ObjectiveTo explore the effect of oral sodium butyrate on skeletal muscle atrophy in CT26 tumor mice through the gut microbiota-skeletal muscle axis and its potential mechanism. MethodsSixty SPF BALB/c male mice aged 8 weeks were randomly divided into a normal control group (NC, n=18) and a ABX-depleted group (ABX, n=42). The ABX mice were pretreated with a quadruple antibiotic cocktail via oral gavage (0.2 ml per administration, once daily, 6 d per week, for 2 weeks), whereas NC received an equal volume of sterile water. The quadruple antibiotic cocktail consisted of metronidazole (1 g/L), vancomycin (0.5 g/L), ampicillin (1 g/L), and gentamicin (1 g/L). Following successful pretreatment, six mice from each group were randomly selected for gut microbiota sequencing analysis and designated as the Abx group and the NC0 group, respectively. Theremaining mice in ABX were subcutaneously inoculated in the dorsum with 0.2 ml of CT26 cell suspension (at a cell density of 1×10⁷/ml). Then these mice were randomly allocated into three subgroups: a control tumor bearing model group (0_NaB, n=12), a tumor-bearing model group receiving low-dose oral sodium butyrate (L_NaB, n=12), a tumor-bearing model group receiving high-dose oral sodium butyrate (H_NaB, n=12). And mice in NC were inoculated at the same site with 0.2 ml of normal saline. The administration dose for L_NaB was 0.3 g/(kg·d), that for H_NaB was 0.5 g/(kg·d), while NC and 0_NaB were given the same volume of normal saline (0.2ml per time, once daily, 6 d per week, for 4 weeks). The general condition of mice was monitored, and forelimb grip strength gastrocnemius muscle mass and its muscle fiber cross-sectional area were measured for each group. The structural changes in gut microbiota were assessed by 16S rRNA sequencing of cecal contents. Pathological alterations in the intestinal wall were examined via HE staining. Serum and gastrocnemius muscle levels of TNF‑α, IL-6, IL-1β, and LPS were quantified using ELISA. The protein expression of ZO-1 and occludin in the small intestine, as well as proteins associated with the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway in the gastrocnemius muscle, were detected by Western blot analysis. Results(1) The alpha-diversity in Abx was significantly lower than that in NC0 (P<0.01), a significant decrease of the mass and muscle fiber cross-sectional area of the gastrocnemius (P<0.01), with the majority of gut microbiota being effectively depleted. (2) Compared with NC, the subcutaneous tumors of mice in 0_NaB were prominent, a significant increase of the mass and muscle fiber cross-sectional area of the gastrocnemius, accompanied by a significant decrease in body weight at the end of the 3th and 4th week (P<0.05), and a significant weakening of the forelimb grasping strength at the 5th and 6th week (P<0.01). Compared with 0_NaB, the tumor mass of mice in L_NaB and H_NaB showed a significant decreasing trend, and the grip strength of the forelimbs significantly increased at the 5th and 6th week (P<0.05, P<0.01). (3) Compared with 0_NaB, the Shannon and Observed species indices in α diversity of L_NaB and H_NaB were significantly increased (P<0.05). At the genus level, compared with 0_NaB, L_NaB exhibited a significant decrease in the relative abundance of Parasutterella (P< 0.01), while H_NaB showed significant reductions in the relative abundances of both Escherichia-Shigella and Parasutterella (P < 0.01). (4) Compared with 0_NaB, the small intestinal tissue structure in L_NaB and H_NaB was more intact, the infiltration of inflammatory cells was significantly reduced, and the capillaries were slightly dilated. The expression levels of ZO-1 and occludin proteins in L_NaB were significantly increased (P<0.01). (5) The LPS concentration in the gastrocnemius muscle and the protein expression levels of TLR4, MyD88, p-IκBα, and p-NF‑κB p65 in L_NaB and H_NaB were significantly lower than those in 0_NaB (P<0.05). The serum TNF‑α concentration in H_NaB and TNF-α concentration in the gastrocnemius muscle of the L_NaB and H_NaB were significantly lower than those in 0_NaB (P<0.05, P<0.01, P<0.01). ConclusionOral administration of NaB can improve gut microbiota α diversity, adjusting its composition, improving intestinal mucosal barrier function, reducing the LPS-induced pro-inflammatory response, and delaying skeletal muscle atrophy. The underlying mechanism may involve down regulation of TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling in skeletal muscle.

Objective: To understand the moderating effect of cohabitation with parents on the association between peer dating behavior and sexual behaviors among secondary vocational school students, so as to provide a scientific basis for preventing sexual behaviors among secondary vocational school students. Methods: From March to April 2021, an electronic questionnaire survey was conducted among 3 180 students from 6 vocational schools in Shanghai (urban, suburban, exurban) and Shaanxi (Shangluo, Ankang, Baoji) using cluster sampling. Spearman correlation analysis was used to investigate the relationship of cohabitation with parents, peer dating behavior and sexual behaviors among secondary vocational school students. Binary Logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the role of cohabitation with parents on peer dating behavior and sexual behaviors among secondary vocational students. Results: There was a significant negative between cohabitation with parents and sexual ( r =-0.04); and there was a positive correlation between peer dating behavior and sexual behaviors ( r =0.24), as well as cohabitation with parents and peer dating behavior ( r =0.04)( P <0.05). Multivariable Logistic regression analysis showed an association between peer dating behavior and the occurrence of sexual behaviors ( OR=2.79-12.95, P <0.05). Cohabitation with parents played a moderating role in the association between peer dating behavior and sexual behaviors, and a signification interaction was found between cohabitation with parents and reporting that a small part or about half of their peers had dating behavior ( OR =0.48, P <0.05). Conclusions The more peers dating behavior are associated with a higher risk of sexual behaviors among secondary vocational school students, and cohabitation with parents can partly reduce this risk. School and family sexuality education for secondary vocational students should be strengthened to improve their interpersonal skills and decision-making, and ability to resist peer pressure, so as to reduce their risk of sexual behaviors.

Objective:To explore the effect of tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) dose reduction regimen in patients with chronic-phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and its prognostic impact.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted. The clinical data of patients with chronic-phase CML treated with reduced-dose TKI in the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University between January 2018 and December 2022 were collected. Patients were divided into groups based on Sokal score, European Treatment and Outcome Study long-term survival (ELTS) score, TKI drug classification and dose reduction, and treatment phase. The overall survival (OS), the cumulative incidence of major molecular response (MMR), the cumulative molecular recurrence rate and event-free survival (EFS) among patients in different strata were compared. Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis.Results:Among 154 patients with chronic-phase CML, the median duration [ M ( IQR)] of reduced-dose TKI therapy was 35.4 months (34.9 months); Sokal score high-risk and low-/intermediate-risk groups comprised 20 cases (12.99%) and 134 cases (87.01%), respectively; ELTS score high-risk and low-/intermediate-risk groups comprised 14 cases (9.09%) and 140 cases (90.91%), respectively. Among 154 patients, 83 cases (53.90%) received imatinib therapy, while 71 cases (46.10%) received second-generation TKI; 138 patients (89.61%) maintained stable TKI dosing at the first dose level, and 16 patients (10.39%) maintained it at the second dose level. The induction therapy group comprised 33 patients (21.43%), while the maintenance therapy group included 121 patients (78.57%). The 3-year OS rate of all 154 patients was 90.6%. Patients in the Sokal score high-risk group demonstrated a lower 3-year OS rate compared to those in the low-/intermediate-risk group (64.1% vs. 96.7%) ( P < 0.001); patients in the ELTS score high-risk group had a lower 3-year OS rate compared to those in the low-/intermediate-risk group (62.9% vs. 95.8%) ( P = 0.002). There was no statistically significant difference in the 3-year OS rate of patients receiving the first dose level and those receiving the second dose level (90.6% vs. 90.0%, P = 0.478); there was no statistically significant difference in the 3-year OS rate of the induction therapy group and the maintenance therapy group (88.9% vs. 91.4%, P = 0.868). Among the 33 patients in the induction therapy group, all received the first dose level. After treatment, 28 achieved MMR, and 2 achieved molecular response 4.0 (MR4.0). The cumulative 1-year MMR rate of all patients in reduction therapy group was 95.8%, with a median time to MMR of 8.4 months; patients in the high-risk Sokal score group had a 1-year cumulative MMR rate of 50.0%, which was lower than that of the low-/intermediate-risk group (95.3%) ( P = 0.014); the median time to MMR was 14.7 months and 7.8 months, respectively. The cumulative 1-year MMR rate of patients treated with first-generation TKI was lower than that in those treated with second-generation TKI (65.0% vs. 100.0%, P = 0.034), and the median time to MMR of patients treated with first-generation TKI was longer than that those treated with second-generation TKI (9.1 months vs. 6.9 months). Among the 149 patients who achieved MMR, 5 experienced molecular relapse, resulting in a 3-year cumulative molecular relapse rate of 8.3%. In the Sokal score low-/intermediate-risk group, the 3-year cumulative molecular relapse rate (1.5% vs. 39.8%, P < 0.001), EFS rate (92.3% vs. 57.1%, P < 0.001), and OS rate (100.0% vs. 62.8%, P < 0.001) were better than those in the Sokal score high-risk group. The 3-year cumulative molecular relapse rate and 3-year EFS rate in patients receiving first dose level therapy were better than those in patients receiving second dose level therapy, and the differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.001). Conclusions:Patients with chronic-phase CML can still obtain good outcomes when receiving dose-reduced TKI, while the prognosis of patients in high-risk group is relatively poor. The choice of TKI and the dosage reduction should be individualized based on patients' characteristics.

There is controversy over the specific and non-specific components in the efficacy evaluation of acupuncture therapy.The placebo effect,as a key non-specific factor,needs to be clarified in terms of its mechanism and clinical value.This article reviewed the research progress in the placebo effect of acupuncture from three aspects:cognitive process,influencing factors,and mechanism.It focused on the regulatory effects of patient expectations,doctor-patient interaction,and individual differences on the effect,summarized key mechanisms such as endogenous opioid system,dopamine reward pathway,and neural projection of rostral anterior cingulate cortex to pontine nucleus,and pointed out the methodological limitations of current comfort acupuncture designs,in order to provide theoretical basis for the optimization of acupuncture clinical research models and the deepening of the effect mechanism.

Background and purpose:Human papilloma virus(HPV)infection status is crucial for diagnosing cervical precancerous lesions and classifying cervical cancer.High-risk(HR)HPV is often linked to P16 protein overexpression,so P16 detection via immunohistochemistry(IHC)is commonly used to assess HPV infection.However,the differences between HPV status and P16 expression remains unclear.An in-depth study of the correlation between HPV and P16 is essential for clinical guidance.Methods:We retrospectively collected clinical and pathological data of cervical lesions from 618 patients diagnosed at the Department of Pathology,Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center from January 2020 to December 2023(Ethical number:050432-4-2307E).Polymerase chain reaction(PCR)reverse dot hybridization was used to detect HPV including HR and low-risk(LR)subtypes,and immunohistochemistry was used to detect P16 for comparative analysis.Based on different clinical and pathological diagnoses,the sensitivity and specificity of P16 expression in evaluating HPV infection were evaluated.Among the 618 cases of cervical lesions,there were 92 cases of cervical squamous cell carcinoma,257 cases of cervical adenocarcinoma,79 cases of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions(HSIL),105 cases of low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions(LSIL),and 85 cases of chronic cervical inflammation.Results:According to clinical diagnosis,the HR-HPV positive rate in cervical squamous cell carcinoma was 88.0%(81/92),the P16 positive rate was 91.3%(84/92),and the overall consistency rate between P16 and HPV detection was 90.2%(88/92);for HR-HPV infection,the sensitivity and specificity of P16 were 96.3%and 45.5%.The positive rate of HR-HPV in adenocarcinoma was 54.5%(140/257),the positive rate of P16 was 58.8%(151/257),and the overall consistency rate between P16 and HPV detection was 82.5%(212/257);for HR-HPV infection,the sensitivity and specificity of P16 were 87.9%and 76.1%.In HSIL,the HR-HPV positive rate was 75.9%(60/79),the positive rate of P16 was 70.9%(56/79),and the overall consistency rate between P16 and HR-HPV detection was 82.2%(65/79);for HR-HPV infection,the sensitivity and specificity of P16 were 85.0%and 73.7%.In LSIL,the HR-HPV positive rate was 73.3%(77/105),the positive rate of P16 was 8.5%(9/105),and the overall consistency rate between P16 and HR-HPV detection was 33.3%(35/105);for HR-HPV infection,the sensitivity and specificity of P16 were 10.4%and 96.4%.In chronic cervical inflammation,the HR-HPV positive rate was 20%(17/85),the positive rate of P16 was 0.0%(0/85);for HR-HPV infection,the sensitivity and specificity of P16 were 0.0%and 100.0%.There was a significant positive correlation between P16 positivity and HPV16/18 in cervical squamous cell carcinoma,adenocarcinoma,and HSIL(P=0.000),while there was no significant correlation in LSIL and chronic cervical inflammation(P＞0.05).Conclusion:In cervical squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma,the consistency of P16 expression and HPV DNA positivity are high,especially in HPV16/18 subtype.There is a good concordance between HR-HPV positivity and P16 protein overexpression.The positive expression of P16 in HSIL may initially reflect HPV infection status.However,in LSIL and chronic cervicitis,P16 expression may not accurately correlate with HPV infection.The inconsistency between P16 and HPV DNA testing could be influenced by multiple factors,including HPV subtypes,histopathological categories,specimen quality,and technical limitations.In clinical practice,it is recommended to conduct comprehensive analysis or employ multiple diagnostic methods to confirm HPV infection status for precise evaluation.

The effect of Huanglian Jiedu Decoction on the intestinal flora of type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM) was investigated using 16S rRNA sequencing technology. Sixty rats were randomly divided into a normal group(10 rats) and a modeling group(50 rats). After one week of adaptive feeding, a high-fat diet + streptozotocin was given for modeling, and fasting blood glucose >16.7 mmol·L~(-1) was considered a sign of successful modeling. The modeling group was randomly divided into the model group, high-, medium-, and low-dose groups of Huanglian Jiedu Decoction, and metformin group. After seven days of intragastric treatment, the feces, colon, and pancreatic tissue of each group of rats were collected, and the pathological changes of the colon and pancreatic tissue of each group were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining. The changes in the intestinal flora structure of each group were observed by the 16S rRNA sequencing method. The results showed that compared with the model group, the high-, medium-, and low-dose of Huanglian Jiedu Decoction reduced fasting blood glucose levels to different degrees and showed no significant changes in body weight. The number of islet cells increased, and intestinal mucosal damage attenuated. Alpha diversity analysis revealed that Huanglian Jiedu Decoction reduced the abundance and diversity of intestinal flora in rats with T2DM; at the phylum level, low-and mediam-dose of Huanglian Jiedu Decoction reduced the abundance of Bacteroidota, Proteobacteria, and Desulfobacterota and increased the abundance of Firmicute and Bacteroidota/Firmicutes, while the high-dose of Huanglian Jiedu Decoction increased the relative abundance of Proteobacteria and Bacteroidota/Firmicutes ratio, and decreaseal the relative; abundance of Firmicute; at the genus level, Huanglian Jiedu Decoction increased the relative abundance of Allobaculum, Blautia, and Lactobacillus; LEfse analysis revealed that the biomarker of low-and medium-dose groups of Huanglian Jiedu Decoction was Lactobacillus, and the structure of the intestinal flora of the low-dose group of Huanglian Jiedu Decoction was highly similar to that of the metformin group. PICRUSt2 function prediction revealed that Huanglian Jiedu Decoction mainly affected carbohydrate and amino acid metabolic pathways. It suggested that Huanglian Jiedu Decoction could reduce fasting blood glucose and increase the number of islet cells in rats with T2DM, and its mechanism of action may be related to increasing the abundance of short-chain fatty acid-producing strains and Lactobacillus and affecting carbohydrate and amino acid metabolic pathways.
Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/metabolism* ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome/drug effects* ; Rats ; Male ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Humans ; Bacteria/drug effects* ; Blood Glucose/metabolism*

This study explores the role and underlying molecular mechanisms of fucoidan sulfate(FPS) in regulating heme oxygenase-1(Hmox1)-mediated ferroptosis to ameliorate myocardial injury in diabetic cardiomyopathy(DCM) through in vivo and in vitro experiments and network pharmacology analysis. In vivo, a DCM rat model was established using a combination of "high-fat diet feeding + two low-dose streptozotocin(STZ) intraperitoneal injections". The rats were randomly divided into four groups: normal, model, FPS, and dapagliflozin(Dapa) groups. In vitro, a cellular model was created by inducing rat cardiomyocytes(H9c2 cells) with high glucose(HG), using zinc protoporphyrin(ZnPP), an Hmox1 inhibitor, as the positive control. An automatic biochemical analyzer was used to measure blood glucose(BG), serum aspartate aminotransferase(AST), serum lactate dehydrogenase(LDH), and serum creatine kinase-MB(CK-MB) levels. Echocardiography was used to assess rat cardiac function, including ejection fraction(EF) and fractional shortening(FS). Pathological staining was performed to observe myocardial morphology and fibrotic characteristics. DCFH-DA fluorescence probe was used to detect reactive oxygen species(ROS) levels in myocardial tissue. Specific assay kits were used to measure serum brain natriuretic peptide(BNP), myocardial Fe~(2+), and malondialdehyde(MDA) levels. Western blot(WB) was used to detect the expression levels of myosin heavy chain 7B(MYH7B), natriuretic peptide A(NPPA), collagens type Ⅰ(Col-Ⅰ), α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA), ferritin heavy chain 1(FTH1), solute carrier family 7 member 11(SLC7A11), glutathione peroxidase 4(GPX4), 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal(4-HNE), and Hmox1. Immunohistochemistry(IHC) was used to examine Hmox1 protein expression patterns. FerroOrange and Highly Sensitive DCFH-DA fluorescence probes were used to detect intracellular Fe~(2+) and ROS levels. Transmission electron microscopy was used to observe changes in mitochondrial morphology. In network pharmacology, FPS targets were identified through the PubChem database and PharmMapper platform. DCM-related targets were integrated from OMIM, GeneCards, and DisGeNET databases, while ferroptosis-related targets were obtained from the FerrDb database. A protein-protein interaction(PPI) network was constructed for the intersection of these targets using STRING 11.0, and core targets were screened with Cytoscape 3.9.0. Molecular docking analysis was conducted using AutoDock and PyMOL 2.5. In vivo results showed that FPS significantly reduced AST, LDH, CK-MB, and BNP levels in DCM model rats, improved cardiac function, decreased the expression of myocardial injury proteins(MYH7B, NPPA, Col-Ⅰ, and α-SMA), alleviated myocardial hypertrophy and fibrosis, and reduced Fe~(2+), ROS, and MDA levels in myocardial tissue. Furthermore, FPS regulated the expression of ferroptosis-related markers(Hmox1, FTH1, SLC7A11, GPX4, and 4-HNE) to varying degrees. Network pharmacology results revealed 313 potential targets for FPS, 1 125 targets for DCM, and 14 common targets among FPS, DCM, and FerrDb. Hmox1 was identified as a key target, with FPS showing high docking activity with Hmox1. In vitro results demonstrated that FPS restored the expression levels of ferroptosis-related proteins, reduced intracellular Fe~(2+) and ROS levels, and alleviated mitochondrial structural damage in cardiomyocytes. In conclusion, FPS improves myocardial injury in DCM, with its underlying mechanism potentially involving the regulation of Hmox1 to inhibit ferroptosis. This study provides pharmacological evidence supporting the therapeutic potential of FPS for DCM-induced myocardial injury.
Animals ; Ferroptosis/drug effects* ; Rats ; Diabetic Cardiomyopathies/physiopathology* ; Male ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Polysaccharides/pharmacology* ; Heme Oxygenase-1/genetics* ; Myocytes, Cardiac/metabolism* ; Myocardium/pathology* ; Humans ; Cell Line ; Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing)

The combination of Aidi Injection(ADI) and doxorubicin(DOX) is a common strategy in the treatment of cancer, which can achieve synergistic anti-tumor effects while attenuating the cardiotoxicity caused by DOX. This study aims to investigate the mechanism of ADI in attenuating DOX-induced cardiotoxicity by multi-omics. DOX was used to induce cardiotoxicity in mice, and the cardioprotective effects of ADI were evaluated based on biochemical indicators and pathological changes. Based on the results, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics were employed to analyze the changes of endogenous substances in different physiological states. Furthermore, data from multiple omics were integrated to screen key regulatory pathways by which ADI attenuated DOX-induced cardiotoxicity, and important target proteins were selected for measurement by ELISA kits and immunohistochemical analysis. The results showed that ADI significantly reduced the levels of cardiac troponin T(cTnT) and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide(NT-proBNP) and effectively ameliorated myocardial fibrosis and intracellular vacuolization, indicating that ADI showed therapeutic effect on DOX-induced cardiotoxicity. The transcriptomics analysis screened out a total of 400 differentially expressed genes(DEGs), which were mainly enriched in inflammatory response, oxidative stress, and myocardial fibrosis. After proteomics analysis, 70 differentially expressed proteins were selected, which were mainly enriched in the inflammatory response, cardiac function, and energy metabolism. A total of 51 differentially expressed metabolites were screened by the metabolomics analysis, and they were mainly enriched in multiple signaling pathways, including the inflammatory response, lipid metabolism, and energy metabolism. The integrated data of multiple omics showed that linoleic acid metabolism, arachidonic acid metabolism, and glycerophosphate metabolism pathways played an important role in DOX-induced cardiotoxicity, and ADI may exert therapeutic effects by modulating these pathways. Target validation experiments suggested that ADI significantly regulated abnormal protein levels of cyclooxygenase-1(COX-1), cyclooxygenase-2(COX-2), prostaglandin H2(PGH2), and prostaglandin D2(PGD2) in the model group. In conclusion, ADI may attenuate DOX-induced cardiotoxicity by regulating linoleic acid metabolism, arachidonic acid metabolism, and glycerophosphate metabolism, thus alleviating inflammation of the body.
Doxorubicin/toxicity* ; Animals ; Mice ; Cardiotoxicity/genetics* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Male ; Proteomics ; Metabolomics ; Injections ; Humans ; Multiomics