Inflammatory diseases (IDs) are a general term of diseases characterized by chronic inflammation as the primary pathogenetic mechanism, which seriously affect the quality of patient′s life and cause significant social and medical burden. Current drugs for IDs include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroids, immunomodulators, biologics, and antioxidants, but these drugs may cause gastrointestinal side effects, induce or worsen infections, and cause non-response or intolerance. Given the outstanding performance of metal polyphenol network (MPN) in the fields of drug delivery, biomedical imaging, and catalytic therapy, its application in the diagnosis and treatment of IDs has attracted much attention and significant progress has been made. In this paper, we first provide an overview of the types of IDs and their generating mechanisms, then sort out and summarize the different forms of MPN in recent years, and finally discuss in detail the characteristics of MPN and their latest research progress in the diagnosis and treatment of IDs. This research may provide useful references for scientific research and clinical practice in the related fields.

Superior vena cava syndrome(SVCS)is a group of clinical syndromes caused by obstruction of the superior vena cava and its major branches from various causes.Pulmonary artery stenosis(PS)is a complication of lung cancer or mediastinal tumours.SVCS combined with PS due to pulmonary metastases from bladder cancer is extremely rare and has not been reported in the literature.Here we reported an old male patient with pulmonary metastases from bladder cancer presenting with swelling of the head,neck and both upper limbs.SVCS combined with PS was clarified by pulmonary artery computed tomography angiography(CTA)and digital subtraction angiography(DSA).Endovascular stenting was used to treat SVCS.Angiography also showed that PS had not caused pulmonary hypertension and did not need to be treated.The swelling of the patient's head,neck and upper limbs was gradually reduced after the procedure.

DNA polymerase theta (Polθ), also known as DNA polymerase θ, is the member of the DNA polymerase A family and plays a crucial role in the repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSB). Polθ has 3 distinct structural domains: the N-terminal helicase-like domain with a conserved sequence, the C-terminal polymerase domain, and the central domain, which is a disordered sequence connecting these two regions. Notably, Polθ is the only known polymerase in eukaryotes that possesses helicase activity. However, it is also an error-prone polymerase. When DNA DSBs occur, a specialized network consisting of at least 4 pathways, including classical-non homologous end joining (C-NHEJ), homologous recombination (HR), single-strand annealing (SSA), and alternative-end joining (Alt-EJ), is responsible for repairing DNA damage caused by DSBs. In the absence of major DNA repair pathways like HR, cells rely on Alt-EJ pathway mediated by Polθ to repair damaged DNA and maintain genomic stability. Nevertheless, due to the low fidelity of Polθ, Alt-EJ repair often leads to errors. Depletion of Polθ has shown to increases DSB formation and compromise genomic stability. Conversely, overexpression of Polθ has been associated with increases DNA damage markers and impairs cell cycle progression. As a result, the impact of Polθ on genome stability remains controversial. Furthermore, overexpression of Polθ is frequently observed in cancer and is associated with a characteristic mutational signature and poor prognosis. Depleting Polθ in an HR-deficient background has been shown to impair cell viability, suggesting a synthetic lethal (SL) relationship between Polθ and HR factors. In recent years, targeted chemotherapy drugs that inhibit tumor growth have gained significant attention. However, off-target effects and drug resistance pose challenges for clinical application, particularly with poly-ADP-ribose polymerase inhibitor (PARPi). Blocking Polθ activity in HR-deficient tumor cells has been found to reverse PARPi resistance, making Polθ a very promising therapeutic target in cancer treatment. The availability of crystal structures for both helicase and polymerase domain has facilitated the design of potent inhibitors of Polθ. Currently, several highly specific and effective small molecule inhibitors targeting Polθ, such as Novobiocin, RP-6685, and ART558, have been reported to effectively block various cancers with HR deficiency. The initial success of these inhibitors points to new directions for treating BRCA1/2-mutated tumors. Additionally, reducing the Alt-EJ repair pathway mediated by Polθ can improve HR repair efficiency and increase the chance of exogenous gene target integration (TI), suggesting potential new applications for Polθ inhibitors. This article reviews the recent research progress on the molecular function of Polθ and its involvement in the Alt-EJ pathway modification mechanism, providing insights for a deeper understanding of this field.

BACKGROUND:Sepsis-induced systemic inflammation leads to rapid bone mass loss;however,there is a lack of effective treatments.Ulinastatin is an anti-inflammatory drug,but its protective effect and mechanism on bone under sepsis-induced systemic inflammation are still unclear. OBJECTIVE:To explore whether ulinastatin can relieve acute bone loss caused by lipopolysaccharide. METHODS:(1)Animal experiment.Thirty male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into three groups(n=10 per group):control group,model group and experimental group.The control group was injected intraperitoneally with normal saline,the model group was injected intraperitoneally with lipopolysaccharide,and the experimental group was injected intraperitoneally with lipopolysaccharide and ulinastatin.In the experimental group,ulinastatin was injected continuously for 3 days.After intraperitoneal injection of ulinastatin for 14 days,femoral tissues were taken for CT scanning and pathological observation.(2)Cell experiment.C57BL/6 mouse primary osteoblasts were isolated and divided into three groups:the control group was routinely cultured,lipopolysaccharide was added to the model group,and lipopolysaccharide with ulinastatin was added to the experimental group.Cell proliferation and osteogenic differentiation were detected.C57BL/6 mouse bone marrow mononuclear cells were isolated and divided into three groups:the control group was routinely cultured,lipopolysaccharide was added to the model group,and lipopolysaccharide and ulinastatin were added to the experimental group.Osteoclast differentiation was detected. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Animal experiment.CT scanning and hematoxylin-eosin staining showed that bone mass in lipopolysaccharide-treated mice was reduced but increased after treatment with ulinastatin.Tartrate resistant acid phosphatase staining showed that the number of osteoclasts in bone tissue increased in the model group,but significantly decreased in the experimental group compared with the model group.(2)Cell experiment.Cell counting kit-8 assay showed that lipopolysaccharide treatment inhibited the proliferation of osteoblasts,and ulinastatin elevated the proliferation of osteoblasts after lipopolysaccharide treatment.Alkaline phosphatase staining,alizarin red staining and osteogenesis-related gene(alkaline phosphatase,Runx2,osteocalcin,osteoblastin,nuclear factor κB receptor-activating factor ligand,osteoprotegerin)detection showed that lipopolysaccharide treatment inhibited osteogenic differentiation of osteoblasts and elevated the nuclear factor κB receptor-activating factor ligand/osteoprotegerin ratio;ulinastatin did not have any significant effect on the reduction of osteoblast function induced by lipopolysaccharide but decreased the nuclear factor κB receptor-activating factor ligand/osteoprotegerin ratio.Tartrate resistant acid phosphatase staining and osteoclast-related gene(tartrate resistant acid phosphatase and matrix metalloproteinase 9)detection showed that lipopolysaccharide treatment could promote osteoclast differentiation of bone marrow monocytes,while ulinastatin could inhibit lipopolysaccharide-induced osteoclast differentiation of bone marrow monocytes.(3)Overall,ulinastatin can significantly inhibit lipopolysaccharide-induced bone loss,mainly through promoting osteoblast proliferation and directly or indirectly inhibiting osteoclast differentiation to alleviate bone loss and achieve osteoprotective effects.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement(TAVR)has become one of the effective methods for treating patients with aortic valve disease.With the continuous maturity of technology,innovation of instruments and increasing experience,the indications for TAVR has been expanded.Following international trends,the number of TAVR in China has steadily increased with each passing year.In 2023,the long-term follow-up results of TAVR in low-risk AS patients further confirm the long-term benefits of TAVR.The relevant research on TAVR for patients with aortic regurgitation and patients with bicuspid aortic stenosis provide evidence support for the expansion of TAVR indications.At the same time,the development of valve devices and new technological innovations are emerging in an endless stream,and the new concept of full life cycle management is increasingly being valued.Especially in China,the development of local devices is progressing rapidly,and multiple devices have entered the clinical research stage.The clinical manifestations and research results are worth pursuing.

Aim To discover the potential active compounds and possible mechanisms in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatment with Zhi-Huang-Zhi-Tong powder (ZHZTP) by using network pharmacology and in vitro study. Methods The active ingredient targets and disease targets of Zhihuang Zhitong Powder were searched and screened by database; they intersected to get a common target; and the "drug-component-target" relationship network diagram was constructed for GO and KEGG enrichment analysis of the overlapping genes; then the core components were docked with the core targets. Finally, based on the inflammation model of HUVECs in vitro, the efficacy and mechanism of Zhihuang Zhitong powder were verified by MTT method, plate scratch test and Western blot. Results Active compounds involved in RA treatment were screened in the present study, and the top two were ursolic acid and emodin, all playing crucial roles in RA treatment with ZHZTP. Additionally, the key target was AKTA, TNF and IL-6. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis revealed that ZHZTP regulated BP, MF and CC, and also focused on regulating AKTA, TNF and IL-6 signaling pathway. Molecular docking showed that interactions between key active compounds and key targets were stable. In vitro ZHZTP significantly inhibited cell viability and migration of TNF-a-stimulated HUVECs, and the involved mechanism may be associated with PI3K/AKT/m-TOR signaling. Conclusions The present study reveals that the potential active compounds of ZHZTP are ursolic acid and emodin, and moreover, the involved mechanisms of ZHZTP for RA treatment are associated with PI3 K/AKT/m-TOR signaling.

In addition to providing energy for cells, mitochondria also participate in calcium homeostasis, cell information transfer, cell apoptosis, cell growth and differentiation. Therefore, maintaining mitochondrial homeostasis is very crucial for the body to carry out normal life activities. Ubiquitination, a post-translational modification of proteins, is involved in various physiological and pathological processes of cells by regulating mitochondrial homeostasis. However, the mechanism by which ubiquitination regulates mitochondrial homeostasis has not been summarized, especially the effect of Parkin protein on cardiovascular diseases. In this paper, the specific mechanism of mitochondrial homeostasis regulated by ubiquitination of Parkin protein is discussed, and the influence of mitochondrial homeostasis imbalance on cardiovascular diseases is reviewed, with a view to providing potential therapeutic strategies for the clinical treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

Objective:To analyze the main active ingredients and mechanisms of action of clinically commonly used traditional Chinese medicine for anti-hepatic fibrosis based on network pharmacology.Methods:The traditional Chinese medicine system pharmacology analysis platform (TCMSP) and Swiss Target Prediction were employed to obtain the active ingredients and potential targets of 21 clinically commonly used traditional Chinese medicines. The GEO database was used to analyze the differential genes of liver fibrosis that resulted from hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, alcoholic liver disease, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.The therapeutic targets of traditional Chinese medicine were predicted by combining the key genes for the production and reversal of the extracellular matrix in liver fibrosis. The "drug-therapeutic target pathway" network was constructed using Cytoscape software to analyze the anti-fibrosis ingredients and mechanisms of action of traditional Chinese medicine. The effects of core ingredients were investigated in vitro on macrophages (THP-1) and hepatic stellate cells (LX2). The data were initially examined for normality and homogeneity of variance, and then a t-test was used to compare the data between the two groups. The one-way ANOVA method was used for multi- ingredient comparisons.Results:The 21 traditional Chinese medicines contained 355 monomer compounds, which corresponded to 315 recognized drug targets. The results showed that 57 genes were anti-fibrotic therapeutic targets based on the key links between liver fibrosis occurrence and regression.The results of the "drug-target-pathway network" association analysis showed that quercetin and kaempferol were the most core anti-liver fibrosis ingredients of various traditional Chinese medicine compounds, which mainly improved HBV, alcoholic liver disease, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and fibrosis progression by regulating and controlling PI3K-Akt, AGE-RAGE, MAPK, TNF, and IL-17 signaling pathways core genes such as TNF, AKT1, MMP9, BCL2, CCL2, CASP3, CXCL8, RELA, MYC, and STAT1. Cellular experiments showed that quercetin had a stronger ability to inhibit the release of proinflammatory factors IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α from inflammatory THP-1 cells than kaempferol. In contrast, kaempferol had markedly reduced the chemokine CCL2. Quercetin and kaempferol significantly inhibited THP-1-mediated LX2 cell proliferation, which was accompanied by significant decreases in α-SMA, collagen IA, and TGF-β, as well as increases in CASP3 and cleaved-CASP3, indicating both had a synergistic effect.Conclusion:Quercetin and kaempferol are the basic forms of traditional Chinese medicine compounds for liver fibrosis treatment, and it serve as a reference for the subsequent research and development of multi-target anti-hepatic fibrosis drugs.

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of pneumococcal meningitis(PM),and drug sensitivity of Streptococcus pneumoniae(SP)isolates in Chinese children.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical information,laboratory data,and microbiological data of 160 hospitalized children under 15 years old with PM from January 2019 to December 2020 in 33 tertiary hospitals across the country.Results Among the 160 children with PM,there were 103 males and 57 females.The age ranged from 15 days to 15 years,with 109 cases(68.1% )aged 3 months to under 3 years.SP strains were isolated from 95 cases(59.4% )in cerebrospinal fluid cultures and from 57 cases(35.6% )in blood cultures.The positive rates of SP detection by cerebrospinal fluid metagenomic next-generation sequencing and cerebrospinal fluid SP antigen testing were 40% (35/87)and 27% (21/78),respectively.Fifty-five cases(34.4% )had one or more risk factors for purulent meningitis,113 cases(70.6% )had one or more extra-cranial infectious foci,and 18 cases(11.3% )had underlying diseases.The most common clinical symptoms were fever(147 cases,91.9% ),followed by lethargy(98 cases,61.3% )and vomiting(61 cases,38.1% ).Sixty-nine cases(43.1% )experienced intracranial complications during hospitalization,with subdural effusion and/or empyema being the most common complication[43 cases(26.9% )],followed by hydrocephalus in 24 cases(15.0% ),brain abscess in 23 cases(14.4% ),and cerebral hemorrhage in 8 cases(5.0% ).Subdural effusion and/or empyema and hydrocephalus mainly occurred in children under 1 year old,with rates of 91% (39/43)and 83% (20/24),respectively.SP strains exhibited complete sensitivity to vancomycin(100% ,75/75),linezolid(100% ,56/56),and meropenem(100% ,6/6).High sensitivity rates were also observed for levofloxacin(81% ,22/27),moxifloxacin(82% ,14/17),rifampicin(96% ,25/26),and chloramphenicol(91% ,21/23).However,low sensitivity rates were found for penicillin(16% ,11/68)and clindamycin(6% ,1/17),and SP strains were completely resistant to erythromycin(100% ,31/31).The rates of discharge with cure and improvement were 22.5% (36/160)and 66.2% (106/160),respectively,while 18 cases(11.3% )had adverse outcomes.Conclusions Pediatric PM is more common in children aged 3 months to under 3 years.Intracranial complications are more frequently observed in children under 1 year old.Fever is the most common clinical manifestation of PM,and subdural effusion/emphysema and hydrocephalus are the most frequent complications.Non-culture detection methods for cerebrospinal fluid can improve pathogen detection rates.Adverse outcomes can be noted in more than 10% of PM cases.SP strains are high sensitivity to vancomycin,linezolid,meropenem,levofloxacin,moxifloxacin,rifampicin,and chloramphenicol.[Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics,2024,26(2):131-138]

Objective To investigate the clinical and genetic features of children with 3-methylcrotonyl-coenzyme A carboxylase deficiency(MCCD).Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical manifestations and genetic testing results of six children with MCCD who attended Children's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University from January 2018 to October 2023.Results Among the six children with MCCD,there were 4 boys and 2 girls,with a mean age of 7 days at the time of attending the hospital and 45 days at the time of confirmed diagnosis.Of all children,one had abnormal urine odor and five had no clinical symptoms.All six children had increases in blood 3-hydroxyisovaleryl carnitine and urinary 3-hydroxyisovaleric acid and 3-methylcrotonoylglycine,and five of them had a reduction in free carnitine.A total of six mutations were identified in the MCCC1 gene,i.e.,c.1630del(p.R544Dfs*2),c.269A>G(p.D90G),c.1609T>A(p.F537I),c.639+2T>A,c.761+1G>T,and c.1331G>A(p.R444H),and three mutations were identified in the MCCC2 gene,i.e.,c.838G>T(p.D280Y),c.592C>T(p.Q198*,366),and c.1342G>A(p.G448A).Among these mutations,c.269A>G(p.D90G)and c.1609T>A(p.F537I)had not been previously reported in the literature.There was one case of maternal MCCD,and the child carried a heterozygous mutation from her mother.Five children with a reduction in free carnitine were given supplementation of L-carnitine,and free carnitine was restored to the normal level at the last follow-up visit.Conclusions This study identifies two new mutations,c.269A>G(p.D90G)and c.1609T>A(p.F537I),thereby expanding the mutation spectrum of the MCCC1 gene.A combination of blood amino acid and acylcarnitine profiles,urine organic acid analysis,and genetic testing can facilitate early diagnosis and treatment of MCCD,and provide essential data for genetic counseling.