OBJECTIVE To investigate the apoptosis-inducing effect of esculetin （Esc） on acute myeloid leukemia （AML） HL-60 cells by regulating the protein kinase B （AKT）/S-phase kinase-associated protein 2 （SKP2）/MutT homolog 1 （MTH1） pathway. METHODS AML HL-60 cells were randomly divided into control group （routine culture）， Esc low-concentration group （L-Esc group， 25 μmol/L Esc）， Esc medium-concentration group （M-Esc group， 50 μmol/L Esc）， Esc high-concentration group （H-Esc group， 100 μmol/L Esc）， and high-concentration of Esc+ SC79 （AKT agonist） group （100 μmol/L Esc+5 μmol/L SC79）. Cell proliferation in each group was detected by MTT assay and colony formation assay. The level of reactive oxygen species （ROS） in cells was measured by using the CM-H2DCFDA fluorescent probe. Cell apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry. Western blot assay was performed to detect the expression levels of apoptosis-related proteins [B-cell lymphoma 2 （Bcl-2）， Bcl-2-associated X protein （Bax）， cleaved caspase-3]， AKT/SKP2/MTH1 pathway-related proteins （p-AKT， AKT， SKP2， MTH1）， along with the upstream and downstream proteins of AKT phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）， cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1 （P21） and cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1B （P27）. RESULTS Compared with control group， the cell viability， colony number， and the phosphorylation levels of AKT and PI3K proteins as well as protein expressions of SKP2， MTH1 and Bcl-2 were significantly decreased （P＜0.05）， while ROS level， apoptosis rate， and the expression levels of Bax， cleaved caspase-3， P21 and P27 proteins were significantly increased （P＜0.05）. Moreover， the effects of Esc exhibited concentration-dependence （P＜0.05）. Compared with H-Esc group， above indexes of high-concentration of Esc+ SC79 group were reversed significantly （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Esc may promote massive ROS production and induce activation of apoptosis in HL-60 cells by inhibiting the AKT/SKP2/MTH1 pathway， thus inhibiting the proliferation of HL-60 cells.

BACKGROUND:In previous studies,glass materials were infiltrated into 5Y-PSZ ultra-translucent zirconia by a double sintering method to prepare 5Y-PSZ-YGI graded glass infiltrated ultra-translucent zirconia materials that can maintain high transparency and high flexural strength.OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the in vitro biocompatibility of 5Y-PSZ-YGI graded glass infiltrated ultra-translucent zirconia materials.METHODS:(1)Glass materials were infiltrated into 5Y-PSZ ultra-translucent zirconia by double sintering to prepare 5Y-PSZ-YGI graded glass infiltrated ultra-translucent zirconia.5Y-PSZ-YGI graded glass infiltrated ultra-translucent zirconia(or 5Y-PSZ ultra-translucent zirconia,3Y-TZP transparent zirconia)was placed in DMEM culture medium containing 10％fetal bovine serum for 12,24 and 72 hours,and the surface area ratio of culture medium to sample was 3 mL/cm2,and the 12-,24-and 72-hour material extracts were obtained.(2)After culturing mouse fibroblast L929 for 24 hours,the original culture medium was discarded and divided into 7 groups for culture:the control group was replaced with DMEM culture medium containing 10％fetal bovine serum by volume,and the other 6 groups were replaced with 24-hour extract of 3Y-TZP transparent zirconia,24-hour extract of 5Y-PSZ ultra-translucent zirconia,24-hour extract of 5Y-PSZ-YGI graded glass infiltrated ultra-translucent zirconia,72-hour extract of 3Y-TZP transparent zirconia,72-hour extract of 5Y-PSZ ultra-translucent zirconia,and 72-hour extract of 5Y-PSZ-YGI graded glass infiltrated ultra-translucent zirconia.After 1,3,and 5 days of culture,cell growth was observed under a microscope,and the cell proliferation rate was obtained by CCK-8 assay to determine cytotoxicity.(3)Human anticoagulated blood was mixed with 5Y-PSZ-YGI graded glass infiltrated ultra-translucent zirconia,5Y-PSZ ultra-translucent zirconia,and 3Y-TZP transparent zirconia,and the hemolysis rate was detected after 0.5 hours.Human anticoagulated blood was mixed with 12-hour extract of 3Y-TZP transparent zirconia,12-hour extract of 5Y-PSZ ultra-translucent zirconia,and 12-hour extract of 5Y-PSZ-YGI graded glass infiltrated ultra-translucent zirconia,and the hemolysis rate was detected after 0.5 hours.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Under the microscope,it could be seen that the number of cells in each group increased with the extension of culture time,and the cell morphology of each experimental group was basically the same as that of the control group.The cytotoxicity grade of the 24-hour extract of 3Y-TZP transparent zirconia group on the first day of culture was grade 0,and the cytotoxicity grade of the other experimental groups at each time period was grade 1.(2)Neither the material nor the material extract caused obvious hemolytic reaction,and the hemolytic rate was less than 5％.(3)The results showed that 5Y-PSZ-YGI graded glass infiltrated ultra-translucent zirconia had no significant effect on the growth and proliferation of mouse fibroblasts L929,and did not cause hemolytic reaction with human blood,and had good in vitro biocompatibility.

BACKGROUND:In previous studies,glass materials were infiltrated into 5Y-PSZ ultra-translucent zirconia by a double sintering method to prepare 5Y-PSZ-YGI graded glass infiltrated ultra-translucent zirconia materials that can maintain high transparency and high flexural strength.OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the in vitro biocompatibility of 5Y-PSZ-YGI graded glass infiltrated ultra-translucent zirconia materials.METHODS:(1)Glass materials were infiltrated into 5Y-PSZ ultra-translucent zirconia by double sintering to prepare 5Y-PSZ-YGI graded glass infiltrated ultra-translucent zirconia.5Y-PSZ-YGI graded glass infiltrated ultra-translucent zirconia(or 5Y-PSZ ultra-translucent zirconia,3Y-TZP transparent zirconia)was placed in DMEM culture medium containing 10％fetal bovine serum for 12,24 and 72 hours,and the surface area ratio of culture medium to sample was 3 mL/cm2,and the 12-,24-and 72-hour material extracts were obtained.(2)After culturing mouse fibroblast L929 for 24 hours,the original culture medium was discarded and divided into 7 groups for culture:the control group was replaced with DMEM culture medium containing 10％fetal bovine serum by volume,and the other 6 groups were replaced with 24-hour extract of 3Y-TZP transparent zirconia,24-hour extract of 5Y-PSZ ultra-translucent zirconia,24-hour extract of 5Y-PSZ-YGI graded glass infiltrated ultra-translucent zirconia,72-hour extract of 3Y-TZP transparent zirconia,72-hour extract of 5Y-PSZ ultra-translucent zirconia,and 72-hour extract of 5Y-PSZ-YGI graded glass infiltrated ultra-translucent zirconia.After 1,3,and 5 days of culture,cell growth was observed under a microscope,and the cell proliferation rate was obtained by CCK-8 assay to determine cytotoxicity.(3)Human anticoagulated blood was mixed with 5Y-PSZ-YGI graded glass infiltrated ultra-translucent zirconia,5Y-PSZ ultra-translucent zirconia,and 3Y-TZP transparent zirconia,and the hemolysis rate was detected after 0.5 hours.Human anticoagulated blood was mixed with 12-hour extract of 3Y-TZP transparent zirconia,12-hour extract of 5Y-PSZ ultra-translucent zirconia,and 12-hour extract of 5Y-PSZ-YGI graded glass infiltrated ultra-translucent zirconia,and the hemolysis rate was detected after 0.5 hours.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Under the microscope,it could be seen that the number of cells in each group increased with the extension of culture time,and the cell morphology of each experimental group was basically the same as that of the control group.The cytotoxicity grade of the 24-hour extract of 3Y-TZP transparent zirconia group on the first day of culture was grade 0,and the cytotoxicity grade of the other experimental groups at each time period was grade 1.(2)Neither the material nor the material extract caused obvious hemolytic reaction,and the hemolytic rate was less than 5％.(3)The results showed that 5Y-PSZ-YGI graded glass infiltrated ultra-translucent zirconia had no significant effect on the growth and proliferation of mouse fibroblasts L929,and did not cause hemolytic reaction with human blood,and had good in vitro biocompatibility.

Objective:To evaluate the effects of glutamine-enriched parenteral nutrition on short-term postoperative outcomes compared with conventional nutritional support in colorectal cancer patients with enteral nutrition intolerance after surgery.Method:A retrospective cohort study was conducted to collect clinical data from colorectal cancer patients who underwent radical resection at the Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery of Zunyi Medical University Affiliated Hospital from January 2019 to December 2021.The differences in postoperative complication rates,perioperative nutritional indicators,and inflammatory factors between the two groups were analyzed.SPSS 29.0 software was used for statistical analysis.Result:Based on whether glutamine was added to parenteral nutrition,178 patients were divided into a control group(conventional nutritional therapy,n=120)and an observation group(glutamine enhanced nutritional therapy,n=58).The incidence of postoperative complications(Clavien Dindo grade≥III)in the control and observation groups was 14.17%(17/120)and 3.45%(2/58),respectively,with a statistically significant difference(P=0.030).The observation group recovered faster than the control group in terms of time to first expectoration,defecation and intake of liquid diet after surgery,and had a shorter hospital stay after surgery(P<0.05).However,there was no significant difference in the 30-day readmission rate between the two groups(P=0.393).There was no statistically significant difference in the changes in total protein,albumin,pre-albumin,neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio and endogenous creatinine clearance rate between the two groups of patients after surgery(P>0.05).There were also significant differences in the changes in lymphocyte count,white blood cell count,neutrophil percentage,alanine aminotransferase,aspartate aminotransferase,total bilirubin,and urea nitrogen levels between the two groups of patients after surgery(P<0.05).Conclusion:Compared with regular nutritional support,postoperative parenteral glutamine supplementation can reduce the incidence of postoperative complications in colorectal cancer patients,promote recovery of bowel function,shorten postoperative hospital stay,improve patient immune function and reduce inflammatory levels.

Objective To investigate the protective effect of β-glucan(BG)against intestinal ischemia reperfusion(II/R)injury by regulating the secretion of glucagon-like peptide-1(GLP-1).Methods Male C57BL/6 mice(6～8 weeks old)were subjected,and finally,the experiments had sham group,II/R group,II/R+BG group(0.1 mg/mL BG in drinking water for 2 weeks before modeling),II/R+liraglutide(LLT,GLP-1 analogue)group(0.2 μg/g LLT injected every 12 hours for 3 consecutive days before modeling),and II/R+BG+Ex9-39(GLP-1 R antagonist)group(intraperitoneal injection of 2 μg/g Ex9-39 1 h before modeling).After modeling,HE staining was used to observe intestinal morphological changes,and RT-qPCR and Western blotting were employed to evaluate the molecules(Occludin,ZO-1 and Claudin-1)related to intestinal barrier damage.The effect of 0.1 mg/mL BG treatment on the GLP-1 level in the serum and intestinal tissues of normal mice was determined with ELISA and immunofluorescence assay,respectively,and RT-PCR for the molecules related to GLP-1 expression(Gcg,Pcsk1/2,GIP and Foxa2).The effects of LLT and Ex9-39 pretreatment on intestinal morphology and intestinal barrier damage were also determined by morphological observation and expression levels of related molecules.Results II/R induced significant decreases in the mRNA levels of Occludin,ZO-1 and Claudin-1 and increase in Chiu's score when compared with sham control mice(P＜0.05).While,the mRNA levels of the 3 molecules were obviously higher and the Chiu's score was lower in the II/R+BG group than the II/R group(P＜0.05).BG pretreatment induced notably enhanced secretion of GLP-1 in the serum and intestinal tract of normal mice,and improved the mRNA expression of GLP-1-related molecules(P＜0.05).The intervention of GLP-1 analogue LLT could attenuate the II/R damage and decreased Chiu's score,with statistical difference in comparison with the II/R group(P＜0.05).GLP-1 receptor antagonist Ex9-39 reversed the protective effects of BG pretreatment against II/R damage,with notably differences in the expression of Occludin,ZO-1 and Claudin-1 and Chiu's score(P＜0.05).Conclusion BG can attenuate intestinal mucosal and functional injury after II/R by promoting intestinal GLP-1 secretion.

Organophosphorus nerve agents are the most threatening chemical warfare agents and terrorist agents.The number of nerve agents and their related chemicals involved in the verification of Chemical Weapon Convention(CWC)exceeds ten million,with the majority being isomers.Accurate structural identification of these chemicals has always been one of the challenges in CWC related verification analysis.In this work,a total of 17 kinds of alkyl phosphonate isomers and structural analogs from 5 groups were designed and synthesized,and then analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS)and gas chromatography-infrared spectroscopy(GC-FTIR).The spectra of isomers or structural analogs obtained from two techniques as well as the structural information provided therein were compared and analyzed.The results showed that for isomers or structural analogs with similar MS spectra,FTIR spectra could provided more structural fingerprint information of compounds and had advantages in confirming structures.Combined with the excellent separation ability of GC,GC-FTIR can be used to assist GC-MS in the structural confirmation of alkyl phosphates,achieving rapid and accurate identification of isomers or structural analogues.

As a cheap and effective antibiotic,sulfonamides are often used in animal husbandry.However,their residues in animal-derived foodstuffs will threaten human health.Consequently,a high-performance liquid chromatography(HPLC)method integrated with supramolecular solvent microextraction was successfully established for simultaneous quantification of sulfonamide residues sulfachlorpyridazine,sulfamethoxazole,sulfamethoxypyridazine and sulfadimethoxine in milk matrices.This approach exhibited prominent characteristics of operational simplicity,environmental sustainability,and high extraction efficiency.The supramolecular solvents prepared by tributyl octylphosphine tetrafluoroborate and tetrahydrofuran were employed as extraction solvents.The analytes underwent isolation and concentration via dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction(DLLME)prior to quantitative determination using high-performance liquid chromatography(HPLC).The composition and microscopic morphology of the supramolecular solvent were characterized through a series of analytical techniques,including phase diagram,Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy,scanning electron microscopy,and inverted fluorescence microscopy and so on.The density and pH value of supramolecular solvents were determined.The extraction conditions were optimized through the one-factor experiments.The experimental results demonstrated that under the optimal extraction conditions,the four kinds of sulfonamide antibiotics exhibited excellent linearity within respective detection range(R2 ≥ 0.9998)and the limits of detection(LOD)were 0.67-1.45 μg/L.Compared with literature methods,this approach offered some advantages such as simplicity of operation and less reagent consumption,and could be used for analysis and detection of sulfonamide antibiotic residues in milk samples.The present method provided technical support for food safety regulation and paved a new way for the application of supramolecular solvents in the field of extraction and separation.

PURPOSE: The secondary damage of spinal cord injury (SCI) starts from the collapse of the blood spinal cord barrier (BSCB) to chronic and devastating neurological deficits. Thereby, the retention of the integrity and permeability of BSCB is well-recognized as one of the major therapies to promote functional recovery after SCI. Previous studies have demonstrated that activation of hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) provides anti-apoptosis and neuroprotection in SCI. Endogenous HIF-1α, rapidly degraded by prolylhydroxylase, is insufficient for promoting functional recovery. Dimethyloxalylglycine (DMOG), a highly selective inhibitor of prolylhydroxylase, has been reported to have a positive effect on axon regeneration. However, the roles and underlying mechanisms of DMOG in BSCB restoration remain unclear. Herein, we aim to investigate pathological changes of BSCB restoration in rats with SCI treated by DOMG and evaluate the therapeutic effects of DMOG. METHODS: The work was performed from 2022 to 2023. In this study, Allen's impact model and human umbilical vein endothelial cells were employed to explore the mechanism of DMOG. In the phenotypic validation experiment, the rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: sham group, SCI group, and SCI + DMOG group (10 rats for each). Histological analysis via Nissl staining, Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan scale, and footprint analysis was used to evaluate the functional recovery after SCI. Western blotting, TUNEL assay, and immunofluorescence staining were employed to exhibit levels of tight junction and adhesion junction of BSCB, HIF-1α, cell apoptosis, and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. The one-way ANOVA test was used for statistical analysis. The difference was considered statistically significant at p < 0.05. RESULTS: In this study, we observed the expression of HIF-1α reduced in the SCI model. DMOG treatment remarkably augmented HIF-1α level, alleviated endothelial cells apoptosis and disruption of BSCB, and enhanced functional recovery post-SCI. Besides, the administration of DMOG offset the activation of ER stress induced by SCI, but this phenomenon was blocked by tunicamycin (an ER stress activator). Finally, we disclosed that DMOG maintained the integrity and permeability of BSCB by inhibiting ER stress, and inhibition of HIF-1α erased the protection from DMOG. CONCLUSIONS Our findings illustrate that the administration of DMOG alleviates the devastation of BSCB and HIF-1α-induced inhibition of ER stress.
Spinal Cord Injuries/pathology* ; Animals ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Amino Acids, Dicarboxylic/therapeutic use* ; Recovery of Function/drug effects* ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit/metabolism* ; Male ; Spinal Cord/blood supply*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of zedoarondiol on neovascularization of atherosclerotic (AS) plaque by exosomes experiment. METHODS: ApoE^-/- mice were fed with high-fat diet to establish AS model and treated with high- and low-dose (10, 5 mg/kg daily) of zedoarondiol, respectively. After 14 weeks, the expressions of anti-angiogenic protein thrombospondin 1 (THBS-1) and its receptor CD36 in plaques, as well as platelet activation rate and exosome-derived miR-let-7a were detected. Then, zedoarondiol was used to intervene in platelets in vitro, and miR-let-7a was detected in platelet-derived exosomes (Pexo). Finally, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were transfected with miR-let-7a mimics and treated with Pexo to observe the effect of miR-let-7a in Pexo on tube formation. RESULTS: Animal experiments showed that after treating with zedoarondiol, the neovascularization density in plaques of AS mice was significantly reduced, THBS-1 and CD36 increased, the platelet activation rate was markedly reduced, and the miR-let-7a level in Pexo was reduced (P<0.01). In vitro experiments, the platelet activation rate and miR-let-7a levels in Pexo were significantly reduced after zedoarondiol's intervention. Cell experiments showed that after Pexo's intervention, the tube length increased, and the transfection of miR-let-7a minics further increased the tube length of cells, while reducing the expressions of THBS-1 and CD36. CONCLUSION Zedoarondiol has the effect of inhibiting neovascularization within plaque in AS mice, and its mechanism may be potentially related to inhibiting platelet activation and reducing the Pexo-derived miRNA-let-7a level.
Animals ; MicroRNAs/genetics* ; Exosomes/drug effects* ; Plaque, Atherosclerotic/genetics* ; Neovascularization, Pathologic/genetics* ; Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells/metabolism* ; Humans ; Blood Platelets/drug effects* ; Apolipoproteins E/deficiency* ; Thrombospondin 1/metabolism* ; CD36 Antigens/metabolism* ; Platelet Activation/drug effects* ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the dynamic changes of glucocorticoid (GC) dose and the feasibility of GC discontinuation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients under the background of Chinese medicine (CM). METHODS: This multicenter retrospective cohort study included 1,196 RA patients enrolled in the China Rheumatoid Arthritis Registry of Patients with Chinese Medicine (CERTAIN) from September 1, 2019 to December 4, 2023, who initiated GC therapy. Participants were divided into the Western medicine (WM) and integrative medicine (IM, combination of CM and WM) groups based on medication regimen. Follow-up was performed at least every 3 months to assess dynamic changes in GC dose. Changes in GC dose were analyzed by generalized estimator equation, the probability of GC discontinuation was assessed using Kaplan-Meier curve, and predictors of GC discontinuation were analyzed by Cox regression. Patients with <12 months of follow-up were excluded for the sensitivity analysis. RESULTS: Among 1,196 patients (85.4% female; median age 56.4 years), 880 (73.6%) received IM. Over a median 12-month follow-up, 34.3% (410 cases) discontinued GC, with significantly higher rates in the IM group (40.8% vs. 16.1% in WM; P<0.05). GC dose declined progressively, with IM patients demonstrating faster reductions (median 3.75 mg vs. 5.00 mg in WM at 12 months; P<0.05). Multivariate Cox analysis identified age <60 years [P<0.001, hazard ratios (HR)=2.142, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.523-3.012], IM therapy (P=0.001, HR=2.175, 95% CI: 1.369-3.456), baseline GC dose ⩽7.5 mg (P=0.003, HR=1.637, 95% CI: 1.177-2.275), and absence of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs use (P=0.001, HR=2.546, 95% CI: 1.432-4.527) as significant predictors of GC discontinuation. Sensitivity analysis (545 cases) confirmed these findings. CONCLUSIONS RA patients receiving CM face difficulties in following guideline-recommended GC discontinuation protocols. IM can promote GC discontinuation and is a promising strategy to reduce GC dependency in RA management. (Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, No. NCT05219214).
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/drug therapy* ; Glucocorticoids/therapeutic use* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Retrospective Studies