch assay,the invasion ability of cells in the three groups was detected by Transwell assay,and the cell apoptosis in the three groups was detected by flow cytometry.Results The relative expression level of linc00467 mRNA in HEC-1A cells was significantly higher than that in KLE and RL-95-2 cells(P＜0.05);the relative expression level of linc00467 mRNA in Ishikawa cells was significantly higher than that in KLE and RL-95-2 cells(P＜0.05);there was no statistically significant difference in the relative expression level of linc00467 mRNA between HEC-1A and Ishikawa cells(P＞0.05);the relative expression level of linc00467 mRNA in KLE cells was significantly lower than that in RL-95-2 cells(P＜0.05).The relative expression levels of linc00467 mRNA in HEC-1A and Ishikawa cells in the sh-linc00467#1 group and sh-linc00467#2 group were significantly lower than those in the sh-NC group(P＜0.01);there was no statistically significant difference in the relative expression level of linc00467 mRNA in HEC-1A and Ishikawa cells between the sh-linc00467 # 1 group and the sh-linc00467#2 group(P＞0.05).The number of EdU positive HEC-1A and Ishikawa cells in the sh-linc00467#1 group and sh-linc00467#2 group was significantly lower than that in the sh-NC group(P＜0.01);there was no statistically significant difference in the number of EdU positive HEC-1A and Ishikawa cells between the sh-linc00467#1 group and sh-linc00467#2 group(P＞0.05).The number of cloned HEC-1A and Ishikawa cells in the sh-linc00467#1 group and sh-linc00467#2 group was significantly lower than that in the sh-NC group(P＜0.01);there was no statistically significant difference in the number of cloned HEC-1A and Ishikawa cells between the sh-linc00467#1 group and sh-linc00467#2 group(P＞0.05).The apoptosis rates of HEC-1A and Ishikawa cells in the sh-linc00467#1 group and sh-linc00467#2 group were significantly higher than that in the sh-NC group(P＜0.01);there was no statistically significant difference in the apoptosis rates of HEC-1A and Ishikawa cells between the sh-linc00467#1 group and sh-linc00467 #2 group(P＞0.05).The scratch healing rates of HEC-1A and Ishikawa cells in the sh-linc00467#1 group and sh-linc00467#2 group were significantly lower than those in the sh-NC group(P＜0.01);there was no statistically significant difference in the scratch healing rates of HEC-1 A and Ishikawa cells between the sh-linc00467#1 group and sh-linc00467#2 group(P＞0.05).The number of invasive cells of HEC-1 A and Ishikawa in the sh-linc00467#1 group and sh-linc00467#2 group was significantly lower than that in the sh-NC group(P＜0.01);there was no statistically significant difference in the number of invasive cells of HEC-1 A and Ishikawa between the sh-linc00467#1 group and sh-linc00467#2 group(P＞0.05).Conclusion Down-regulation of linc00467 expression can inhibit the proliferation,migration and invasion,and promote apoptosis of endometrial carcinoma cells.

Objective:To explore the diagnostic value of serum cystatin C (CysC) and C1q tumor necrosis factor-related protein 9 (CTRP9) levels for diabetic retinopathy (DR) and diabetic macular edema (DME) in patients with type 2 diabetes.Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted.A total of 135 patients with type 2 diabetes, aged 45-75 years, who were treated in Gansu Provincial Hospital from April 2021 to April 2022 were included.According to DR grading standard, patients were divided into non-DR (NDR) group, non-proliferative DR (NPDR) group and proliferative DR (PDR) group, with 45 patients in each group.The DR patients were subdivided into DME group (51 cases) and non-DME group (39 cases).A total of 45 healthy subjects were selected as the normal control group.Fasting peripheral venous blood was collected to detect serum glycosylated hemoglobin, fasting blood glucose, triacylglycerol, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, CysC and CTRP9 levels.The expression of CysC and CTRP9 levels among different groups were compared.The independent influencing factors of DR and DME were evaluated by multivariate logistic regression analysis model.The diagnostic value of serum CysC and CTRP9 in DR and DME were evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.This study adhered to the Declaration of Helsinki and the study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of Gansu Provincial Hospital (No.2021-301).All patients were informed about the purpose and methods of the study and signed an informed consent form.Results:Serum CysC levels in normal control group, NDR group, NPDR group and PDR group were 0.74(0.67, 0.83), 1.03(0.85, 1.22), 1.40(0.98, 1.63) and 1.66(1.31, 1.85)mg/L, respectively, showing a gradually increasing trend, and the serum CTRP9 levels were (136.90±14.95), (120.23±16.31), (109.50±14.71) and (90.99±13.88)pg/ml, respectively, showing a gradually decreasing trend, with statistically significant overall comparison differences among groups ( Z=89.430, P<0.001; F=74.242, P<0.001), the comparison within groups was statistically significant (all at P<0.05).Compared with non-DME group, the serum CysC level was significantly increased and serum CTRP9 level was significantly decreased in DME group (both P<0.05).Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that serum CysC (odds ratio [ OR]=19.742, 95% confidence interval [ CI]: 4.515-86.316, P<0.001) was the independent risk influencing factors for the occurrence of DR, and CTRP9 ( OR=0.937, 95% CI: 0.908-0.966, P<0.001) was a protective factor for the occurrence of DR.Serum CTRP9 level ( OR=0.838, 95% CI: 0.778-0.903, P<0.001) was a protective factor for DME.The ROC curve showed that the area under ROC curve (AUC) for serum CysC and CTRP9 levels alone and in combination for the diagnosis of DR in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus complicated by DR were 0.798, 0.802 and 0.870, respectively.The cutoff values of serum CysC and CTRP9 levels to obtain the best diagnostic efficacy were 1.34 mg/L and 110.12 pg/ml, respectively.The AUC for serum CysC and CTRP9 level alone and in combination for the diagnosis of DME in DR patients were 0.682, 0.923 and 0.923, respectively.The cutoff value of serum CTRP9 level to obtain optimal diagnostic efficacy was 104.68 pg/ml. Conclusions:The enhanced expression of serum CysC level and reduced expression of serum CTRP9 level are the risk factors for the development of DR in type 2 diabetes patients.The decrease of serum CTRP9 level is one of the risk factors for the development of DME in DR patients.

BACKGROUND:Mesenchymal stem cells are susceptible to senescence during in vitro expansion,which greatly hinders their application in vivo and in vitro.How to improve the replicative senescence of mesenchymal stem cells is an urgent problem to be solved in tissue engineering. OBJECTIVE:To determine whether vascular endothelial growth factor combined with basic fibroblast growth factor can improve the aging of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells caused by replicative passage. METHODS:Rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were extracted by whole bone marrow adhesion method.Passage 2 cells were selected as normal control group.Passage 7 and later algebraic cells were selected as aging model group.Vascular endothelial growth factor(50 μg/L),basic fibroblast growth factor(10 μg/L),and their combination were administered.Cell proliferation was detected by CCK-8 assay.Cell senescence was observed by β-galactosidase activity staining.Cytoskeleton size and colony formation ability were observed by phalloidine staining and Giemsa staining,respectively,and the levels of senescence-related genes P16,P21,and P53 were detected by qRT-PCR.Gene expression levels of P16,P21,and P53 were tested by qRT-PCR. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Vascular endothelial growth factor combined with basic fibroblast growth factor could promote the proliferation of aged bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells,which began to enter the plateau stage on day 9,and the absorbance value of the combined intervention group was significantly higher than that of the model group on day 9(P<0.05).(2)The phenotypic markers of the cells in the combined intervention group did not change,and the cell morphology changed from broad to slender.(3)Compared with the model group,the positive rate of β-galactosidase was significantly decreased(P<0.01);the number of nuclei increased(P<0.001);the total area of cytoskeleton increased(P<0.01);colony formation ability was enhanced(P<0.05);expression level of P16 was decreased(P<0.01)in the combined intervention group.These results indicate that vascular endothelial growth factor combined with basic fibroblast growth factor can improve the senescence of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells caused by replicative passage without changing the cell phenotype.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of medroxyprogesterone acetate(MA)plus metformin as the primary fertility-sparing treatment for atypical endometrial hyperplasia(AEH)and early-stage grade 1 endometrial adenocarcinoma(G1 EAC)and the recurrence rate after treatment.Methods Sixty patients(aged 20-42 years)with AEH and/or grade 1 EAC limited to the endometrium were enrolled prospectively and randomized into two groups(n=30)to receive oral MA treatment at the daily dose of 160 mg(control)or MA plus oral metformin(850 mg,twice a day)for at least 6 months.The treatment could extend to 12 months until a complete response(CR)was achieved,and follow-up hysteroscopy and curettage were performed every 3 months.For all the patients who achieved CR,endometrial expressions of IGFBP-rP1,p-Akt and p-AMPK were detected immunohistochemically.Results A total of 58 patients completed the treatment.After 9 months of treatment,23(76.7%)patients in the combined treatment group and 20(71.4%)in the control group achieved CR;two patients in the control group achieved CR after converting to the combined treatment.The recurrence rate did not differ significantly between the control group and combined treatment group(30.0%vs 22.7%,P>0.05).Ten(35.7%)patients in the control group experienced significant weight gain of 5.7±6.1 kg,while none of the patients receiving the combined treatment exhibited significant body weight changes.Compared with the control group,the patients receiving the combined treatment showed enhanced endometrial expressions of IGFBP-rP1 and p-AMPK with lowered p-Akt expression.Conclusion Metformin combined with MA may provide an effective option for fertility-sparing treatment of AEH and grade 1 stage IA EAC,and the clinical benefits of metformin for controlling MA-induced weight gain and promoting endometrial expressions of IGFBP-rP1 and p-AMPK while inhibiting p-Akt expression warrants further study.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of medroxyprogesterone acetate(MA)plus metformin as the primary fertility-sparing treatment for atypical endometrial hyperplasia(AEH)and early-stage grade 1 endometrial adenocarcinoma(G1 EAC)and the recurrence rate after treatment.Methods Sixty patients(aged 20-42 years)with AEH and/or grade 1 EAC limited to the endometrium were enrolled prospectively and randomized into two groups(n=30)to receive oral MA treatment at the daily dose of 160 mg(control)or MA plus oral metformin(850 mg,twice a day)for at least 6 months.The treatment could extend to 12 months until a complete response(CR)was achieved,and follow-up hysteroscopy and curettage were performed every 3 months.For all the patients who achieved CR,endometrial expressions of IGFBP-rP1,p-Akt and p-AMPK were detected immunohistochemically.Results A total of 58 patients completed the treatment.After 9 months of treatment,23(76.7%)patients in the combined treatment group and 20(71.4%)in the control group achieved CR;two patients in the control group achieved CR after converting to the combined treatment.The recurrence rate did not differ significantly between the control group and combined treatment group(30.0%vs 22.7%,P>0.05).Ten(35.7%)patients in the control group experienced significant weight gain of 5.7±6.1 kg,while none of the patients receiving the combined treatment exhibited significant body weight changes.Compared with the control group,the patients receiving the combined treatment showed enhanced endometrial expressions of IGFBP-rP1 and p-AMPK with lowered p-Akt expression.Conclusion Metformin combined with MA may provide an effective option for fertility-sparing treatment of AEH and grade 1 stage IA EAC,and the clinical benefits of metformin for controlling MA-induced weight gain and promoting endometrial expressions of IGFBP-rP1 and p-AMPK while inhibiting p-Akt expression warrants further study.

A retrospective analysis was made on clinical data of a case of familial dysalbuminemic hyperthyroxinemia (FDH) treated at Hebei Children′s Hospital in August 2021.The patient, female, 4 years and 2 months old, was diagnosed with growth retardation.Genetic sequencing of the child and her immediate family revealed a heterozygous mutation, c.725G>A(p.R242H) in exon 7 of the albumin gene, which confirmed the diagnosis of FDH.The growth and development of the girl were monitored regularly.Early identification and diagnosis of FDH can prevent misdiagnosis or improper antithyroid medication from affecting children′s growth and development, and growth hormone therapy is effective for children with FDH who are slow growing.

Objective:To investigate the clinical features, diagnosis, treatment, and future sex selection in patients with partial androgen insensitivity syndrome (PAIS).Methods:Retrospective analysis of clinical data of three patients with PAIS who received treatment in The Third Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Medical University, Beijing Ditan Hospital of Capital Medical University, and Beijing Yayuncun Amcare Women's and Children's Hospital from 2013 to 2015 was conducted. Physical signs, specialized examinations, surgical explorations, and treatments were analyzed. The Chinese database was searched, and 12 cases of PAIS were collected and summarized.Results:Fifteen patients with PAIS presented with primary amenorrhea (15/15). Special clinical manifestations included gender as male or appearing as male (5/15), penile dysplasia or clitoral hypertrophy (14/15), urethral dysplasia (5/15), and breast development (4/15). Eleven cases were treated based on female gender (including surgery and hormone replacement therapy). There were three special patients with PAIS who had specific etiology, genetics, clinical manifestations, histopathology, diagnosis, and treatment and ultimately underwent treatment based on female gender.Conclusion:PAIS is a rare form of disorder of sex development, featuring a karyotype of 46, XY, and is a congenital X-linked recessive condition. Understanding the pathogenesis of PAIS more thoroughly can contribute to accurate diagnosis, personalized treatment, and well-organized follow-up, thereby preventing gender dysphoria.

Objective:The epidemiological and clinical characteristics of 18 cases of Japanese spotted fever (JSF) in Zigui County were analyzed in order to improve the prevention and treatment of JSF.Methods:This is a case series analysis. The epidemiological and clinical data, laboratory tests and imaging characteristics of 18 JSF cases with median age of 60 years (54, 68) identified by The People′s Hospital of Zigui from April 2021 to August 2022 were collected and analyzed retrospectively.Results:Most (17/18) of the patients were farmers and all had a field exposure history. The patient′s onset was from April to October. Spring and autumn were the seasons with the highest incidence of JSF. The first symptoms of patients were high fever, headache, and fatigue. Of the 18 cases, 15 had a rash and 12 presented an eschar and 3 had neither rash nor eschar. In addition, 10 of 18 cases experienced edema of both lower extremities, and 3 got disturbance of consciousness. Laboratory tests found that 15 patients had abnormal white blood cells and 11 patients had decreased platelets. C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, D-dimer, lactate dehydrogenase, and alpha-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase were elevated in all patients; 13 patients with elevated alanine aminotransferase, 14 patients with elevated aspartate transamination. Kidney damage caused by Rickettsia japonica infection showed by abnormal proteinuria in 11 of the patients. Conclusions:The most common clinical manifestations of JSF are non-specific indications such as high fever, chills, fatigue, headache. The eschar and rash, which are the main features of Rickettsia infection, are not present in all patients, resulting delay of diagnosis or misdiagnosis. Medical workers should be more alert to rickettsial infections in patients with fever of unknown origin, especially in seasons of high incidence of spotted fever. Early diagnosis and correct antibiotic treatment shall be given according to the patient′s clinical manifestations, laboratory results and imaging test to control disease progression.

Objective: To compare the prevalence of dental caries and periodontal disease in patients with end-stage renal disease treated with maintenance hemodialysis with that in healthy controls and to investigate the relationship between end-stage renal disease, dental caries and periodontal disease. Methods : A total of 82 maintenance hemodialysis patients who met the inclusion criteria were selected as the case group, and 86 healthy persons who underwent oral examination in the physical examination center were selected as the control group. Dental caries and periodontal conditions were examined in the two groups. The dental caries examination was conducted by determining the number of decayed-missing-filled teeth, which was recorded as recommended by the World Health Organization. The periodontal condition parameters included the plaque index, calculus index, bleeding on probing, periodontal pocket depth and clinical attachment loss. Results: The prevalence of dental caries in the case group and healthy control group was 87.8% and 81.4%, respectively, and there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups (P > 0.05). The periodontal indexes, including the plaque index, calculus index, probe bleeding index, periodontal pocket depth and clinical attachment level, in the case group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05), and the prevalence of periodontitis in the case group was significantly higher than that in the control group (97.6% vs 88.4%, P < 0.05). Conclusion The dental caries conditions were comparable between the case group and the control group, but the prevalence and severity of periodontitis were significantly higher in the case group than in the control group.