ObjectiveTo study the chemical constituents of Painong powder and the constituents absorbed into blood after oral administration to rats by ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-electrostatic field orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry （UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS）. MethodsUPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS was employed for mass spectrometry data acquisition. The chemical constituents of Painong Powder and the constituents absorbed into blood were characterized and identified via Xcalibur 4.2 and Compound Discoverer v3.3.1 （CD） based on retention time， accurate molecular weights， secondary fragmentation ions， and comparison with reference standards and literature reports. ResultsA total of 176 chemical compounds， including 56 flavonoids， 42 triterpenoid saponins， 23 monoterpenes， 7 coumarins， 5 tannins， and other 43 compounds were identified from Painong powder. 49 components were identified in the rat plasma after oral administration of Painong powder， including 33 prototype constituents and 16 metabolites. The major metabolic pathways included hydrolysis in phase Ⅰ metabolic reactions， as well as methylation， sulfation， and glucuronidation in phase Ⅱ metabolic reaction. ConclusionThe method comprehensively identified the chemical constituents of Painong powder both in vitro and in vivo， and may provide a reference for the study of quality control and clinical applications.

ObjectiveTo analyze the lipid characteristics and related risk factors of children with Wilson disease （WD）. MethodsThe clinical data of 315 children with WD and 248 healthy children who underwent physical examination were retrospectively collected. The differences in lipid levels between the two groups were compared. The WD group was divided into the normal lipid group （85 cases） and the dyslipidemia group （230 cases） according to lipid levels. General data and biochemical indicators were compared between the two groups， and multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the independent risk factors for dyslipidemia in children with WD. ResultsThe incidence of dyslipidemia in children with WD was 73.0% （230/315）， comprising 77 cases （33.5%） of hypertriglyceridemia， 11 cases （4.8%） of hypercholesterolemia， 104 cases （45.2%） of combined hyperlipidemia， 9 cases （3.9%） of hyperlipoprotein（a）emia， and 29 cases （12.6%） of hypoalphalipoproteinemia. There were statistically significant differences in age distribution among different types of dyslipidemia （P<0.05）， whereas no significant differences were observed in gender distribution （P>0.05）. Compared with the normal lipid group， the dyslipidemia group showed significantly higher levels of homocysteine， superoxide dismutase （SOD）， platelet count （PLT）， fibrinogen， alanine aminotransferase， aspartate aminotransferase， γ-glutamyl transferase， uric acid， cystatin C （Cys-C）， type IV collagen （C-IV）， and laminin （all P<0.05）. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that C-IV （OR=5.037， 95% CI： 2.562-9.900）， PLT （OR=2.297， 95% CI： 1.580-3.339）， Cys-C （OR=2.008， 95% CI： 1.395-2.890）， and SOD （OR=1.996， 95% CI： 1.342-2.970） were all independent risk factors for dyslipidemia in children with WD. ConclusionChildren with WD have a high incidence of dyslipidemia， which is dominated by combined hyperlipidemia and hypertriglyceridemia. C-IV， PLT， Cys-C， and SOD are independent risk factors for dyslipidemia in children with WD.

Digital medical insurance governance， as an important component of digital transformation， improves the efficiency of medical insurance services while facing complex ethical challenges. Taking stakeholder theory as the analytical framework， this paper explored the generative mechanisms， manifestations， and countermeasures of ethical issues in digital medical insurance governance. This study uncovered that accelerated technological iteration and lagging ethical and legal norms， as well as interest conflicts among multiple participants in governance， constituted the major causes of ethical issues. These issues specifically manifested as data privacy leakage， unfair algorithmic decision-making， widening digital divide， ambiguous accountability， and other aspects. To address these issues， this paper put forward systematic countermeasures， such as establishing a dynamic ethical and legal regulatory system， balancing the demands of stakeholders， strengthening technological ethical governance， narrowing the digital divide， and enhancing accountability mechanisms. Through the implementation of multi-dimensional governance strategies， it aimed to balance technological innovation and ethical constraints， advance the inclusiveness， fairness， and sustainable development of digital medical insurance， and provide theoretical reference and practical references for improving China’s digital medical insurance governance system.

Objective:To explore the complement deposition levels on blood cell surfaces in patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) and evaluate their association with clinical manifestations.Methods:This study enrolled patients with PNH, who had not been treated with complement inhibitors and appeared at Peking Union Medical College Hospital from February 2021 to February 2023. The clinical information of participants was retrospectively recorded, and peripheral blood samples were collected. Gender- and age-matched normal controls (NC) were recruited accordingly. C5b-9, C3, C4b, and factor B (FB) deposition levels on peripheral red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets were detected with flow cytometry. The correlation between complement deposition levels and clinical symptoms was analyzed.Results:This study involved 73 patients with PNH, including 42 (57.5%) males, with a median age of 36 (range: 14-76) years. 16 matched NC were collected. Among patients with PNH, 36 (49.3%) had classical PNH and 37 (50.7%) had aplastic anemia-PNH syndrome. Thromboembolic events (TEE) occurred in 18 (24.7%) patients. The median HGB, absolute reticulocyte count (Ret), and lactate dehydrogenase of PNH patients were 76 (37-116) g/L, 181.0 (45.9-495.8) ×10 9/L, and 1 875 (377 - 5 509) U/L, respectively. The median number of Flaer-negative white blood cells was 94.0% (13.0% - 99.9%) ; the median CD59 negative red blood cells was 46.7% (9.0% - 93.0%). The deposition of C5b-9, C3, C4b, and FB on red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets in patients with PNH was significantly higher than that in NC (all P<0.05). C5b-9 deposition level was significantly higher than that of C3, C4b, and FB on all three blood cell lineages in PNH patients (all P<0.01). The deposition of all complement fragments on red blood cells was significantly lower than that on white blood cells and platelets (all P<0.01). C5b-9 deposition on red blood cells was positively correlated with Ret in PNH patients ( P=0.005). C3 ( P=0.001) and C4b ( P=0.017) deposition levels on white blood cells and C3 deposition on platelets ( P=0.002) in patients with TEE history were lower than those without. Conclusions:C5b-9, C3, C4b, and FB deposition levels on all three blood cells in patients with PNH were higher than NC. Increased C5b-9 on red blood cells may indicate active hemolysis. Reduced C3 and C4b levels on white blood cells and low C3 deposition on platelets may indicate TEE risk.

Objective To investigate the causal relationship between gut microbiota and viral pneumonia,as well as the underlying mechanisms,using two-sample and two-step Mendelian randomization(MR)approaches,thereby providing novel insights for the prevention and treatment of viral pneumonia.Methods All data were obtained from publicly available genome-wide association studies(GWAS)pooled datasets,including gut microbiota data from the MiBioGen Consortium and the Netherlands Microbiome Project,viral pneumonia data from the FinnGen R10 database,and plasma metabolome data from the publicly available GWAS Catalog.Instrumental variables(IVs)were extracted according to the predefined threshold values.MR analyses were conducted using inverse variance weighting(IVW),MR-Egger,weighted median(WME),weighted mode(WM),and Bayesian-weighted Mendelian randomization(BWMR)methods.Reverse MR analysis was performed to determine whether there was a reverse association.Two-step MR analysis was used to explore the potential mediating role of plasma metabolites,and a series of sensitivity analyses were performed to test the stability of the results.Results Among 196 gut microbiota taxa from the MiBioGen consortium GWAS,11 taxa were associated with viral pneumonia.An increase in the abundance of 4 taxa increased the risk of viral pneumonia,while an increase in the abundance of 7 taxa had a protective effect against viral pneumonia.Among the 207 gut microbiota taxa from the Dutch Microbiome Project GWAS data,10 taxa were associated with viral pneumonia,with 6 risk-increasing and 4 protective taxa identified.Mediation analysis results showed that the causal effect of Defluviitaleaceae on viral pneumonia(OR=0.708,95%CI 0.540-0.929,P=0.013)was mediated to some extent by the N6-acetyllysine levels,with a mediation ratio of 18.4%.Sensitivity analyses did not reveal significant heterogeneity or horizontal pleiotropy.Conclusions Specific gut microbiota are causally associated with viral pneumonia and show potential differences across different populations;the protective effect of Defluviitaleaceae against viral pneumonia may be mediated by the N6-acetyllysine levels.Targeting metabolites may become a potential therapeutic approach for viral pneumonia.

Objective By observing the clinical efficacy of Zhinao capsule in the treatment of Parkinson's disease with mild cognitive impairment(PD-MCI)patients,we also explored the potential mechanism using network pharmacology and molecular docking technology,with the aim of providing a new idea for the treatment of PD-MCI with traditional Chinese medicine.Methods Random number table method was applied to divide the control group and test group into 35 cases each.Parkinson's disease basic treatment plan was used in the control group,and Zhinao capsule was added in the test group.The observation course was determined to be 8 weeks.The Montreal Cognitive Assessment(MoCA)score,MDS-Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale(MDS-UPDRS)Ⅰ,Ⅱ and Ⅲ,PD Traditional Chinese Medicine(PD-TCM),and safety-related indexes were completed before treatment and at the end of the 8th week of treatment.The network pharmacology method was used to obtain the targets related to Zhinao capsules and PD-MCI.Constructed and analyzed the"drug-component-target"network.Analysis of"drug-disease"intersecting targets and enrichment of Gene Ontology(GO)and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)pathways was obtained using R language.Protein-protein interaction(PPI)networks were constructed using Cytoscape 3.9.1.Finally,molecular docking was conducted.Results The MoCA score of the test group was remarkably greater than that of the control group after treatment(P<0.05);and the TCM syndrome score were noticeably below that of the control group(P<0.05).The test group showed a notable increase in the mean value of MoCA scale scores,and a clear decrease in the MDS-UPDRS Ⅰand PD-TCM before and after treatment(P<0.05).The MDS-UPDRS Ⅱ and Ⅲ scale scores of the test and control groups decreased to different degrees after treatment,but there was no significant difference(P>0.05).Zhinao capsules for PD-MCI treatment has calycosin,quercetin,kaempferol,etc.as core active ingredients,and TNF,IL-1β,IL-6,etc.as core targets.Molecular docking results also showed better binding of the core target to the active ingredient.Zhinao capsules regulates the expression of PPAR,cGMP-PKG,Oxytocin and other signaling pathway-related genes.Conclusion The Zhinao capsules can improve the cognitive function of PD-MCI patients,and the mechanism may be related to the fact that the components such as calycosin,quercetin,and kaempferol act on the targets such as TNF,IL-1β,and IL-6,and mediate the signaling pathways such as PPAR,cGMP-PKG,and Oxytocin.

Numerous studies have shown that depression is main-ly associated with the abnormal expression of connexin 43(Cx43)in astrocytes(Astro)and its mediated dysfunction of gap junction(GJ).However,the molecular mechanism of post-translational modifications targeting Cx43 to regulate neuroin-flammation-associated depression is still unclear.Post-transla-tional modifications of Cx43 mainly include phosphorylation of specific amino acid sites by PKC,PKA,PKG,MAPK and PTK,and protein degradation of Cx43 through the K48/K63 polyubiq-uitylation and deubiquitination pathways,which ultimately lead to protein degradation through K48/K63 polyubiquitination and deubiquitination.These modifications are ultimately involved in the regulation of neuroinflammatory responses through the associ-ation of GJ function.In this paper,we systematically review the role of Cx43 post-translational modifications in neuroinflamma-tion,with the aim of further exploring the potential application of targeting these modifications to modulate the inflammatory re-sponse mechanism in improving depressive symptoms.

Objective: To explore the distribution of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndromes in children with hepatolenticular degeneration (Wilson disease, WD) based on factor analysis and cluster analysis. Methods: From November 2018 to November 2023, general information (gender, age of admission, age of onset, course of disease, clinical staging, Western medicine clinical symptoms, and family history) and TCM four-examination informations (symptoms and signs) were retrospectively collected from 757 cases of children with WD at the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, and factor analysis and cluster analysis were used to investigate TCM syndromes in children with WD. Results: A total of 757 children with WD were included, of which 483 were male and 274 were female; the median age at admission was 12.58 years, the median age at onset was 8.33 years, and the median course of disease was 24.37 months; clinical typing result indicated 506 cases of hepatic type, 133 cases of brain type, 99 cases of mixed-type, and 19 cases of other type; 36.46% of the children had no clinical symptoms (elevated aminotransferases or abnormalities in copper biochemistry); a total of 177 cases had a definite family history, and 10 cases had a suspected family history. Forty-three TCM four-examination information were obtained, with the top 10 in descending order being feeling listless and weak, brown urine, slow action, inappetence, dim complexion, slurred speech, angular salivation, body weight loss, hand and foot tremors, and abdominal fullness. In children with WD, the syndrome element of disease location was primarily characterized by the liver, involving the spleen and kidney, and the syndrome elements of disease nature were characterized by dampness, heat, and yin deficiency. Based on factor analysis and cluster analysis, five TCM syndromes were derived, which were, in order, syndrome of dampness-heat accumulation (265 cases, 35.01%), syndrome of yin deficiency of the liver and kidney (202 cases, 26.68%), syndrome of liver hyperactivity with spleen deficiency (185 cases, 24.44%), syndrome of qi and blood deficiency (79 cases, 10.44%), and syndrome of yang deficiency of the spleen and kidney (26 cases, 3.43%). Conclusion The TCM syndromes of children with WD were primarily syndromes of dampness-heat accumulation, yin deficiency of the liver and kidney, and liver hyperactivity with spleen deficiency. The liver was the main disease location, and the disease nature was characterized by deficiency in origin and excess in superficiality, excess and deficiency mixed. These findings suggest that treating children with WD should be based on the liver while also considering the spleen and kidney.

Myocardial fibrosis is a serious cause of heart failure and even sudden cardiac death. However, the mechanisms underlying myocardial ischemia-induced cardiac fibrosis remain unclear. Here, we identified that the expression of sterile alpha and TIR motif containing 1 (SARM1), was increased significantly in the ischemic cardiomyopathy patients, dilated cardiomyopathy patients (GSE116250) and fibrotic heart tissues of mice. Additionally, inhibition or knockdown of SARM1 can improve myocardial fibrosis and cardiac function of myocardial infarction (MI) mice. Moreover, SARM1 fibroblasts-specific knock-in mice had increased deposition of extracellular matrix and impaired cardiac function. Mechanically, elevated expression of SARM1 promotes the deposition of extracellular matrix by directly modulating P4HA1. Notably, by using the Click-iT reaction, we identified that the increased expression of ZDHHC17 promotes the palmitoylation levels of SARM1, thereby accelerating the fibrosis process. Based on the fibrosis-promoting effect of SARM1, we screened several drugs with anti-myocardial fibrosis activity. In conclusion, we have unveiled that palmitoylated SARM1 targeting P4HA1 promotes collagen deposition and myocardial fibrosis. Inhibition of SARM1 is a potential strategy for the treatment of myocardial fibrosis. The sites where SARM1 interacts with P4HA1 and the palmitoylation modification sites of SARM1 may be the active targets for anti-fibrosis drugs.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the expression of the long non-coding RNA maternally expressed gene 3 (LncRNA Meg3) in patients with the Wilson disease (WD) and its correlation with the severity of liver fibrosis and autophagy-related markers. METHODS: A total of 100 WD patients and 50 healthy individuals were enrolled from the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine. Serum biomarkers, including platelet count, hyaluronic acid (HA), laminin (LN), type III procollagen N-terminal peptide (PIIINP), type IV collagen (C‑IV), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), were measured, and the non-invasive indices APRI and FIB-4 were calculated. Peripheral blood levels of LncRNA Meg3, Beclin-1 and LC3B were detected using RT-qPCR, and liver stiffness (LSM) and shear wave velocity (SWV) were evaluated using two-dimensional shear wave elastography (2D-SWE). The liver tissues from 10 WD patients and 10 patients with hepatic hemangioma were examined using histochemical staining, transmission electron microscopy, and RT-qPCR. RESULTS: The expression level of LncRNA Meg3 was significantly lower, while the levels of AST, ALT, HA, LN, PIIINP, C‑IV, APRI, FIB-4, LSM and SWV were significantly higher in WD patients than in the healthy individuals (all P<0.01). LncRNA Meg3 was negatively correlated with LSM, SWV, APRI, FIB-4, Beclin-1 and LC3B (P<0.05). ROC analysis demonstrated that LncRNA Meg3 effectively discriminated >F4 stage fibrosis (AUC=0.902) with a sensitivity of 92.9% and a specificity of 83.7% at the optimal cut-off value, outperforming APRI (AUC=0.746) and FIB-4 (AUC=0.661). The liver tissues from WD patients exhibited characteristic histopathological changes and lowered expression of LncRNA Meg3, which was negatively correlated with Beclin-1 and LC3B expressions (P<0.05). Liver fibrosis staging (7 S4 cases and 3 S3 cases) was significantly associated with LSM and SWV levels (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS The expression level of LncRNA Meg3 is significantly decreased in WD patients, which is negatively correlated with the severity of liver fibrosis and closely related to the level of autophagy.
Humans ; RNA, Long Noncoding/metabolism* ; Liver Cirrhosis/metabolism* ; Adult ; Female ; Male ; Hepatolenticular Degeneration/metabolism* ; Case-Control Studies ; Young Adult ; Adolescent ; Middle Aged