Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), as a treasure of the Chinese nation, plays a significant role in maintaining public health. In 2019, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council proposed for the first time the establishment of a TCM registration and evaluation evidence system that integrates TCM theory, "personal experience" and clinical trials (referred to as the "Three-in-One" System) to promote the inheritance and innovation of TCM. Subsequently, the National Medical Products Administration issued several guiding principles to advance the improvement and implementation of this system. Owing to the complexity of its implementation, there are still differing understandings within the TCM industry regarding the positioning of the "Three-in-One" Registration and Evaluation Evidence System, as well as the connotation and value orientation of the "personal experience." To address this, Academician WANG Qi, President of the TCM Association, China International Exchange and Promotion Association for Medical and Healthcare and TCM master, led a group of academicians, TCM masters, TCM pharmacology experts and clinical TCM experts to convene a "Seminar on Promoting the Implementation of the ′Three-in-One′ Registration and Evaluation Evidence System for Chinese Medicinals." Through extensive discussions, an expert consensus was formed, clarifying the different roles of the TCM theory, "personal experience" and clinical trials within the system. It was further emphasized that the "personal experience" is the core of this system, and its data should be derived from clinical practice scenarios. In the future, the improvement of this system will require collaborative efforts across multiple fields to promote the high-quality development of the Chinese medicinal industry.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect and mechanism of DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) knockout on the inhibition of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) by natural killer (NK) cells. METHODS: The peripheral blood NK cells of AML patients and controls were collected, and the mRNA and protein level of DNMT1 were measured by PCR and Western blot, respectively. The DNMT1 knockout mice were constructed to obtain NK^DNMT1-/- cells. The NK cells were stimulated with interleukin (IL)-12, IL-15, and IL-18 to construct memory NK cells, and then the interferon-γ (IFN-γ) levels were measured by ELISA. After co-culturing with memory NK cells and HL60 cells, the killing effect of NK^DNMT1-/- cells on HL60 cells was detected by LDH assay. Then, the HL60 cell apoptosis and NK cell NKG2D level were measured by flow cytometry. The perforin and granzyme B protein levels of NK cells were measured by Western blot. The AML model mice were constructed by injecting HL60 cells into the tail vein, meanwhile, memory NK cells were also injected, and then the mouse weights, CD33 positive rates, and survival time were detected. RESULTS: The mRNA and protein levels of DNMT1 in NK cells of AML patients were significantly higher than those in the control group (both P < 0.01), while the IFN-γ level induced by interleukin was significantly lower than that in the control group (P < 0.05). Compared with NK^DNMT1+/+ cells, the ability of NK^DNMT1-/- cells to secrete IFN-γ after interleukin stimulation was significantly increased (P < 0.05). The killing and apoptosis-inducing effects of NK^DNMT1-/- cells on HL60 cells were significantly stronger than those of NK^DNMT1+/+ cells (both P < 0.05). The NKG2D level and expression of perforin and granzyme B of NK^DNMT1-/- cells were significantly increased compared with NK^DNMT1+/+ cells (all P < 0.05). Compared with AML mice injected with NK^DNMT1+/+ cells, AML mice injected with NK^DNMT1-/- cells showed significantly increased body weight, decreased CD33 positive rate, and prolonged survival time (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSION Knocking out DNMT1 can enhance the inhibitory effect of NK cells on AML, which may be related to enhancing NK cell memory function.
Killer Cells, Natural/metabolism* ; Animals ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; Humans ; DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferase 1 ; Mice ; Mice, Knockout ; HL-60 Cells ; Apoptosis ; Interferon-gamma/metabolism* ; Granzymes/metabolism* ; Perforin/metabolism* ; NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily K/metabolism*

Booster vaccinations are highly recommended in combating the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant and its subvariants. However, the optimal booster vaccination strategies and related immune mechanisms with different prior vaccinations are under-revealed. In this study, we systematically evaluated the immune responses in mice and hamsters with different prime-boost regimens before their protective efficacies against Omicron were detected. We found that boosting with Ad5-nCoV, S_WT-2P or S_Omicron-6P induced significantly higher levels of neutralization activities against Omicron variants than CoronaVac and ZF2001 by eliciting stronger germinal center (GC) responses. Specifically, S_Omicron-6P induced even stronger antibody responses against Omicron variants in CoronaVac and Ad5-nCoV-primed animals than non-Omicron-specific vaccines but with limited differences as compared to Ad5-nCoV and S_WT-2P. In addition, boosting with a specific vaccine has the potential to remodel the existing immune profiles. These findings indicated that adenovirus-vectored vaccines and mRNA vaccines would be more effective than other types of vaccines as booster shots in combating Omicron infections. Moreover, the protective efficacies of the vaccines in booster vaccinations are highly related to GC reactions in secondary lymphatic organs. In summary, these findings provide timely important information on prime-boost regimens and future vaccine design.

OBJECTIVE: The study aim was to investigate the effects of exposure to multiple environmental organic pollutants on cardiopulmonary health with a focus on the potential mediating role of oxidative stress. METHODS: A repeated-measures randomized crossover study involving healthy college students in Beijing was conducted. Biological samples, including morning urine and venous blood, were collected to measure concentrations of 29 typical organic pollutants, including hydroxy polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (OH-PAHs), bisphenol A and its substitutes, phthalates and their metabolites, parabens, and five biomarkers of oxidative stress. Health assessments included blood pressure measurements and lung function indicators. RESULTS: Urinary concentrations of 2-hydroxyphenanthrene (2-OH-PHE) ( β = 4.35% [95% confidence interval ( CI): 0.85%, 7.97%]), 3-hydroxyphenanthrene ( β = 3.44% [95% CI: 0.19%, 6.79%]), and 4-hydroxyphenanthrene (4-OH-PHE) ( β = 5.78% [95% CI: 1.27%, 10.5%]) were significantly and positively associated with systolic blood pressure. Exposures to 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OH-PYR) ( β = 3.05% [95% CI: -4.66%, -1.41%]), 2-OH-PHE ( β = 2.68% [95% CI: -4%, -1.34%]), and 4-OH-PHE ( β = 3% [95% CI: -4.68%, -1.29%]) were negatively associated with the ratio of forced expiratory volume in the first second to forced vital capacity. These findings highlight the adverse effects of exposure to multiple pollutants on cardiopulmonary health. Biomarkers of oxidative stress, including 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine and extracellular superoxide dismutase, mediated the effects of multiple OH-PAHs on blood pressure and lung function. CONCLUSION Exposure to multiple organic pollutants can adversely affect cardiopulmonary health. Oxidative stress is a key mediator of the effects of OH-PAHs on blood pressure and lung function.
Humans ; Oxidative Stress/drug effects* ; Male ; Cross-Over Studies ; Female ; Young Adult ; Environmental Pollutants/toxicity* ; Environmental Exposure/adverse effects* ; Biomarkers/blood* ; Adult ; Blood Pressure/drug effects* ; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons/urine* ; Beijing

G protein-coupled receptor (GPR) 40, as one of GPRs family, plays a potential role in regulating glucose and lipid metabolism. To study the effect of GPR40 novel agonist SZZ15-11 on hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia and its potential mechanism, spontaneous type 2 diabetic KKA^y mice, human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells and murine mature adipocyte 3T3-L1 cells were used. KKA^y mice were divided into four groups, vehicle group, TAK group, SZZ (50 mg·kg^-1) group and SZZ (100 mg·kg^-1) group, with oral gavage of 0.5% sodium carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), 50 mg·kg^-1 TAK875, 50 and 100 mg·kg^-1 SZZ15-11 respectively for 45 days. Fasting blood glucose, blood triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol (TC), non-fasting blood glucose were tested. Oral glucose tolerance test and insulin tolerance test were executed. Blood insulin and glucagon were measured via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). After mice′s execution, liver tissue was harvested to test TG and TC content. Then pathological morphology of liver was observed through hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, and the lipid metabolism relative signal pathway was analyzed by Western blot and RT-PCR. The experiments were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of the Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College. At the same time, Akt phosphorylation level in HepG2 cells and adiponectin in 3T3-L1 cells treated with TNFα were measured with Western blot. The results show that SZZ15-11 not only decreased blood glucose and lipid, improved insulin sensitivity, but also increased fasting blood glucagon and promoted insulin secretion after glucose loading in KKA^y mice. Additionally, SZZ15-11 alleviated hepatic steatosis and liver dysfunction in KKA^y mice. In liver tissue, SZZ15-11 increased AMPKα phosphorylation level and cholesterol metabolism relative gene Abcg8 transcription. In HepG2 cells, SZZ15-11 increased Akt phosphorylation level. In adipocyte 3T3-L1, SZZ15-11 recovered the decreased adiponectin expression by TNFα. This study proved that GPR40 agonist SZZ15-11 could be a candidate compound for regulating glucolipid metabolic disorder.

The interaction between Mycobacterium tuberculosis and host, as well as the regulation of some signaling pathways in the host, were involved in pathogen latency in macrophages. microRNAs (miRNAs) regulate the gene expression and biological functions, indicating that miRNAs played a regulatory role in bacterial infections. However, whether the host's miRNAs were also involved in the process of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection had not been thoroughly studied. This study infected macrophages with pathogenic Mycobacterium tuberculosis strain H37Rv and low virulence strain H37Ra to explore the functional miRNAs. By identifying the expression profile of miRNAs in host cells after infection, the expression of 17 miRNAs significantly changed (P < 0.05) in the human macrophage THP-1 infected with highly pathogenic H37Rv strain (Rv), H37Rv inactivated strain (Rv-), and non-pathogenic H37Ra (Ra) strains respectively, indicating that host miRNAs may be involved in the interaction of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and host. Meanwhile, 10 types of miRNAs showed significant differences in cells infected with pathogenic and non-pathogenic Mycobacterium tuberculosis, suggesting that host miRNAs may play an important role in the pathogenicity and intracellular survival of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Further study had found that miR-449a, miR-502-5p, and miR-708 were downregulated in cells infected with Mycobacterium marinum. Overexpression of these three miRNAs displayed the significant inhibitory effect on the growth of Mycobacterium marinum, indicating that miRNAs played a pivotal role in the interaction between the host and Mycobacterium marinum. This study provided the new insights into the pathogenesis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and the treatment of tuberculosis.

Objective To investigate the effect and mechanism of endothelin-1(ET-1)on atrial fibrosis in Atrial fibrillation(AF)rats.Methods Fourteen adult male SD rats were randomly divided into normal control(NC)group and Atrial fibrillation(AF)group.The rat model of Atrial fibrillation was established by injecting 0.1 ml/100g CaCl2-Ach mixture into the tail vein once a day for one week.The control group was injected with the same dose of normal saline.An electrocardiogram of normal or atrial fibrillation was recorded on the first day and the eighth day in each group,and echocardiography was used to monitor atrial size and cardiac function.The fibrosis of atrial was observed using Masson and HE staining.The expression of endothelin-1(ET-1),collagen-I(Col-I),transforming growth factor-β(TGF-β)and the store operated calcium channel(SOCC)protein Orai1,stromal in-teraction molecule 1(STIM1)in atrial tissue were detected by Western blot.HL-1 cells were cultured and treated with gradient concentration of ET-1 for 24 hours.Western blot was used to observe changes in the expression of TGF-β,Orai1 and STIM1 proteins in ET-1/SOCC/TGF-β signaling pathway of HL-1 cells.Small interfering RNA(siRNA)transfection method was used to knock down the expression of Orai1 in HL-1 cells,then the cells were treated with appropriate concentrations of ET-1 for 24 hours,and the expression of TGF-β protein in HL-1 cells was detected by Western blot.Results Compared with the control group,echocardiography showed a significant in-crease in left atrial diameter(LAD)of the heart in atrial fibrillation rats(P<0.05).The HE and Masson staining results showed significant fibrosis in the myocardial tissue of AF group rats(P<0.05),and the Western blot re-sults indicated the expression of ET-1,Orai1,STIM1,TGF-β and COL-Ⅰ in the myocardial tissue of AF group significantly increased compared to the NC group(P<0.05).After ET-1 treatment of HL-1 cells,the protein ex-pression of Orai1,STIM1and TGF-β increased(P<0.05),while knocking down Orai1 in HL-1 cells,ET-1 treat-ment no longer caused the expression of TGF-β a significant upregulation.Conclusion AF caused by atrial fibril-lation results in a significant increase in ET-1 expression in atrial tissue,and ET-1/SOCC/TGF-β signal pathway promotes atrial fibrillation and fibrosis.

Objective This study aimed to investigate the potential relationship between urinary metals copper (Cu), arsenic (As), strontium (Sr), barium (Ba), iron (Fe), lead (Pb) and manganese (Mn) and grip strength. Methods We used linear regression models, quantile g-computation and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) to assess the relationship between metals and grip strength.Results In the multimetal linear regression, Cu (β=-2.119), As (β=-1.318), Sr (β=-2.480), Ba (β=0.781), Fe (β= 1.130) and Mn (β=-0.404) were significantly correlated with grip strength (P < 0.05). The results of the quantile g-computation showed that the risk of occurrence of grip strength reduction was -1.007 (95％ confidence interval:-1.362, -0.652; P < 0.001) when each quartile of the mixture of the seven metals was increased. Bayesian kernel function regression model analysis showed that mixtures of the seven metals had a negative overall effect on grip strength, with Cu, As and Sr being negatively associated with grip strength levels. In the total population, potential interactions were observed between As and Mn and between Cu and Mn (Pinteractions of 0.003 and 0.018, respectively).Conclusion In summary, this study suggests that combined exposure to metal mixtures is negatively associated with grip strength. Cu, Sr and As were negatively correlated with grip strength levels, and there were potential interactions between As and Mn and between Cu and Mn.

Objective:To explore the clinical and genetic characteristics of four children with Kabuki syndrome (KS) due to variants of KMT2D gene. Methods:Four children with KS diagnosed at the Children′s Hospital of Shanxi Province between January 2020 and December 2022 were selected as the study subjects. Whole exome sequencing was carried out for the children and their family members. Candidate variants were verified by Sanger sequencing and pathogenicity analysis.Results:The KS phenotype scores for the four children were 7, 8, 6, and 6, respectively. Child 2 also presented with a rare solitary kidney malformation. Genetic testing revealed that all children had harbored novel de novo variants of the KMT2D gene, including c. 16472_16473del, c. 858dup, c. 11899C>T, and c. 12844C>T, respectively. Based on the guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), all of the variants were classified as pathogenic. Conclusion:For children showing phenotypes such as distinctive facial features, intellectual disability, developmental delay, cardiac abnormalities, and urinary system anomalies, KS should be considered. Early diagnosis and intervention can be achieved through genetic testing, especially in the presence of KMT2D gene mutations.

Objective:To analyze the activity of lithium chloride (LiCl) against influenza virus A (H3N2) in human non-small cell lung cancer cells (A549).Methods:Different concentrations of LiCl were incubated with A549 cells, and the cytopathic effect (CPE) was observed after 24 hours, and the effect of LiCl on cell activity was determined by CCK-8 method. After H3N2 (MOI=1) infected A549 cells, different concentrations of LiCl were added and incubated for 24 hours, and the viral load was measured by real time/reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), and the CPE was observed, and the viral titer was determined. Different concentrations of LiCl were incubated with A549 at 37 ℃ and 5% CO 2 for 2 hours, virus was added and incubated for 24 hours, and the viral load was determined by RT-qPCR. LiCl, H3N2 and A549 were incubated at 4 ℃ for 1 hour, 35 ℃, 5% CO 2 for 24 hours, and viral load was determined by RT-qPCR. H3N2 and A549 were incubated at 4 ℃for 1 hour, then different concentrations of LiCl were added, incubated at 35 ℃ with 5% CO 2 for 24 hours, and the viral load was determined by RT-qPCR. After H3N2 infected A549 cells, different concentrations of LiCl were added and incubated for 24 hours, and the viral RNA load and viral titer of the supernatant and cells were measured, respectively, and then the corresponding ratios of the supernatant and the cells were calculated. After H3N2 (MOI=10) and BV (MOI=1) infected A549 cells, different concentrations of LiCl were added for 24 h, and the viral load was determined by RT-qPCR. Results:When the concentration of LiCl was<50 mmol/L, the cell viability of A549>90%. Different concentrations of LiCl could significantly reduce the viral load of H3N2 ( P<0.000 1), and the CPE of the LiCl treatment group was more dose-dependent than that of the control group. LiCl did not inhibit viral replication by affecting the cell itself; Different concentrations of LiCl significantly inhibited the entry of H3N2 into A549 ( P<0.000 1), and also had a certain inhibitory effect on the adsorption of A549 cells ( P<0.1). LiCl did not affect the assembly and release of H3N2 ( P>0.05), and it was also found that LiCl had a broad spectrum of antiviral effects against multiple influenza virus strains ( P<0.000 1). Conclusions:LiCl may exert antiviral effect by inhibiting the adsorption and entry of H3N2 into A549 cells and the replication of H3N2 in A549 cells, which provides a data reference for the prevention and treatment of viral infection by LiCl.