Objective To explore a novel method for early lung cancer screening based on exhaled breath analysis. Methods This study enrolled patients with suspected pulmonary malignancies and healthy individuals undergoing physical examinations at Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine (Qingchun and Qiantang campuses) from September 2023 to June 2024. Enrolled subjects were categorized into a lung cancer group, a benign nodule/tumor group, and a healthy control group. Exhaled breath samples were collected using a sensor array constructed from multiple graphene composite materials to capture breath fingerprints. Based on the collected data, screening and diagnostic models for lung cancer were developed and their performance was evaluated. Results A total of 4 580 subjects were included. Among them, 3 195 were pathologically diagnosed with pulmonary malignancies, including 1 394 males and 1 801 females with a mean age of (58.93±12.37) years, 599 were diagnosed with benign nodules/tumors including 339 males and 260 females with a mean age of (57.10±11.06) years, and 786 were healthy controls with no pulmonary nodules detected on chest CT including 420 males and 366 females with a mean age of (29.75±9.32) years. There were 4 031 patients in the training set and 549 patients in the external testing set. The screening model for high-risk populations (distinguishing patients with lung cancer/high-risk pulmonary nodules from healthy individuals) demonstrated excellent performance, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.926. At the optimal Youden’s index (cutoff threshold of 63.5%), the external testing set achieved a specificity of 85.2%, a sensitivity of 88.4%, and an accuracy of 86.8%. The diagnostic model (distinguishing patients with lung cancer/premalignant lesions from those with benign pulmonary nodules/healthy individuals) achieved an AUC of 0.818. At its optimal Youden’s index (cutoff threshold of 47.0%), the external testing set showed a specificity of 71.7%, a sensitivity of 77.3%, and an accuracy of 74.5%. Conclusion The non-invasive breath analysis platform based on a sensor array, developed in this study, can achieve rapid and relatively accurate lung cancer screening by analyzing breath fingerprints. This confirms the feasibility of this technology for early lung cancer screening and holds promise for facilitating the early detection and intervention of lung cancer.

BACKGROUND:D1-3-n-butylphthalide has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and has been explored to have protective role in Parkinson's disease,but the underlying mechanisms are unknown.OBJECTIVE:To investigate the protective effect of D1-3-n-butylphthalide by the approach of network pharmacology,molecular docking,and cellular experimental validation.METHODS:(1)Network pharmacology and molecular docking:The database was used to screen the targets of D1-3-n-butylphthalide and Parkinson's disease.The intersection was taken from the construction of the target protein interaction network,and then screen the core targets.The GO and KEGG pathway enrichment was used to further analyze the core targets.The interaction between the target proteins and D1-3-n-butylphthalide was verified by molecular docking.(2)Cell validation:The passage 6 PC12 cells were divided into six groups for culture.The control group was cultured with conventional culture medium.The model group was cultured with N-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium iodide to induce Parkinson's disease model.The ML385 inhibitor group was added with nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 inhibitor ML385 on the basis of inducing Parkinson's disease model.The D1-3-n-butylphthalide treatment group was added with butylphthalide on the basis of inducing Parkinson's disease model.The D1-3-n-butylphthalide combined with ML385 treatment group was added with D1-3-n-butylphthalide and ML385 on the basis of inducing Parkinson's disease model.The D1-3-n-butylphthalide group was cultured with conventional culture medium containing butylphthalide alone.Cell proliferation,intracellular reduced glutathione and malondialdehyde levels,and protein expression of protein kinase B/glycogen synthase kinase 3β/nuclear factor E2-related factor 2(AKT/GSK-3β/Nrf2)signaling pathway were detected.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)A total of 52 targets were screened for the intersection of drugs and disease targets,and the core targets including the matrix metalloproteinase 9 and GSK-3β were involved the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K)/AKT and oxidative stress-related signaling pathways.The molecular docking binding energy of D1-3-n-butylphthalide and GSK-3β was-18.27 kJ/mol,which indicated that D1-3-n-butylphthalide had a good binding ability with GSK-3β.(2)Compared with the model group,the PC12 cell activity and reduced glutathione level in the D1-3-n-butylphthalide treatment group were increased(P＜0.05),the malondialdehyde level was decreased(P＜0.05),and the expression of p-AKT,p-GSK-3β,Nu-Nrf2,and T-Nrf2 proteins was increased(P＜0.05).Compared with the D1-3-n-butylphthalide group,the PC12 cell activity and reduced glutathione level in the D1-3-n-butylphthalide combined with ML385 treatment group were decreased(P＜0.05),the malondialdehyde level was increased(P＜0.05),and the expression of Nu-Nrf2 and T-Nrf2 proteins was decreased(P＜0.05).(3)These results demonstrate that D1-3-n-butylphthalide can inhibit oxidative stress and improve cell activity through the AKT/GSK-3β/Nrf2 signaling pathway,and has a protective effect on the Parkinson's cell model induced by N-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium iodide.

Objective:To investigate the differential impact of ultra-high-resolution photon-counting detector CT (UHR PCD-CT) and energy-integrating detector CT (EID-CT) on image quality and calcified plaque-induced luminal stenosis in coronary CT angiography (CCTA).Methods:This retrospective analysis was conducted on patients who underwent both EID-CT and UHR PCD-CT CCTA at the Geriatric Hospital of Nanjing Medical University between January 2021 and November 2024. A total of 141 patients were included in the study, within 46 patients having scans within a 12-month interval. Image quality of all coronary artery segments was subjectively evaluated. Patients with paired scans (interval≤12 months) were included for calcified plaque analysis. Subjective visualization of calcified plaques evaluated. The blooming artifact was calculated as an objective evaluation index for assessing the calcified plaques. Additionally, the degree of coronary artery lumen stenosis resulting from calcified plaques was assessed, along with the measurement of plaque volume and the Agatston score. Changes in lumen stenosis between the two scans were also evaluated. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare the subjective scores of coronary artery image quality and calcified plaques between the two groups, and paired-sample t-tests were used to compare the blooming artifact and lumen stenosis degree. Results:The PCD-CT image quality score was significantly higher than that of EID-CT [PCD-CT : 5 (4,5), EID-CT: 4 (4,5); Z=-21.38, P<0.001]. Compared to EID-CT, PCD-CT reduced the blooming artifact (PCD-CT: 38.88%±9.09%, EID-CT: 50.11%±11.52%; t=-12.97, P<0.001), significantly improving the subjective score for visualization of calcified plaques [PCD-CT: 5 (4,5), EID-CT: 3 (2,3); Z=-9.68, P<0.001], and the measured lumen stenosis was notably lower in PCD-CT(PCD-CT:34.88%±18.20%, EID-CT:45.31%±23.42%; t=-9.93, P<0.001). Among 129 analyzed calcified plaques, luminal stenosis was reduced on PCD-CT in 110 plaques (85.3%) and increased in 19 (14.7%), including 4 plaques that had unclear boundaries with the adjacent lumen in EID-CT CCTA images, making the stenosis difficult to assess. Conclusion:Compared to EID-CT, UHR PCD-CT for CCTA significantly improves coronary artery image quality, provides clearer visualization of calcified plaques and adjacent lumen details, and it can reduce the overestimation of coronary artery caleified plaque stenosis.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the role of the calcium/calmodulin (CaM)-mediated activation of calcineurin (CN)-nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) signaling pathway in mediating the regulatory effect of hyperforin (HY) on stress-induced depression-like disorder (DP) in mice. METHODS: C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into control group, DP model group, and hyperforin treatment group (n=15). Behavioral changes of the mice were assessed using open field test (OFT), sucrose preference test (SPT), tail suspension test (TST), light/dark box test (LDB), and novel object suppression test (NSFT). Immunohistochemistry was used to detect tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) expression in the CA1 region of the hippocampus, and serum serotonin (5-HT) and norepinephrine (NA) levels were detected with ELISA. Western blotting was used to analyze the expressions of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-2, and CN-NFAT pathway proteins. In cultured BV-2 microglial cells with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation, the effects of hyperforin and CN inhibitor (CNIS) on expressions of ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1 (IBA-1), 5-HT, NA, inflammatory cytokines and CN-NFAT pathway proteins were examined using immunofluorescence assay, ELISA or Western blotting. RESULTS: Compared with the control mice, the mice in DP group showed significantly reduced activity in OFT, decreased sucrose consumption in SPT, reduced shuttle crossing in LDB, and lowered food intake in NSFT with significantly increased immobility in TST. The mice with DP showed significantly decreased TH-positive neurons, lowered 5-HT and NA levels, and increased expressions of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-2 and CaM-CN-NFAT pathway proteins. In cultured BV-2 cells, LPS stimulation strongly increased cellular IBA-1 expression, decreased the levels of neurotransmitters (5-HT and NA), and increased the levels of inflammatory cytokines and CN-NFAT signaling, and these changes were effectively reversed by treatment with hyperforin or CNIS. CONCLUSIONS Hyperforin improves stress-induced depression-like behaviors in mice and activated BV-2 cells by targeting the CN-NFAT signaling pathway.
Animals ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mice ; Microglia/drug effects* ; Depression/etiology* ; Perylene/pharmacology* ; Calcineurin/metabolism* ; NFATC Transcription Factors/metabolism* ; Calcium Signaling/drug effects* ; Stress, Psychological ; Phloroglucinol/pharmacology* ; Signal Transduction ; Male ; Behavior, Animal/drug effects* ; Terpenes

Objective:To observe the effects of Yiyuan moxibustion on bladder function and antioxidant level of spinal cord tissues in rats with urinary retention after spinal cord injury (SCI); To explore the mechanism of inhibition of ferroptosis in spinal cord neurons after SCI by Yiyuan moxibustion.Methods:Wistar female rats were divided into sham-operation group, model group, and Yiyuan moxibustion group according to random number table method, with 12 rats in each group. The modified Allen′s vertical percussion method was used to construct the model of urinary retention after SCI in T10 segment. The rats in the Yiyuan moxibustion group were moxibued at the Zhongji acupoint, Guanyuan acupoint, and Shenque acupoint for 20 min per day, and the intervention was continued for 2 weeks. Urodynamic test was used to observe the degree of urinary retention in rats; HE staining was used to observe the morphological changes of the injured spinal cord tissues; transmission electron microscopy was used to observe the mitochondrial ultrastructure of the spinal cord tissues; ferric ion kit was used to detect the ferric ion content of the spinal cord tissues; ELISA was used to detect the GSH and MDA contents of the spinal cord tissues of the rats; Western blot was used to measure the relative expressions of glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) and solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11) proteins in rat spinal cord tissue.Results:Compared with the model group, the basal and leakage point pressures of the bladder, and bladder compliance were significantly reduced in the Yiyuan moxibustion group ( P<0.05); the spinal cord tissue structure was restored and mitochondrial morphology improved; the levels of iron ions and MDA in spinal cord tissue decreased ( P<0.05), while the level of GSH increased ( P<0.05), and the relative expressions of GPX4 and SLC7A11 proteins increased ( P<0.05). Conclusion:Yiyuan moxibustion can improve bladder function in rats with urinary retention after SCI, and the mechanism may involve the initiation of antioxidant defense and reduction of lipid peroxidation in spinal cord neuronal cells, thus preventing the occurrence of ferroptosis and achieving the protection of neuronal cells.

BACKGROUND:D1-3-n-butylphthalide has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and has been explored to have protective role in Parkinson's disease,but the underlying mechanisms are unknown.OBJECTIVE:To investigate the protective effect of D1-3-n-butylphthalide by the approach of network pharmacology,molecular docking,and cellular experimental validation.METHODS:(1)Network pharmacology and molecular docking:The database was used to screen the targets of D1-3-n-butylphthalide and Parkinson's disease.The intersection was taken from the construction of the target protein interaction network,and then screen the core targets.The GO and KEGG pathway enrichment was used to further analyze the core targets.The interaction between the target proteins and D1-3-n-butylphthalide was verified by molecular docking.(2)Cell validation:The passage 6 PC12 cells were divided into six groups for culture.The control group was cultured with conventional culture medium.The model group was cultured with N-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium iodide to induce Parkinson's disease model.The ML385 inhibitor group was added with nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 inhibitor ML385 on the basis of inducing Parkinson's disease model.The D1-3-n-butylphthalide treatment group was added with butylphthalide on the basis of inducing Parkinson's disease model.The D1-3-n-butylphthalide combined with ML385 treatment group was added with D1-3-n-butylphthalide and ML385 on the basis of inducing Parkinson's disease model.The D1-3-n-butylphthalide group was cultured with conventional culture medium containing butylphthalide alone.Cell proliferation,intracellular reduced glutathione and malondialdehyde levels,and protein expression of protein kinase B/glycogen synthase kinase 3β/nuclear factor E2-related factor 2(AKT/GSK-3β/Nrf2)signaling pathway were detected.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)A total of 52 targets were screened for the intersection of drugs and disease targets,and the core targets including the matrix metalloproteinase 9 and GSK-3β were involved the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K)/AKT and oxidative stress-related signaling pathways.The molecular docking binding energy of D1-3-n-butylphthalide and GSK-3β was-18.27 kJ/mol,which indicated that D1-3-n-butylphthalide had a good binding ability with GSK-3β.(2)Compared with the model group,the PC12 cell activity and reduced glutathione level in the D1-3-n-butylphthalide treatment group were increased(P＜0.05),the malondialdehyde level was decreased(P＜0.05),and the expression of p-AKT,p-GSK-3β,Nu-Nrf2,and T-Nrf2 proteins was increased(P＜0.05).Compared with the D1-3-n-butylphthalide group,the PC12 cell activity and reduced glutathione level in the D1-3-n-butylphthalide combined with ML385 treatment group were decreased(P＜0.05),the malondialdehyde level was increased(P＜0.05),and the expression of Nu-Nrf2 and T-Nrf2 proteins was decreased(P＜0.05).(3)These results demonstrate that D1-3-n-butylphthalide can inhibit oxidative stress and improve cell activity through the AKT/GSK-3β/Nrf2 signaling pathway,and has a protective effect on the Parkinson's cell model induced by N-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium iodide.

Objective:To investigate the differential impact of ultra-high-resolution photon-counting detector CT (UHR PCD-CT) and energy-integrating detector CT (EID-CT) on image quality and calcified plaque-induced luminal stenosis in coronary CT angiography (CCTA).Methods:This retrospective analysis was conducted on patients who underwent both EID-CT and UHR PCD-CT CCTA at the Geriatric Hospital of Nanjing Medical University between January 2021 and November 2024. A total of 141 patients were included in the study, within 46 patients having scans within a 12-month interval. Image quality of all coronary artery segments was subjectively evaluated. Patients with paired scans (interval≤12 months) were included for calcified plaque analysis. Subjective visualization of calcified plaques evaluated. The blooming artifact was calculated as an objective evaluation index for assessing the calcified plaques. Additionally, the degree of coronary artery lumen stenosis resulting from calcified plaques was assessed, along with the measurement of plaque volume and the Agatston score. Changes in lumen stenosis between the two scans were also evaluated. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare the subjective scores of coronary artery image quality and calcified plaques between the two groups, and paired-sample t-tests were used to compare the blooming artifact and lumen stenosis degree. Results:The PCD-CT image quality score was significantly higher than that of EID-CT [PCD-CT : 5 (4,5), EID-CT: 4 (4,5); Z=-21.38, P<0.001]. Compared to EID-CT, PCD-CT reduced the blooming artifact (PCD-CT: 38.88%±9.09%, EID-CT: 50.11%±11.52%; t=-12.97, P<0.001), significantly improving the subjective score for visualization of calcified plaques [PCD-CT: 5 (4,5), EID-CT: 3 (2,3); Z=-9.68, P<0.001], and the measured lumen stenosis was notably lower in PCD-CT(PCD-CT:34.88%±18.20%, EID-CT:45.31%±23.42%; t=-9.93, P<0.001). Among 129 analyzed calcified plaques, luminal stenosis was reduced on PCD-CT in 110 plaques (85.3%) and increased in 19 (14.7%), including 4 plaques that had unclear boundaries with the adjacent lumen in EID-CT CCTA images, making the stenosis difficult to assess. Conclusion:Compared to EID-CT, UHR PCD-CT for CCTA significantly improves coronary artery image quality, provides clearer visualization of calcified plaques and adjacent lumen details, and it can reduce the overestimation of coronary artery caleified plaque stenosis.

Humans ; Amyloidosis ; Amyloid ; Cardiomyopathies

Background::Cardiovascular disease (CVD) has emerged as the leading cause of death from prostate cancer (PCa) in recent decades, bringing a great disease burden worldwide. Men with preexisting CVD have an increased risk for major adverse cardiovascular events when treated with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). The present study aimed to explore the prevalence and risk evaluation of CVD among people with newly diagnosed PCa in China.Methods::Clinical data of newly diagnosed PCa patients were retrospectively collected from 34 centers in China from 2010 to 2022 through convenience sampling. CVD was defined as myocardial infarction, arrhythmia, heart failure, stroke, ischemic heart disease, and others. CVD risk was estimated by calculating Framingham risk scores (FRS). Patients were accordingly divided into low-, medium-, and high-risk groups. χ2 or Fisher’s exact test was used for comparison of categorical variables. Results::A total of 4253 patients were enrolled in the present study. A total of 27.0% (1147/4253) of patients had comorbid PCa and CVD, and 7.2% (307/4253) had two or more CVDs. The enrolled population was distributed in six regions of China, and approximately 71.0% (3019/4253) of patients lived in urban areas. With imaging and pathological evaluation, most PCa patients were diagnosed at an advanced stage, with 20.5% (871/4253) locally progressing and 20.5% (871/4253) showing metastasis. Most of them initiated prostatectomy (46.6%, 1983/4253) or regimens involving ADT therapy (45.7%, 1944/4253) for prostate cancer. In the present PCa cohort, 43.1% (1832/4253) of patients had hypertension, and half of them had poorly controlled blood pressure. With FRS stratification, as expected, a higher risk of CVD was related to aging and metabolic disturbance. However, we also found that patients with treatment involving ADT presented an originally higher risk of CVD than those without ADT. This was in accordance with clinical practice, i.e., aged patients or patients at advanced oncological stages were inclined to accept systematic integrative therapy instead of surgery. Among patients who underwent medical castration, only 4.0% (45/1118) received gonadotropin releasing hormone antagonists, in stark contrast to the grim situation of CVD prevalence and risk.Conclusions::PCa patients in China are diagnosed at an advanced stage. A heavy CVD burden was present at the initiation of treatment. Patients who accepted ADT-related therapy showed an original higher risk of CVD, but the awareness of cardiovascular protection was far from sufficient.

Objective:To observe any effect of environmental enrichment on depressive behavior and the expression of the neuroplasticity-related protein kinase A (PKA), cAMP response element binding protein (CREB), phosphorylated CREB (p-CREB), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in rats subjected to chronic, unpredictable mild stress (CUMS).Methods:Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided at random into a blank group, a model control group, a no-music-environmental enrichment (NMEE) group and a music-environmental enrichment (MEE) group, each of 10. CUMS was induced in all except the blank group. After successful modeling, the rats in the blank and model control groups were housed in conventional cages for 21 days, while the MEE group received 21 days of environmental enrichment with music and the NMEE group was similarly housed without the music. After the intervention, all groups underwent a sugar water preference experiment, an open field experiment, and a forced swimming experiment. They were then sacrificed and hippocampal PKA, CREB, p-CREB and BDNF protein expressions were detected using immunohistochemistry and western blotting.Results:After the intervention there were significant differences between the model control and blank groups in their sugar water preference, the total distance of their open field activities, the central area distance of their activities, their time spent standing up, and the duration of immobility during swimming. Those indicators were also significantly different between the MEE and model control groups. The average duration of swimming immobility of the NMEE group was significantly longer than the MEE group′s average. The percentage the hippocampus positive for CREB, p-CREB or BDNF protein had decreased significantly in the model control group compared to the blank group, while those percentages in the NMEE and especially the MEE group were significantly different from those of the model control group. PKA, CREB, p-CREB and BDNF protein expression in the model control group was significantly different from that in the blank group, while those levels in the NMEE group were significantly higher than in the model control group on average. The levels in the MEE group were the highest of all.Conclusions:Environmental enrichment can significantly improve depressive behavior resulting from CUMS, at least in rats. Adding music to an enriched environment can enhance its anti-depressant efficacy. The anti-depressant mechanism of environmental enrichment may be related to its upregulation of PKA, CREB, p-CREB and BDNF protein expression.