This study aims to investigate the pathogenesis of precancerous lesions of gastric cancer(PLGC) and explore the potential molecular mechanism of Weifuchun Capsules(WFC) in treating PLGC via the nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB)/NOD-like receptor protein 3(NLRP3) inflammasome signaling pathway. Ninety male SPF-grade Wistar rats were randomized into a normal feeding group and a modeling group. The normal feeding group received a regular diet, while the modeling group was subjected to the disease-syndrome combined modeling of PLGC. Specifically, the rats had free access to the water containing 120 μg·mL~(-1) N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine(MNNG) and received a diet containing 0.05% ranitidine in an irregular feeding pattern(alternations between fasting and overfeeding). After 15 weeks, the rats in the normal feeding group were randomized into control, control-NF-κB activator betulinic acid(C-BA), and control-NF-κB inhibitor pyrrolidine dithiocarbamaten(C-PDTC) groups. Meanwhile, the rats in the modeling group continuously underwent the modeling procedure and were randomized into model, WFC, model-NF-κB activator(M-BA), and model-NF-κB inhibitor(M-PDTC) groups. The model group and control group were given aseptic water by intragastric administration, once a day. WFC was given at a dose(432 mg·kg~(-1)) 6 times the equivalent dose for adults(body weight: 60 kg) by gavage, once a day. The rats in the C-BA and M-BA groups were administrated with BA by intraperitoneal injection at a dose of 10 mg·kg~(-1), twice a week. The rats in the C-PDTC and M-PDTC groups were administrated with PDTC by intraperitoneal injection at a dose of 50 mg·kg~(-1), twice a week. The interventions were carried out for 4 weeks. Histopathological changes of the gastric mucosa were observed and scored by hematoxylin-eosin(HE) and alcian blue-periodic acid Sthiff(AB-PAS) staining. The levels of inflammatory cytokines including interleukin(IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-18, tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-α), and IL-10 in the gastric tissue were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). The expression levels of proteins associated with the NF-κB/NLRP3 inflammasome in the gastric mucosa were determined by Western blot. The positive expression areas of proteins related to NF-κB/NLRP3 inflammasome in the gastric mucosa were measured by immunohistochemistry. The results showed that compared with the control group, the model, C-BA, and M-BA groups showed significantly risen scores of mucosal inflammation, degree of inflammatory activity, gland atrophy, and intestinal metaplasia, and the model and M-BA groups showed significanly risen scores of dysplasia. Compared with the model group, the WFC group demonstrated significantly declined scores of mucosal inflammation and degree of inflammatory activity, as well as declined scores of intestinal metaplasia and dysplasia. Compared with the control group, the model and C-BA groups showed significantly elevated levels of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-18, and TNF-α in the gastric tissue, and the model group showed significantly elevated level of IL-10. In addition, the model and C-BA groups showed significantly up-regulated expression of NF-κB p65, NLRP3, cysteine-aspartic acid protease 1(caspase-1), and apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD(ASC) in the gastric mucosa and increased positive expression areas of NF-κB p65, NLRP3, and ASC. Compared with the model group, the WFC group showed significantly decreased levels of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-18, TNF-α, and IL-10 in the gastric tissue, and the M-PDTC group showed significantly lowered levels of IL-1β, IL-18, and TNF-α in the gastric mucosa. Both WFC and M-PDTC groups demonstrated significantly down-regulated expression levels of NF-κB p65, phosphorylated NF-κB p65(p-NF-κB p65), NLRP3, and caspase-1 in the gastric mucosa, along with significant decreases in the positive expression areas of NF-κB p65, NLRP3, and ASC. In conclusion, the pathogenesis of PLGC is closely related to the activation of the NF-κB/NLRP3 inflammasome signaling pathway. WFC can alleviate mucosal inflammation, inhibit glandular atrophy, partially reverse intestinal metaplasia, and reduce dysplasia to delay the process of inflammation-cancer transformation, and meanwhile it can effectively lower the levels of inflammatory cytokines and down-regulate the expression of pathway-related proteins in the stomach. Therefore, WFC may treat PLGC by inhibiting the NF-κB/NLRP3 inflammasome signaling pathway.
Animals ; Male ; NF-kappa B/genetics* ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein/metabolism* ; Stomach Neoplasms/pathology* ; Inflammasomes/genetics* ; Humans ; Precancerous Conditions/metabolism* ; Capsules

OBJECTIVE: To explore the expression regulation of lipid metabolism gene ABHD5 in testes. METHODS: Differential gene analysis was performed by integrating databases of TCGA and GTEx to identify the target gene ABHD5. The expression trends of ABHD5 gene in testicular carcinoma tissue were analyzed. Human testis single-cell atlases were obtained from the Human Protein Atlas and Male Health Atlas databases to determine the expression distribution of ABHD5 across different testicular cell types. Additionally, the GTEx database was utilized to visualize the expression pattern of ABHD5 in the testis, thereby enhancing the understanding of its transcriptional profile. The relationship between ABHD5 expression and age was assessed through integrated database analysis. Western blotting and immunofluorescence were performed to detect differential expressions of ABHD5 in testicular tissues of young and aged mice respectively. RESULTS: The TCGA database indicated that the expression of ABHD5 in human testicular carcinoma tissue was significantly lower than that in normal testicular tissue which showed a negative correlation with patient survival. ABHD5 was highly expressed in germ cells of the testis reveaked from Human Protein Atlas and Male Health Atlas databases. The stability of ABHD5 protein was crucial for testicular tissue, and its expression decreased with age. Furthermore, Western blot and immunofluorescence staining demonstrated that ABHD5 expression in the testicular tissue of aged mice was significantly lower than that in young mice. CONCLUSION ABHD5 plays an important role in testicular tissue, and may be inseparable from testicular tumors and reproductive aging. However, its mechanism of action remains to be further studied.
Male ; Animals ; Mice ; Testis/metabolism* ; Humans ; Lipid Metabolism/genetics* ; 1-Acylglycerol-3-Phosphate O-Acyltransferase/metabolism* ; Testicular Neoplasms/metabolism*

The influence of material properties on fingerprint development effects were systematically studied.Firstly,carbon dots/NaYF4 and Cu nanoclusters/starch nanocomposites respectively possessing different fluorescent intensities and dual fluorescent colors,as well as NaYF4 micro-/nano-materials exhibiting different morphologies,sizes,and surface properties were chemically synthesized and further used for latent fingerprint development.Then,the developing effects were comprehensively evaluated by visual analysis combining with spectral characterization and Python-based calculation.Finally,the influences of material properties on latent fingerprint development were quantitatively evaluated from three dimensions including contrast,sensitivity,and selectivity.The fluorescence properties of developing materials and substrates could significantly affect the developing contrast,namely,the stronger the developing signal,the higher the contrast;the weaker the background noise,the higher the contrast.The sizes and morphologies of the developing materials could respectively influence the quantity and quality of developed minutiae,and significantly affect the developing sensitivity,namely,the smaller the particle size of developing materials,the more the quantity of developed minutiae and the higher the sensitivity;the smaller the surface area of developing materials,the higher the quality of developed minutiae and the higher the sensitivity.The surface properties together with the sizes and morphologies of developing materials could influence their adsorption performances,and significantly affect the developing selectivity,namely,the stronger the specific adsorption of developing materials with fingerprint substance,and the weaker the non-specific adsorption of developing materials with substrate,the higher the selectivity.Moreover,the fingerprint development using the materials with suitable surface area and appropriate mass would have a high selectivity.

Objective To analyze the characteristics of methadone-related poisoning cases and provide a reference for forensic identification.Methods A total of 71 cases of methadone-related poisoning re-ported from 1998 to 2023 in China and 26 cases of methadone-related deaths reported from 2013 to 2018 in Italy were retrieved from databases including PubMed,Wanfang and CNKI.The general infor-mation,forensic pathological and toxicological characteristics were analyzed.Results Among the 71 methadone-related poisoning cases in China,there were 54 cases(76.06%)of poisoning without death and 17 cases(23.94%)of death from poisoning.There were 54 male cases(76.06%),and 51 cases(71.83%)aged 19 to 39 years old.There were 35 cases(49.30%)of poisoning caused by methadone alone,and 32 cases(45.07%)were poisoning caused by methadone combined with other substances or drugs including heroin and benzodiazepines.Most of the poisoned showed coma,respiratory depres-sion and miosis.Signs of asphyxia were often found by autopsy.The mass concentration of methadone detected in the blood of 6 deceased ranged from 0.112 to 3.000 mg/L.Among the 26 methadone-related deaths in Italy,22 cases were male(84.62%).There were 6 cases(23.08%)caused by methadone alone,and 20 cases(76.92%)died from methadone combined with other substances or drugs.The mass concentration of methadone in blood ranged from 0.181 to 4.059 mg/L.Conclusion The propor-tions of poisoning cases caused by methadone alone and methadone combined with other substances or drugs are comparable in China.The majority of deceased caused by methadone poisoning shows typi-cal triad of coma,respiratory depression and miosis,which helps forensic experts determine the cause of death related to methadone.Additionally,it is necessary to increase the routine testing of the con-centration of methadone and its combined substances or drugs in deceased,and collect data for the in-terpretation of the results of related cases.

Colitis-associated cancer(CAC)is a specific type of colorectal cancer that develops from inflammatory bowel disease(IBD).Myeloid-derived suppressor cells(MDSCs)are a group of myeloid cells with immunosuppressive properties,and MDSCs in the tumor microenvironment proliferate and activate during the development of colitis-associated cancer,inhibiting T-cell production and impairing their function,which impedes the immunotherapeutic effect of colitis-associated cancer.In this paper,we review the immunosuppressive mechanisms of MDSCs in the development of inflammatory bowel disease to colitis-associated cancers and the current drugs targeting MDSCs for immunotherapy of inflammatory colorectal cancers,with a view to providing new strategies for the treatment of colitis-associated cancers.

Objective To investigate the effects of cinbufagin(CB)on the proliferation,migration and invasion ability as well as epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT)of human colon cells HCT116.Methods Logarithmically grown HCT116 cells were randomly divided into blank group and experimental-L,-M,-H groups;the blank group did not receive any treatment(0 nmol·L-1),and experimental-L,-M,-H groups were cultured in 1 640 medium containing 17.5,35 and 70 nmol·L-1 cinbufagin for 48 h.Cell counting kit-8(CCK-8)was used to detect the effect of cinbufagin on the survival rate of HCT116 cells;cloning assay was used to detect the effect of cinbufagin on the proliferation of HCT116 cells;cell scratch assay and Transwell assay were used to detect the effect of cinbufagin on the migration and invasive ability of HCT116 cells;Western blot was used to detect the expression levels of janus kinase 2(JAK2)/signal transducers and activators of transcription 3(STAT3)pathway and EMT-related proteins of HCT116 cells.Results The number of clone formation in blank group and experimental-L,-M,-H groups were 122.67±24.42,73.67±15.82,44.33±4.51 and 21.67±1.53;the rates of migration of scratches were(44.64±9.15)％,(26.91±2.94)％,(19.28±1.52)％and(6.33±2.30)％;the number of invaded cells were 120.33±1.15,58.33±9.07,33.33±1.53 and 18.33±3.21;the relative protein expression of phosphorylated JAK-2(p-JAK-2)/JAK-2 were 1.02±0.06,0.94±0.05,0.75±0.22 and 0.49±0.22;relative protein expression of phosphorylated STAT3(p-STAT3)/STAT3 were 0.89±0.10,0.72±0.04,0.65±0.06 and 0.52±0.18;relative protein expression of E-cadherin were 0.30±0.14,0.41±0.13,0.49±0.14 and 0.69±0.17;relative protein expression of N-cadherin were 0.96±0.11,0.78±0.04,0.69±0.12 and 0.40±0.15;Snail relative protein expression were 0.89±0.08,0.62±0.15,0.44±0.15 and 0.27±0.09;Vimentin relative protein expression were 0.92±0.09,0.76±0.13,0.63±0.01 and 0.43±0.09,respectively.The above indexes in experimental-H group showed statistically significant differences compared to blank group(all P＜0.05).Conclusion HCT116 can inhibit the invasion and metastasis of human colorectal cancer cells HCT116 by inhibiting epithelial-mesenchymal transition through JAK2/STAT3 pathway.

Objective To explore the mechanism of inhibition of colorectal cancer cells HT29 proliferation,migration and invasion by bufalin through Janus kinase 2(JAK2)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3)pathway.Methods Human colorectal cancer HT29 cells were randomly divided into control group and experimental-L,-M,-H groups.The cells in the control group were not treated,and the cells in the experimental-L,-M,-H groups were treated with 2.5,5.0 and 10.0 μmol·L-1 bufalin for 48 h.After HT29 cells were infected with FLAG STAT3 lentivirus,the cells were divided into lentivirus infection group and experiment-H(10.0 pmol·L-1 bufalin)+lentivirus infection group.Cell viability was detected by cell counting kit 8(CCK-8).Cloning experiment to verify cell proliferation rate;Transwell experiment verified the migration ability of cells after bufalin treatment;the transfection efficiency of lentivirus and the expression of cell-related proteins were detected by Western blot.Results After 48 h of drug action,the number of cells in the control group,experimental-L,-M,-H groups were 1 003.25±255.53,698.00±152.25,562.13±31.56 and 449.50±82.40,respectively;the number of invasive cells were 932.00±188.84,742.22±108.64,514.67±124.82 and 343.56±86.42,respectively;the protein expression level of p-JAK2 were 1.37±0.27,0.97±0.06,0.74±0.06 and 0.39±0.12,respectively.The number of cells in the control group,experimental-H group,lentivirus infection group,and experimental-H+lentivirus infection group were 906.88±211.71,389.00±143.08,1 279.38±210.34 and 604.75±12.52,respectively;the number of invasive cells were 671.22±44.74,246.11±28.16,1 080.78±119.13 and 574.78±16.23,respectively.Compared with the control group,there were statistically significant differences in the number of cell proliferation,the number of cell invasion and the relative levels of p-JAK2 in the experimental-M and-H groups(all P＜0.05).Compared with the control group,the number of cell proliferation and the number of cell invasion in the experimental-H group,the lentivirus infection group,and the high-dose experimental+lentivirus infection group were statistically significant(all P＜0.05).Conclusion Bufalin can inhibit the proliferation,migration and invasion of colorectal cancer by activating the JAK2/STAT3 signalling pathway.

As a major global public health problem, pulmonary diseases threaten human life and health while causing a huge economic burden. The messenger RNA (mRNA)-based inhalation preparation, which effectively targets pulmonary cells can overcome the problems of traditional therapy, such as high side effects, low pulmonary bioavailability, and difficulty in synthesizing target proteins in vitro, thus providing new ideas for the treatment of pulmonary diseases. However, as the lung structure is complex and mRNA has trouble entering cells, researchers have been attempting to develop a suitable nano delivery system for higher delivery efficiency. This review introduces the barriers to pulmonary delivery, discusses the recent research development of the mRNA pulmonary delivery systems, including lipid nanoparticles, polymeric nanoparticles, polypeptides and exosomes, summarizes their limitations and looks forward to the application of mRNA inhalation preparations.

Objective:To explore the effect of different concentrations of Chinese herbal formula,Er-miao-san(EMS)immune regulatory gene on Gnαq expression in rats with collagen-induced arthritis(CIA).Methods:In the study,we established a CIA model,and randomly divided into model groups,EMS group with 1.5,3.0 and 4.5 g/kg(L-EMS,M-EMS,H-EMS)were adminis-tered to CIA rats by gavage,methotrexate was used as a positive control group(MTX).The rats in each group were given correspond-ing drugs for treatment,and the normal control group and model group were given the same amount of normal saline gavage.ELISA detects the expression of IL-1β,IL-6 and TNF-α in rats'serum.The mRNA and protein expression of Gnαq were analyzed using qRT-PCR and Western blot.The localization of Gnαq was performed by IHC.Results:The joint of rats in CIA group showed obvious damage,tissue hyperplasia and inflammatory infiltration;the joint tissue destruction and proliferation of MTX and EMS groups were reduced;the expressions of IL-1β,IL-6 and TNF-α in CIA group were extremely increased(P<0.01).The expressions of IL-1β(except H-EMS group),IL-6 and TNF-α in MTX and EMS groups were significantly lower than those in CIA group(P<0.05).The expressions of IL-1β,IL-6 and TNF-α in L-EMS group were lower than those in the M-EMS and H-EMS groups(P<0.05,P<0.01).The expression of Gnαq mRNA and protein in spleen and joints of CIA group were higher than those of Control group(P<0.01).The expression of Gnαq mRNA and protein in spleen and joints of EMS and MTX groups were lower than those of CIA group(P<0.05).The expression of Gnαq mRNA and protein in the dose of 1.5 g/kg of EMS group was lower than those of the other groups(P<0.01,P<0.05).Different degree of posi-tive signal was detected in spleen and joints in different groups.Conclusion:Gnαq is expressed in spleen and joints of CIA rats,may participate in the formation of inflammatory response in CIA rats,and then mediate the formation and development of RA by down-reg-ulating the expression of Gnαq.

Further evidence is needed to explore the impact of high-altitude environments on the neurologic function of neonates.Non-invasive techniques such as cerebral near-infrared spectroscopy and amplitude-integrated electroencephalography can provide data on cerebral oxygenation and brain electrical activity.This study will conduct multiple cerebral near-infrared spectroscopy and amplitude-integrated electroencephalography monitoring sessions at various time points within the first 3 days postpartum for healthy full-term neonates at different altitudes.The obtained data on cerebral oxygenation and brain electrical activity will be compared between different altitudes,and corresponding reference ranges will be established.The study involves 6 participating centers in the Chinese High Altitude Neonatal Medicine Alliance,with altitude gradients divided into 4 categories:800 m,1 900 m,2 400 m,and 3 500 m,with an anticipated sample size of 170 neonates per altitude gradient.This multicenter prospective cohort study aims to provide evidence supporting the impact of high-altitude environments on early brain function and metabolism in neonates.[Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics,2024,26(4):403-409]