ObjectiveTo investigate the intervention mechanism of the traditional Chinese medicine Number 2 Feibi recipe （N2FBR） in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis （IPF）， focusing on its effects on endoplasmic reticulum （ER） stress， apoptosis， stemness maintenance， and regenerative capacity of alveolar type Ⅱ epithelial cells （AT2 cells）， and to validate the modern translational pathway of the theory of "deficiency of Zong Qi leading to pulmonary atelectasis and atrophy". MethodsA mouse model of pulmonary fibrosis was induced by bleomycin （BLM）. Mice were randomly divided into blank control， model， low-， and high-dose N2FBR intervention groups （9.1， 18.2 g·kg^-1）， and prednisolone intervention group （6.5 mg·kg^-1）. Pulmonary histopathological changes and collagen deposition were evaluated using hematoxylin-eosin （HE） and Masson's trichrome staining. Hydroxyproline （HYP） content was measured by the alkaline hydrolysis method. Lung coefficient and pulmonary function parameters were evaluated. The mRNA expression levels of fibrosis-related factors， including collagen type Ⅰ alpha 1 chain （ColIa1）， alpha-smooth muscle actin （α-SMA）， and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 （Timp1）， were detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）. Cell apoptosis was assessed using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling （TUNEL） assay. Apoptosis of AT2 cells was further evaluated by double immunofluorescence staining for surfactant protein C （SPC） and cysteine-aspartic protease-3 （Caspase-3）. Endoplasmic reticulum （ER） stress in AT2 cells was examined by double staining for SPC and protein kinase R-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase （PERK）. Ultrastructural changes of ER and lamellar bodies in AT2 cells were observed by transmission electron microscopy （TEM）. The expression levels of key proteins involved in ER stress and apoptosis pathways， including PERK， activating transcription factor 4 （ATF4）， and Caspase-3， were detected by Western blot. Double immunofluorescence staining of SPC and Ki-67 antigen （Ki-67） was performed to evaluate the proliferative capacity of AT2 cells. Lineage tracing technology （labeling AT2 cells with GFP） combined with Krt8 labeling was used to evaluate intermediate differentiation states， and morphological transformation of AT2 cells into alveolar type Ⅰ epithelial cells （AT1） was observed. ResultsBLM-induced mice exhibited significant structural disruption of lung tissue， increased collagen deposition， elevated lung coefficient， decreased pulmonary function， and upregulation of fibrosis-related factors （P<0.01）. High-dose N2FBR treatment significantly ameliorated lung tissue damage and dysfunction， significantly reduced HYP content （P<0.01）， and significantly downregulated ColIa1， α-SMA， and Timp1 expression （P<0.01）. Apoptosis analysis showed increased TUNEL-positive and Caspase-3-positive AT2 cells in the model group， which was significantly reduced by high-dose N2FBR treatment. TEM revealed swollen ER structures in AT2 cells of the model group， which tended to return to normal following treatment. PERK protein staining analysis showed evident ER stress in AT2 cells of the model group， which were markedly alleviated in the treatment group. The expression levels of ER stress-related proteins PERK and ATF4， as well as the apoptosis-related protein Caspase-3， were elevated in the model group and significantly reduced after treatment. TEM also revealed disrupted lamellar body structures in the model group， which tended to recover in the treatment group. Regarding the proliferative capacity of AT2 cells， the proportion of Ki-67⁺SPC⁺ AT2 cells significantly increased in the treatment group （P<0.01）. Lineage tracing showed that the proportion of keratin 8-positive green fluorescent protein-positive （Krt8⁺GFP⁺） cells increased in the model group， indicating differentiation arrest. This proportion was significantly reduced in the treatment group， and the morphology of GFP⁺ cells exhibited a flattened， extended shape， suggesting restored differentiation toward AT1 cells. ConclusionN2FBR alleviates ER stress in AT2 cells， reduces AT2 cell apoptosis， restores lamellar body structure and function， enhances proliferation activity， and alleviates differentiation arrest to promote differentiation into AT1 cells， thereby repairing the alveolar epithelium and effectively blocking the progression of pulmonary fibrosis. Its traditional Chinese medicine mechanism of "replenishing Zong Qi， harmonizing Qi and blood， and unblocking pulmonary meridians" closely aligns with the modern regulatory pathway of AT2 stem cells， providing a novel theoretical basis and experimental evidence for the intervention of IPF with traditional Chinese medicine.

ObjectiveTo investigate the intervention mechanism of the traditional Chinese medicine Number 2 Feibi recipe （N2FBR） in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis （IPF）， focusing on its effects on endoplasmic reticulum （ER） stress， apoptosis， stemness maintenance， and regenerative capacity of alveolar type Ⅱ epithelial cells （AT2 cells）， and to validate the modern translational pathway of the theory of "deficiency of Zong Qi leading to pulmonary atelectasis and atrophy". MethodsA mouse model of pulmonary fibrosis was induced by bleomycin （BLM）. Mice were randomly divided into blank control， model， low-， and high-dose N2FBR intervention groups （9.1， 18.2 g·kg^-1）， and prednisolone intervention group （6.5 mg·kg^-1）. Pulmonary histopathological changes and collagen deposition were evaluated using hematoxylin-eosin （HE） and Masson's trichrome staining. Hydroxyproline （HYP） content was measured by the alkaline hydrolysis method. Lung coefficient and pulmonary function parameters were evaluated. The mRNA expression levels of fibrosis-related factors， including collagen type Ⅰ alpha 1 chain （ColIa1）， alpha-smooth muscle actin （α-SMA）， and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 （Timp1）， were detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）. Cell apoptosis was assessed using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling （TUNEL） assay. Apoptosis of AT2 cells was further evaluated by double immunofluorescence staining for surfactant protein C （SPC） and cysteine-aspartic protease-3 （Caspase-3）. Endoplasmic reticulum （ER） stress in AT2 cells was examined by double staining for SPC and protein kinase R-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase （PERK）. Ultrastructural changes of ER and lamellar bodies in AT2 cells were observed by transmission electron microscopy （TEM）. The expression levels of key proteins involved in ER stress and apoptosis pathways， including PERK， activating transcription factor 4 （ATF4）， and Caspase-3， were detected by Western blot. Double immunofluorescence staining of SPC and Ki-67 antigen （Ki-67） was performed to evaluate the proliferative capacity of AT2 cells. Lineage tracing technology （labeling AT2 cells with GFP） combined with Krt8 labeling was used to evaluate intermediate differentiation states， and morphological transformation of AT2 cells into alveolar type Ⅰ epithelial cells （AT1） was observed. ResultsBLM-induced mice exhibited significant structural disruption of lung tissue， increased collagen deposition， elevated lung coefficient， decreased pulmonary function， and upregulation of fibrosis-related factors （P<0.01）. High-dose N2FBR treatment significantly ameliorated lung tissue damage and dysfunction， significantly reduced HYP content （P<0.01）， and significantly downregulated ColIa1， α-SMA， and Timp1 expression （P<0.01）. Apoptosis analysis showed increased TUNEL-positive and Caspase-3-positive AT2 cells in the model group， which was significantly reduced by high-dose N2FBR treatment. TEM revealed swollen ER structures in AT2 cells of the model group， which tended to return to normal following treatment. PERK protein staining analysis showed evident ER stress in AT2 cells of the model group， which were markedly alleviated in the treatment group. The expression levels of ER stress-related proteins PERK and ATF4， as well as the apoptosis-related protein Caspase-3， were elevated in the model group and significantly reduced after treatment. TEM also revealed disrupted lamellar body structures in the model group， which tended to recover in the treatment group. Regarding the proliferative capacity of AT2 cells， the proportion of Ki-67⁺SPC⁺ AT2 cells significantly increased in the treatment group （P<0.01）. Lineage tracing showed that the proportion of keratin 8-positive green fluorescent protein-positive （Krt8⁺GFP⁺） cells increased in the model group， indicating differentiation arrest. This proportion was significantly reduced in the treatment group， and the morphology of GFP⁺ cells exhibited a flattened， extended shape， suggesting restored differentiation toward AT1 cells. ConclusionN2FBR alleviates ER stress in AT2 cells， reduces AT2 cell apoptosis， restores lamellar body structure and function， enhances proliferation activity， and alleviates differentiation arrest to promote differentiation into AT1 cells， thereby repairing the alveolar epithelium and effectively blocking the progression of pulmonary fibrosis. Its traditional Chinese medicine mechanism of "replenishing Zong Qi， harmonizing Qi and blood， and unblocking pulmonary meridians" closely aligns with the modern regulatory pathway of AT2 stem cells， providing a novel theoretical basis and experimental evidence for the intervention of IPF with traditional Chinese medicine.

Peptide-based therapies have attracted considerable interest in the treatment of cancer, diabetes, bacterial infections, and neurodegenerative diseases due to their promising therapeutic properties and enhanced safety profiles. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the major trends in peptide drug discovery and development, emphasizing preclinical strategies aimed at improving peptide stability, specificity, and pharmacokinetic properties. It assesses the current applications and challenges of peptide-based drugs in these diseases, illustrating the pharmaceutical areas where peptide-based drugs demonstrate significant potential. Furthermore, this review analyzes the obstacles that must be overcome in the future, aiming to provide valuable insights and references for the continued advancement of peptide-based drugs.
Humans ; Peptides/pharmacology* ; Animals ; Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Drug Discovery ; Neurodegenerative Diseases/drug therapy* ; Diabetes Mellitus/drug therapy*

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have provided compelling evidence that exposure to brominated flame retardants (BFRs) can adversely affect human health. We aim to explore the potential impact of BFRs on adiposity and central obesity. METHODS: Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) cycles conducted between 2009 and 2014 was used to study the connections between variables. After filtering, we analyzed a sample of 4,110 adults aged 20 years and above. Our goal was to examine the potential association between BFRs and consequences and investigate the part played by oxidative stress and inflammatory markers as intermediaries. To achieve this, we used advanced statistical methods such as weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression, quantile-based g-computation (QGC), and the Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR). RESULTS: The findings showed that among the examined chemicals, exposure to PBDE85 (weight: 41%), PBDE100 (24%), and PBB153 (23%) may be the dominant contributors to general obesity risk. Upon controlling for all variables that could impact the results, it was found that the QGC outcomes indicated a positive correlation between exposure to mixtures of brominated flame retardants and the occurrence of abdominal obesity (OR = 1.187, 95% CI: 1.056-1.334, p = 0.004). Significant contributions were made by PBDE85 (52%), PBB153 (27%), and PBDE100 (21%). Mediation analysis shows that lymphatic cells (LC) and albumin (ALB) partially mediate the link between brominated flame retardants and obesity. The results of BKMR are generally consistent with those of WQS and QGC. CONCLUSION At a population level, our research has revealed a noteworthy correlation between BFRs and obesity. However, further investigation is required through prospective cohort studies and in-depth mechanistic exploratory studies.
Humans ; Flame Retardants/adverse effects* ; Oxidative Stress/drug effects* ; Adult ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Inflammation/epidemiology* ; Obesity/chemically induced* ; Biomarkers/blood* ; Nutrition Surveys ; Mediation Analysis ; Young Adult ; United States/epidemiology* ; Environmental Exposure/adverse effects* ; Aged ; Environmental Pollutants/adverse effects* ; Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers/adverse effects*

The neonatal mammalian heart has a remarkable regenerative capacity, while the adult heart has difficulty to regenerate. A metabolic reprogramming from glycolysis to fatty acid oxidation occurs along with the loss of cardiomyocyte proliferative capacity shortly after birth. In this study, we sought to determine if and how metabolic reprogramming regulates cardiomyocyte proliferation. Reversing metabolic reprogramming by carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 (CPT1) inhibition, using cardiac-specific Cpt1a and Cpt1b knockout mice promoted cardiomyocyte proliferation and improved cardiac function post-myocardial infarction. The inhibition of CPT1 is of pharmacological significance because those protective effects were replicated by etomoxir, a CPT1 inhibitor. CPT1 inhibition, by decreasing poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 expression, reduced ADP-ribosylation of dual-specificity phosphatase 1 in cardiomyocytes, leading to decreased p38 MAPK phosphorylation, and stimulation of cardiomyocyte proliferation. Our present study indicates that reversing metabolic reprogramming is an effective strategy to stimulate adult cardiomyocyte proliferation. CPT1 is a potential therapeutic target for promoting heart regeneration and myocardial infarction treatment.

An ideal dermal filler should integrate filling, repair, and anti-aging effects, with immediate tissue augmentation, slow degradation, and progressive stimulation of collagen regeneration. However, commonly used hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogels, while effective for rapid filling, suffer from limited duration of support, weak cell adhesion, and an inability to promote collagen regeneration. Silk fibroin (SF), a natural protein from silkworm cocoons, is known for its excellent cell adhesion and collagen-stimulating abilities. However, its limited gelation capability restricts its potential application as a standalone injectable hydrogel. Based on a complementary strategy, this study combines the rapid gelling properties of HA with the collagen regenerative properties of SF to create a co-crosslinked HA-SF hydrogel. The composite hydrogel merges HA's rapid filling effect with SF's strong tissue adhesion and collagen-stimulating abilities. The formulation, physicochemical properties, degradation, biocompatibility, and filling effects of the HA-SF hydrogel were systematically investigated. HA-SF hydrogel exhibits excellent mechanical properties and ensures long-term support while maintaining injectability. Interestingly, after intradermal injection in the UVB-induced photoaging model, HA-SF hydrogel not only enhances hydrogel-cell interaction but also continues to stimulate collagen regeneration, especially type III collagen. This dual action achieves the biological effects of repair and anti-aging while maintaining the filling effect. Proteomic analysis confirms that repair and anti-aging effects are enhanced by the regulation of skin fibroblasts and modulation of amino acid and lipid metabolism. This composite hydrogel holds strong promise for clinical applications, offering a safer, long-lasting, and more natural injectable filler that combines filling, repair, and anti-aging into one system.

Objective:This study aimed to investigate the role of bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2)/Smad8 signaling pathway in T-2 toxin-induced apoptosis of rat articular chondrocytes.Methods:Primary chondrocytes from SD rats were cultured in vitro and exposed to varying concentrations of T-2 toxin (0.00, 0.32, 1.60, 8.00 ng/ml). The changes in chondrocytes survival rate were determined by CCK8, and the apoptosis changes of chondrocytes were determined by TUNEL assay kit. Using a group design, chondrocytes were cultured in complete culture media and culture media containing T-2 toxin (1.60 ng/ml), BMP2 cytokine (500 ng/ml), or T-2 toxin (1.60 ng/ml) + BMP2 cytokine (500 ng/ml), referred to as the control group, T-2 toxin group, BMP2 group, and T-2 toxin + BMP2 group, respectively. The survival rate and apoptosis changes of chondrocytes in each group were determined. The expression levels of Caspase-3, BMP2, BMP receptor Ⅱ (BMP-R Ⅱ), and Smad1/4/5/8 were determined by quantitative real-time PCR. Results:Compared with the 0.00 ng/ml of T-2 toxin group [(100.00 ± 0.00)%, (4.33 ± 0.32)%], the chondrocyte survival rates [(85.77 ± 2.96)%, (72.79 ± 2.31)%, (48.87 ± 1.83)%] of the 0.32, 1.60, and 8.00 ng/ml of T-2 toxin groups were significantly lower ( P < 0.05), and the apoptosis rates [(5.43 ± 0.32)%, (6.17 ± 0.15)%, (5.07 ± 0.13)%] were significantly higher ( P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the T-2 toxin group had a lower survival rate and a higher apoptosis rate of chondrocytes ( P < 0.05). Compared with the T-2 toxin group, the T-2 toxin + BMP2 group had a higher survival rate and lower apoptosis rate of chondrocytes ( P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the T-2 toxin group showed higher expression level of Caspase-3 mRNA in chondrocytes, while the expression levels of BMP2, BMP-R Ⅱ, and Smad1/4/8 mRNA were lower ( P < 0.05). Compared with the T-2 toxin group, the expression level of Caspase-3 mRNA was lower in the T-2 toxin + BMP2 group, while the expression levels of BMP2 and Smad8 mRNA were higher ( P < 0.05). Conclusion:BMP2 may partially block the apoptosis of chondrocytes caused by T-2 toxin by regulating the BMP2/Smad8 signaling pathway.

Rhabdomyolysis is a clinical syndrome characterized by damage to the integrity of skel-etal muscle cell membranes,massive release of intracellular contents(such as myoglobin,creatine ki-nase,and electrolytes)into the bloodstream,thereby triggering systemic pathophysiological responses.Its most common and severe complication is acute kidney injury,primarily resulting from the combined effects of myoglobin deposition in renal tubules and renal ischemia.Due to lack of specific early clini-cal manifestations,patients are often misdiagnosed or experience delayed treatment,which can lead to exacerbation of the condition and even life-threatening consequences.This article reports a case of a patient who presented with unexplained rhabdomyolysis at onset and subsequently developed acute kid-ney injury during the course of the disease.A systematic analysis and discussion of the potential etiolo-gy are conducted based on the patient's clinical features and laboratory test results.

Purpose To analyze the value of a deep learning(DL)radiomics model based on dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI images in predicting the expression of Ki-67 status in breast cancer.Materials and Methods A retrospective analysis of 152 breast cancer patients confirmed by pathological results at Guangdong Women and Children Hospital,MRI images and clinical pathological data were reviewed,and based on postoperative immunohistochemistry results,the images of the high and low expression groups of Ki-67 were randomly sampled in a ratio of 8∶2 to form a training set of 122 cases and a validation set of 30 cases.Single-factor and multi-factor Logistic regression analyses of clinical data were performed to select independent predictors of breast cancer expressing Ki-67 status.The ResNet-18 model was used as the basic model for DL feature extraction.Hand-crafted radiomic features and DL features were extracted.Eight machine learning models were constructed based on clinical features,hand-crafted radiomic features,DL features,and their combinations.The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was used to evaluate the predictive performance of the models,and the best model was determined as the output model.Results The progesterone receptor status(OR=0.764,P=0.040)and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 status(OR=1.187,P=0.046)were independent clinical predictors of breast cancer expressing Ki-67 status.The combined feature models demonstrated superior performance over the individual feature models,and the support vector machine algorithm had the highest prediction performance in the validation set,with an area under the curve of 0.847.Conclusion The DL radiomics model based on dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI images can effectively predict the expression of Ki-67 status in breast cancer.The support vector machine algorithm combined with feature model is the best,which can help the clinical diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer and prognosis evaluation.

Objective:Based on the process theory of stress effect, the mediating effect of health literacy and perceived social support between perceived control and fatigue symptom of asthmatic patients was analyzed, which provide the evidence for the formulation of intervention programs to relieve fatigue in patients.Methods:Adopting a cross-sectional survey design, from January 2019 to November 2023, asthmatic patients at The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University (Feidong County People′s Hospital) were selected by convenience sampling method and investigated by the General Information Questionnaire, Fatigue Severity Scale, Perceived Control of Asthma Questionnaire, Health Literacy Management Scale, and Perceived Social Support Scale. Pearson correlation analysis was used to investigate the correlation between fatigue symptom, perceived control, health literacy, and perceived social support in asthma patients. A structural equation model was constructed using AMOS24.0 software and conduct mediation analysis.Results:A total of 260 questionnaires were distributed, and 241 valid questionnaires were collected. There were 110 males and 131 females aged (55.48 ± 15.03) years old. The scores of Fatigue Severity Scale, Perceived Control of Asthma Questionnaire, Health Literacy Management Scale, and Perceived Social Support Scale were (4.27 ± 1.68), (31.72 ± 8.51), (85.71 ± 19.36), (46.97 ± 11.79) points, respectively. Pearson correlation analysis showed that fatigue symptom was negatively correlated with perceived control, health literacy, and perceived social support ( r=-0.719, -0.716, -0.767, all P<0.01). The mediating model showed that perceived control had a significant direct effect on fatigue symptom ( β=-0.204, 95% CI-0.252--0.169). Moreover, perceived control also indirectly affected fatigue symptom through the independent mediating effect of health literacy ( β=-0.378, 95% CI-0.405--0.202), the independent mediating effect of perceived social support ( β=-0.227, 95% CI-0.381--0.203), and the chain mediating effect of health literacy and perceived social support ( β=-0.089, 95% CI-0.142--0.025), which accounting for 77.3% of the total effect. Conclusions:Health literacy and perceived social support play a mediating role in the correlation between perceived control and fatigue symptom, which can promote health literacy and perceived social support and thus alleviate fatigue symptom in asthmatic patients.