BACKGROUND:Neurotrophins represent a novel therapeutic approach for spinal cord injury,showing promising clinical applicability.Autophagy modulation is one of the mechanisms by which neurotrophins exert their effects,yet the specific signaling pathways involved remain unclear. OBJECTIVE:To explore how neurotrophin-3(NT-3)modulates autophagy in oligodendrocytes via switching between P75NTR and TrkC receptors and promotes neurological function recovery after spinal cord injury,aiming to further clarify the specific molecular mechanisms involved. METHODS:Twenty-four Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups:sham operation,spinal cord injury,and NT-3 groups.The therapeutic effect of NT-3 on spinal cord injury in rats was evaluated using the Basso,Beattie,and Bresnahan locomotor rating scale.The expression levels of NT-3,Olig1,myelin basic protein,and the autophagy marker LC3B in rat spinal cord tissue were detected by western blot.In a cellular experiment,oligodendrocytes were cultured in vitro and divided into six groups:oxygen-glucose deprivation(OGD),OGD+NT-3,OGD+NT-3+P75NTR plasmid,OGD+NT-3+TrkC plasmid,OGD+3-methyladenine(an autophagy inhibitor),and OGD+rapamycin(an autophagy activator).Oligodendrocyte morphology was observed under a light microscope,cell apoptosis was assessed by TUNEL staining,and the expression of TrkC receptor,P75NTR,LC3B,and the phosphorylation status of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR and AMPK/mTOR signaling pathways were evaluated by western blot. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Animal experiments demonstrated that compared with the sham operation group,NT-3 expression significantly increased after spinal cord injury(P<0.05);exogenous NT-3 treatment accelerated neurological function recovery in rats post spinal cord injury(P<0.05)and increased the expression of Olig1 and myelin basic proteins(P<0.05).Cellular experiments revealed that 3 hours marked the early to middle/late phase transition.Compared with the OGD group,oligodendrocytes in the OGD+NT-3 group could maintain their morphology for a longer period of time,TrkC receptor expression was lower in the early phase and significantly upregulated in the middle/late phase(P<0.05),whereas P75NTR protein expression was upregulated in the early phase and downregulated in the middle/late phase(P<0.05),and autophagy levels showed an initial increase followed by a decrease(P<0.05).By comparing the morphology and TUNEL staining results of cells in the OGD+NT-3,OGD+rapamycin,and OGD+3-methyladenine groups,we found that either promoting or inhibiting autophagy alone had adverse effects on oligodendrocyte survival,whereas modulating autophagy in a manner similar to NT-3 could maximally maintain cell survival.NT-3 could promote autophagy in the early phase via the P75NTR/AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway and inhibit autophagy in the later phase through the TrkC/PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.Based on these findings,it is concluded that NT-3 can bidirectionally regulate autophagy in oligodendrocytes through the switching of P75NTR/TrkC receptors,thereby maintaining cell survival and facilitating the recovery of neurological functions in rats after spinal cord injury.

Objective To investigate the correlation between adiponectin/leptin(Adpn/Lep)ratio and risk of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction(HFpEF).Methods A total of 84 hospi-talized HFpEF patients(HFpEF group)and 84 age-and sex-matched non-heart failure patients(control group)admitted in Xiangyang Central Hospital between October 2023 and April 2024 were recruited in this study.Serum Adpn and Lep levels were measured using ELISA.Spearman correlation analysis was applied to assess the relationship between the Adpn/Lep ratio and other HFpEF-related parameters.Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were per-formed to identify risk factors for HFpEF.ROC curve was plotted to evaluate the auxiliary diag-nostic value of the Adpn/Lep ratio for HFpEF.Results The HFpEF group exhibited significantly higher leptin level,but lower Adpn level and Adpn/Lep ratio when compared with the control group(P＜0.01).Spearman correlation analysis revealed that Adpn/Lep ratio was negatively cor-related with N-terminal fragment of brain natriuretic peptide prohormone and left atrial diameter(r=-0.476,r=-0.328,P＜0.01)in HFpEF patients.Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified the Adpn/Lep ratio as an independent risk factor for HFpEF(P＜0.01).ROC curve analysis demonstrated that the AUC value of Adpn/Lep ratio,Adpn,and Lep in predicting HFpEF was 0.818(95％CI:0.747-0.888),0.639(95％CI:0.544-0.734)and 0.638(95％CI:0.550-0.726),respectively,and the ratio obtained better predictive performance than the two indicators(P＜0.01).Conclusion Adpn/Lep ratio is associated with HFpEF.Lower Adpn/Lep ratio has good auxiliary diagnostic value for HFpEF.The ratio can better predict the occurrence of HFpEF than Adpn and Lep alone.

Objective To investigate the role and mechanism of neurotrophin-3(NT-3)in promoting neurological recovery after sep-sis-associated encephalopathy(SAE).Methods Twenty-four Sprague-Dawley(SD)rats were randomly divided into the Sham,SAE,and+NT-3 groups(n=8).Neurological deficits were evaluated using a behavioral scoring system.Western blotting was performed to assess the expression levels of NT-3,S100β,caspase-1,and microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3B(LC3B)in brain tissues.Immuno-histochemistry(IHC)was performed to assess interleukin-1 β(IL-1β)expression level.For cellular experiments,groups included normal,lipopolysaccharide(LPS),LPS+NT-3,LPS+NT-3+3-MA(autophagy inhibitor),and LPS+NT-3+compound C(AMPK inhibitor).Western blotting was used to analyze LC3B,NLRP3,ASC,AMPK,phosphorylated AMPK(p-AMPK),mTOR,and phosphorylated mTOR(p-mTOR)expression levels.Caspase-1 expression in cells was evaluated using immunofluorescence(IF).Results NT-3 expression in septic rat brain tissues increased progressively from d1 to d2(P＜0.05).Compared with the SAE group,the SAE+NT-3 group exhibited elevated neurological scores.The expression levels of IL-1β,S100β,and caspase-1 decreased from d1 to d2,while the aurtophagy level increased from d1 to d2(all P＜0.05).In cellular models,the LPS+NT-3 group showed decreased caspase-1 expression and increased autophagy activity compared to that in the LPS group from 1 h to 3 h(P＜0.05).Compared to the LPS+NT-3 group,the LPS+NT-3+3-MA group exhibited elevated NLRP3,ASC,and caspase-1-positive cells(P＜0.05),whereas the LPS+NT-3+Compound C group exhibited reduced p-AMPK,increased p-mTOR,and attenuated autophagy(P＜0.05).Conclusion NT-3 activates autophagy through the AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway during the early phase of SAE,thereby eliminating pyroptosis-associated proteins NLRP3 and ASC to promote neurolog-ical recovery.

Coronavirus-related diseases pose a significant challenge to the global health system. Given the diversity of coronaviruses and the unpredictable nature of disease outbreaks, the traditional "one bug, one drug" paradigm struggles to address the growing number of emerging crises. Therefore, there is an urgent need for therapeutic agents with broad-spectrum anti-coronavirus activity. Here, we provide evidence that ATV006, an anti-SARS-CoV-2 nucleoside analog targeting RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), has broad antiviral activity against human and animal coronaviruses. Using mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) and human coronavirus NL63 (HCoV-NL63) as a model, we show that ATV006 has potent prophylactic and therapeutic activity against murine coronavirus infection in vivo. Remarkably, ATV006 successfully inhibits viral replication in mice even when administered 96 h after infection. Due to its oral bioavailability and potency against multiple coronaviruses, ATV006 has the potential to become a useful antiviral agent against SARS-CoV-2 and other circulating and emerging coronaviruses in humans and animals.

Objective To establish an effective model for distinguishing glandular prodromal lesions(PGL)mixed with ground-glass nodules(mGGN)from minimally invasive adenocarcinoma(MIA)on CT based on artificial intelligence.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical and CT image data of 180 patients with lung adenocarcinoma confirmed by surgical pathology and with CT manifestations of mGGN in the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University from January 2017 to June 2023,inclu-ding 66 patients with PGL and 114 patients with MIA.Patients were divided into the training set(n=144)and the test set(n=36)in an 8∶2 ratio using a completely random method.The quantitative parameters and radiomics features of the lesions in CT images were automatically extracted using artificial intelligence soft-ware(United Imaging Research Platform uRP).By incorporating the most obvious correlation features of omics through dimensionality reduction,five machine learning classifiers were established,including logistic regression(LR),support vector machine(SVM),Random forest(RF),Gaussian process(GP),and Decision Tree(DT).The classifier with the training set highest area under the curve(AUC)was selected as the best radiomics model,and output the result as radiomics score(Rad-score).The clinical information,CT morpho-logical characteristics and quantitative data of the two groups were included in the multivariate logistic regres-sion analysis to screen the independent influencing factors for effectively differentiating PGL and MIA,and a clinical model was established.Finally,a comprehensive prediction model was constructed based on Rad-score and clinical risk factors.The diagnostic performance of the three models was evaluated by using the AUC,sen-sitivity,specificity and accuracy of receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve.Results Eleven radiomics features for distinguishing PGL from MIA were obtained through LASSO dimensionality reduction.Among the five machine learning classifiers,GP has the best diagnostic performance,with AUC of 0.865 in the train-ing set and 0.762 in the test set,respectively.Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used for clinical feature screening.The clinical model was constructed by using the average CT value,average long and short diameter,and solid partial long diameter of mGGN,and the AUCs of the training set and the test set were 0.870 and 0.794,respectively.The comprehensive prediction model demonstrated superior diag-nostic performance,with AUC,sensitivity,specificity,and accuracy in the training set being 0.948,81.1%,91.2%and 87.5%respectively,while 0.883,76.9%,91.3%and 86.1%respectively in the test set.Conclu-sion The comprehensive prediction model established based on the quantitative and omics feature analysis of pulmonary nodules by artificial intelligence can well distinguish mGGN mixed with PGL from MIA on CT,and can be used to guide clinical treatment decisions.

Objective:To investigate the role and underlying mechanisms of neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) in promoting neurological functional recovery following spinal cord injury (SCI) in rats.Methods:In vivo: Fifteen 8-week-old SPF-grade Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned (via a random number method) to three groups ( n=5 per group): sham-operated (Sham) group, SCI group, and SCI+NT-3 group. A spinal cord compression model was established using a clip method. NT-3 (20 μg/kg) was continuously infused into the subarachnoid space via a microinfusion pump for 7 days. The Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan (BBB) scale was used to assess locomotor function post-SCI, with scores below 21 indicating successful model establishment. Western blotting was performed to analyze the expression levels of NT-3, microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3B (LC3B), oligodendrocyte transcription factor 1 (Olig1), and myelin basic protein (MBP) at 1, 3, 5, and 7 days post-injury. In vitro: Oligodendrocytes were isolated from neonatal rat brain tissues, cultured (5×10 4/cm 2), and divided into four groups: oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) group, OGD+NT-3 group, OGD+NT-3+ubiquitination inhibitor (UCHL1) group, and OGD+NT-3+ubiquitination agonist (MG132) group. Western blotting was conducted to detect the expression levels of TrkC, Ub-TrkC, and LC3B in each experimental group. Immunofluorescence staining was utilized to observe LC3B aggregation in oligodendrocytes. Morphological alterations in cells were examined through microscopy. Statistical analysis was performed using one-way ANOVA, followed by pairwise comparisons using the least significant difference method. Results:Compared with the SCI group, the SCI+NT-3 group exhibited significant improvement in BBB scores, reduced autophagy levels, increased Olig1 and MBP expression, and elevated TRAF6 ubiquitin ligase expression (all P<0.05). At 5 h post-OGD, immunofluorescence revealed reduced LC3B aggregation and near-normal oligodendrocyte morphology in the OGD+NT-3 group. Compared to the OGD, OGD+NT-3, and OGD+NT-3+UCHL1 groups, the OGD+NT-3+MG132 group demonstrated increased Ub-TrkC expression and markedly reduced autophagy levels at 5-7 h (all P<0.05). The OGD+NT-3+UCHL1 group exhibited lower Ub-TrkC expression and elevated autophagy levels compared to the OGD+NT-3 group (all P<0.05). Conclusion:NT-3 inhibits oligodendrocyte autophagy through TrkC receptor ubiquitination, thereby maintaining oligodendrocyte survival and promoting neurological recovery after SCI in rats.

Objective To investigate the role and mechanism of neurotrophin-3(NT-3)in promoting neurological recovery after sep-sis-associated encephalopathy(SAE).Methods Twenty-four Sprague-Dawley(SD)rats were randomly divided into the Sham,SAE,and+NT-3 groups(n=8).Neurological deficits were evaluated using a behavioral scoring system.Western blotting was performed to assess the expression levels of NT-3,S100β,caspase-1,and microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3B(LC3B)in brain tissues.Immuno-histochemistry(IHC)was performed to assess interleukin-1 β(IL-1β)expression level.For cellular experiments,groups included normal,lipopolysaccharide(LPS),LPS+NT-3,LPS+NT-3+3-MA(autophagy inhibitor),and LPS+NT-3+compound C(AMPK inhibitor).Western blotting was used to analyze LC3B,NLRP3,ASC,AMPK,phosphorylated AMPK(p-AMPK),mTOR,and phosphorylated mTOR(p-mTOR)expression levels.Caspase-1 expression in cells was evaluated using immunofluorescence(IF).Results NT-3 expression in septic rat brain tissues increased progressively from d1 to d2(P＜0.05).Compared with the SAE group,the SAE+NT-3 group exhibited elevated neurological scores.The expression levels of IL-1β,S100β,and caspase-1 decreased from d1 to d2,while the aurtophagy level increased from d1 to d2(all P＜0.05).In cellular models,the LPS+NT-3 group showed decreased caspase-1 expression and increased autophagy activity compared to that in the LPS group from 1 h to 3 h(P＜0.05).Compared to the LPS+NT-3 group,the LPS+NT-3+3-MA group exhibited elevated NLRP3,ASC,and caspase-1-positive cells(P＜0.05),whereas the LPS+NT-3+Compound C group exhibited reduced p-AMPK,increased p-mTOR,and attenuated autophagy(P＜0.05).Conclusion NT-3 activates autophagy through the AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway during the early phase of SAE,thereby eliminating pyroptosis-associated proteins NLRP3 and ASC to promote neurolog-ical recovery.

Objective To investigate the correlation between adiponectin/leptin(Adpn/Lep)ratio and risk of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction(HFpEF).Methods A total of 84 hospi-talized HFpEF patients(HFpEF group)and 84 age-and sex-matched non-heart failure patients(control group)admitted in Xiangyang Central Hospital between October 2023 and April 2024 were recruited in this study.Serum Adpn and Lep levels were measured using ELISA.Spearman correlation analysis was applied to assess the relationship between the Adpn/Lep ratio and other HFpEF-related parameters.Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were per-formed to identify risk factors for HFpEF.ROC curve was plotted to evaluate the auxiliary diag-nostic value of the Adpn/Lep ratio for HFpEF.Results The HFpEF group exhibited significantly higher leptin level,but lower Adpn level and Adpn/Lep ratio when compared with the control group(P＜0.01).Spearman correlation analysis revealed that Adpn/Lep ratio was negatively cor-related with N-terminal fragment of brain natriuretic peptide prohormone and left atrial diameter(r=-0.476,r=-0.328,P＜0.01)in HFpEF patients.Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified the Adpn/Lep ratio as an independent risk factor for HFpEF(P＜0.01).ROC curve analysis demonstrated that the AUC value of Adpn/Lep ratio,Adpn,and Lep in predicting HFpEF was 0.818(95％CI:0.747-0.888),0.639(95％CI:0.544-0.734)and 0.638(95％CI:0.550-0.726),respectively,and the ratio obtained better predictive performance than the two indicators(P＜0.01).Conclusion Adpn/Lep ratio is associated with HFpEF.Lower Adpn/Lep ratio has good auxiliary diagnostic value for HFpEF.The ratio can better predict the occurrence of HFpEF than Adpn and Lep alone.

Objective To explore the efficacy and safety of recombinant human anti-severe acute respiratory syn-drome coronavirus 2(anti-SARS-CoV-2)monoclonal antibody injection(F61 injection)in the treatment of patients with coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)combined with renal damage.Methods Patients with COVID-19 and renal damage who visited the PLA General Hospital from January to February 2023 were selected.Subjects were randomly divided into two groups.Control group was treated with conventional anti-COVID-19 therapy,while trial group was treated with conventional anti-COVID-19 therapy combined with F61 injection.A 15-day follow-up was conducted after drug administration.Clinical symptoms,laboratory tests,electrocardiogram,and chest CT of pa-tients were performed to analyze the efficacy and safety of F61 injection.Results Twelve subjects(7 in trial group and 5 in control group)were included in study.Neither group had any clinical progression or death cases.The ave-rage time for negative conversion of nucleic acid of SARS-CoV-2 in control group and trial group were 3.2 days and 1.57 days(P=0.046),respectively.The scores of COVID-19 related target symptom in the trial group on the 3rd and 5th day after medication were both lower than those of the control group(both P＜0.05).According to the clinical staging and World Health Organization 10-point graded disease progression scale,both groups of subjects improved but didn't show statistical differences(P＞0.05).For safety,trial group didn't present any infusion-re-lated adverse event.Subjects in both groups demonstrated varying degrees of elevated blood glucose,elevated urine glucose,elevated urobilinogen,positive urine casts,and cardiac arrhythmia,but the differences were not statistica-lly significant(all P＞0.05).Conclusion F61 injection has initially demonstrated safety and clinical benefit in trea-ting patients with COVID-19 combined with renal damage.As the domestically produced drug,it has good clinical accessibility and may provide more options for clinical practice.

PURPOSE: This study aims to elucidate the electrotaxis response of alveolar epithelial cells (AECs) in direct-current electric fields (EFs), explore the impact of EFs on the cell fate of AECs, and lay the foundation for future exploitation of EFs for the treatment of acute lung injury. METHODS: AECs were extracted from rat lung tissues using magnetic-activated cell sorting. To elucidate the electrotaxis responses of AECs, different voltages of EFs (0, 50, 100, and 200 mV/mm) were applied to two types of AECs, respectively. Cell migrations were recorded and trajectories were pooled to better demonstrate cellular activities through graphs. Cell directionality was calculated as the cosine value of the angle formed by the EF vector and cell migration. To further demonstrate the impact of EFs on the pulmonary tissue, the human bronchial epithelial cells transformed with Ad12-SV40 2B (BEAS-2B cells) were obtained and experimented under the same conditions as AECs. To determine the influence on cell fate, cells underwent electric stimulation were collected to perform Western blot analysis. RESULTS: The successful separation and culturing of AECs were confirmed through immunofluorescence staining. Compared with the control, AECs in EFs demonstrated a significant directionality in a voltage-dependent way. In general, type Ⅰ alveolar epithelial cells migrated faster than type Ⅱ alveolar epithelial cells, and under EFs, these two types of cells exhibited different response threshold. For type Ⅱ alveolar epithelial cells, only EFs at 200 mV/mm resulted a significant difference to the velocity, whereas for, EFs at both 100 mV/mm and 200 mV/mm gave rise to a significant difference. Western blotting suggested that EFs led to an increased expression of a AKT and myeloid leukemia 1 and a decreased expression of Bcl-2-associated X protein and Bcl-2-like protein 11. CONCLUSION EFs could guide and accelerate the directional migration of AECs and exert antiapoptotic effects, which indicated that EFs are important biophysical signals in the re-epithelialization of alveolar epithelium in lung injury.
Humans ; Rats ; Animals ; Alveolar Epithelial Cells ; Lung ; Lung Injury ; Cell Movement/physiology*