BACKGROUND: Epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs), which are metabolites of arachidonic acid catalyzed by cytochrome P450 epoxygenase, are degraded into inactive dihydroxyeicosatrienoic acids by soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH). Many studies have revealed that sEH gene deletion exerts protective effects against diabetes. Vascular calcification is a common complication of diabetes, but the potential effects of sEH on diabetic vascular calcification are still unknown. METHODS: The level of aortic calcification in wild-type and Ephx2-/- C57BL/6 diabetic mice induced with streptozotocin was evaluated by measuring the aortic calcium content through alizarin red staining, immunohistochemistry staining, and immunofluorescence staining. Mouse vascular smooth muscle cell lines (MOVAS cells) treated with β-glycerol phosphate (0.01 mol/L) plus advanced glycation end products (50 mg/L) were used to investigate the effects of sEH inhibitors or sEH knockdown and EETs on the calcification of vascular smooth muscle cells, which was detected by Western blotting, alizarin red staining, and Von Kossa staining. RESULTS: sEH gene deletion significantly inhibited diabetic vascular calcification by increasing levels of EETs in the aortas of mice. EETs (especially 11,12-EET and 14,15-EET) efficiently prevented the osteogenic transdifferentiation of MOVAS cells by decreasing nidogen-2 (NID2) expression. Interestingly, suppressing sEH activity by small interfering ribonucleic acid or specific inhibitors did not block osteogenic transdifferentiation of MOVAS cells induced by β-glycerol phosphate and advanced glycation end products. NID2 overexpression significantly abolished the inhibitory effect of sEH gene deletion on diabetic vascular calcification. Moreover, NID2 overexpression mediated by adeno-associated virus 9 vectors markedly increased insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) and phospho-ERK1/2 expression in MOVAS cells. Overall, sEH gene knockout inhibited diabetic vascular calcification by decreasing aortic NID2 expression and, then, inactivating the downstream IGF2-ERK1/2 signaling pathway. CONCLUSIONS sEH gene deletion markedly inhibited diabetic vascular calcification through repressed osteogenic transdifferentiation of vascular smooth muscle cells mediated by increased aortic EET levels, which was associated with decreased NID2 expression and inactivation of the downstream IGF2-ERK1/2 signaling pathway.
Animals ; Mice ; Vascular Calcification/metabolism* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Epoxide Hydrolases/metabolism* ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental/genetics* ; Male ; Gene Deletion ; MAP Kinase Signaling System/genetics* ; Cell Line ; Immunohistochemistry ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction/genetics* ; Mice, Knockout

Objectives:To investigate the effect of non-optimal temperature exposure during pregnancy on the risk for preterm birth and identify the susceptible exposure window. At the same time, the interaction between non-optimal temperature and pollutants exposure during pregnancy on preterm birth was analyzed, in order to provide strong clues for the influence of non-optimal temperature exposure during pregnancy on the risk for preterm birth.Methods:A total of 1 852 pregnant women were recruited from September 2021 to June 2023 in Fujian Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Center. Questionnaire survey was conducted, and their health records were analyzed. The permanent address of each pregnant woman was matched with Fifth Generation European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts Atmospheric Reanalysis of the Global Climate and a geo-statistical combination model based on satellite remote sensing data collection, then follow-up for pregnancy outcome was conducted. Distributed lag nonlinear model was used to assess the association between exposure to non-optimal temperature during pregnancy and the risk for preterm birth and a multiplicative interaction model was used to assess the interaction between exposure to pollutants and non-optimal temperatures during pregnancy on the risk for preterm birth.Results:After adjusting for potential confounders such as maternal age, occupation, Gross Domestic Product of the region, pre-pregnancy preconception BMI, newborn sex, the weekly susceptibility windows of extreme low temperature ( P1, P3, P5) were week 1-22 , and the weekly susceptibility windows of extreme high temperature ( P95, P97, P99) were week 27 and week 32-36. Extreme low temperature [ P1 ( OR=1.147, 95% CI: 1.041-1.265), P5 ( OR=1.284, 95% CI: 1.035-1.501)] and extreme high temperature [ P97 ( OR=1.146, 95% CI: 1.039-1.263), P99 ( OR=1.216, 95% CI: 1.099-1.345)] exhibited multiplicative interaction with PM 2.5. Conclusions:Exposure to non-optimal temperature during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk for preterm birth. The susceptible exposure windows of extreme low temperature were mainly in early and mid-pregnancy, and the susceptible exposure windows of extreme high temperature were mainly in late-pregnancy. Exposure to non-optimal temperatures and pollutants during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk for preterm birth.

This paper focuses on the application of health big data in cancer screening. Firstly, the sources and characteristics of health big data are introduced, then the commonly used epidemiological designs and analytical techniques in hospital-based cancer screening studies are summarized and the application scenarios of such studies are described. Finally, the challenges and future development in the application of health big data are analyzed to provide reference for the future studies.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between oxidative stress-related genes and pros-tate cancer(PCa)from a multi-omics perspective using summary-data-based Mendelian randomization(SMR),colocalization analysis,and cellular experiments.Methods:Summary-level data on DNA methylation,gene expression,and circulating proteins were obtained and filtered.The PRACTICAL con-sortium was used as the discovery cohort,with the deCODE database serving as the validation cohort.SMR analysis and heterogeneity in dependent instruments(HEIDI)tests were conducted to assess the association and heterogeneity between oxidative stress-related genes and PCa.Colocalization analysis was performed to determine whether oxidative stress-related genes and PCa shared common causal variants.Final-ly,CCK-8 assays,wound healing assays,and Transwell invasion assays and Western blotting,were con-ducted to examine the effects of oxidative stress-related genes on the biological behavior of the PCa cell line C4-2.Results:Multi-omics analysis identified SCP2 as significantly associated with increased PCa risk across gene methylation,gene expression,and circulating protein levels.GSTP1 showed significant associations at the methylation and protein levels,while LPO was associated at the protein level.At the methylation level,SCP2 sites cg00581603(OR=1.11,95％CI:1.05-1.17)and cg13078931(OR=1.12,95％CI:1.05-1.18)were identified as pathogenic.Among the four methylation sites in GSTP1,only cg05244766(OR=0.89,95％CI:0.84-0.95)was considered protective.At the gene expression level,SCP2(OR=1.05,95％CI:1.02-1.07)was also found to be a pathogenic factor.At the circu-lating protein level,SCP2(OR=2.10,95％CI:1.34-3.29)showed a consistent pathogenic trend.In addition,GSTP1(OR=1.16,95％CI:1.07-1.25)and LPO(OR=1.12,95％CI:1.05-1.19)were significantly associated with increased PCa risk.Further functional assays demonstrated that knock-down of SCP2 significantly reduced the oncogenic phenotype of prostate cancer cells.Conclusion:Through integrated multi-omics analysis and experimental validation,this study confirmed a significant as-sociation between SCP2 and increased PCa risk.These findings enhance our understanding of PCa patho-genesis and provide new potential targets and therapeutic directions for PCa treatment.

As a type of acute cerebrovascular disease,stroke is one of the most common fatal and disabling diseases in the world,which seriously threatens the quality of life of patients;however,there are still limited treatment methods for this disease in clinical practice.Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)has a long history and good efficacy in the treatment of stroke,and the active components of TCM can alleviate nerve injury caused by stroke by improving the development and progression of various pathophysiological mechanisms such as nerve inflammation,oxidative stress,and blood-brain barrier damage.This article reviews the role of active components of TCM in the treatment of ischemic stroke,in order to provide more ideas and options for the clinical treatment of this disease in the future.

Objective To investigate the differences in pathological changes and immune responses of human airway organoids at different stages of differentiation following respiratory syncytial virus(RSV)infection.Methods Models of human fetal lung organoids(FLO)and induced airway organoids(iAO)were established to simulate immature and mature airway epithelium.Immunofluorescence staining,electron microscopy,and quantitative polymerase chain reaction(Q-PCR)were used to confirm the successful construction of the lung organoid models.Human lung organoids were infected with RSV,and samples were collected at 6 and 48 hours post-infection.The immune characteristics of immature and mature RSV-infected organoids were assessed using immunofluorescence staining,droplet digital PCR(DDPCR),and Q-PCR.Results We successfully generated FLO expressing both the progenitor markers sex determining region Y-box transcription factor 2(SOX2)and sex determining region Y-box transcription factor 9(SOX9),as well as iAO containing basal cells,ciliated cells,club cells,and goblet cells.In addition,organoid models of RSV infection were established.DDPCR results showed that,at the initial stage of RSV infection,the viral load in iAO was significantly higher than that in FLO(P＜0.001).However,at 48 hours post-infection,the viral load in iAO was lower than that in FLO(P＜0.05).Q-PCR results indicated that the expression of RSV infection receptor genes,including epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR),insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor(IGF1R),and nucleolin(NCL),was significantly higher in iAO compared to that in FLO(P＜0.001).RSV infection led to an increase in the expression levels of immune factors,including interleukin 6(ILL-6),interleukin 8(CXCL8),interferon α(IFN-α),granulocyte colony-stimulating factor(G-CSF),granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor(GM-CSF),and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α),in iAO compared to those in FLO,and the differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05).Conclusion The expression of RSV infection receptor proteins increases with airway maturation,and mature airway epithelial cells exhibit a stronger immune response than immature ones do,effectively inhibiting RSV replication.

Objective In this study,we aimed to predict the inhibitory mechanism of Shenlingcao oral liquid(SLC)in non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC)by network pharmacology and verify it by molecular docking and in vivo experiments.Methods The active ingredients and corresponding targets of SLC and NSCLC were obtained by database and literature search.Targets of SLC common to NSCLC were selected to construct the protein interaction network,and GO and KEGG enrichment analysis and molecular docking were performed.A Lewis lung cancer mouse model was constructed and divided into Model group,SH group,and SL group.The latter two groups were intragastrically administered 8.75 g SLC lyophilized powder/kg and 3.50 g SLC lyophilized powder/kg,respectively.After 14 days of drug intervention,tumor growth,pathological changes in tumor tissue,and apoptosis in tumor tissue were observed in tumor-bearing mice;changes in blood routine indexes and the tumor tissue expression of p-AKT,AKT,p-PI3K,PI3K,and Bcl-2 protein of mice were detected.The result of the KEGG enrichment analysis were verified.Results Network pharmacological analysis showed that there were 77 active ingredients,618 potential targets,1498 potential targets for NSCLC,and 179 drug and disease intersection targets.Target intersection enrichment analysis showed that they were mainly concentrated in the phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase-protein kinase B(PI3K-AKT)signaling pathway,mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK)signaling pathway,and other related pathways.Molecular docking showed that the top 10 core components had good bonding ability with the top 10 core targets.In the animal experiments,compared with the Model group,SH group and SL group had significantly decreased tumor volume and weight(P＜0.05,P＜0.01),and significantly decreased white blood cell,neutrophil,and monocyte numbers(P＜0.01,P＜0.001).Red blood cells,platelets,and hemoglobin were significantly increased(P＜0.05,P＜0.01,P＜0.001);apoptotic cells were significantly increased in early tumor tissue(P＜0.05,P＜0.01),and the protein expression levels of p-PI3K/PI3K,p-AKT/AKT,and Bcl-2/GAPDH were significantly decreased(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).The expression levels of PI3K,AKT1,and Bcl-2 genes were significantly decreased(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).Conclusions The mechanisms of SLC activity against NSCLC may be related to the activation of the PI3K-AKT pathway and the promotion of apoptosis.

In recent years,natural antimicrobial biomaterials have received widespread attention due to their rich sources,broad anti-microbial spectrum,high antimicrobial activity,good biocompatibility,etc.They play an important role in caries prevention and treat-ment by inhibiting the formation of biofilm and removing the formed biofilm.In this paper,we summarize the inhibitory effects of differ-ent natural antimicrobial biomaterials on Streptococcus mutans,the main caries-causing organism,and its biofilm,with a view to provi-ding theoretical references for caries prevention and treatment.

Objective:To investigate the distribution of CGG repeat numbers in the FMR1 gene among reproductive-age women in China, providing data reference for carrier screening and genetic counseling of Fragile X syndrome. Methods:This cross-sectional study recruited 16 610 reproductive-age women from 12 medical institutions between July 2022 and October 2023. Peripheral venous blood samples (3 mL) were collected, and genomic DNA was extracted. The number of CGG repeats in the FMR1 gene was determined using the triplet-primed polymerase chain reaction (TP-PCR) combined with capillary electrophoresis technology. Statistical analyses were performed to assess the prevalence and distribution of CGG repeat expansions. Results:Among 16 610 women of childbearing age, 5 684 (34.220%) women had the same number of CGG repeats in the two alleles of FMR1 gene, and 10 926 (65.780%) women had different numbers of repeats in the two alleles. Among the 33 220 FMR1 alleles in 16 610 women of reproductive age, the most common CGG repeat numbers were 29 [48.645% (16 160/33 220)] and 30 [26.276% (8 729/33 220)], while the most frequent CGG genotype was CGG 29/29 [24.726% (4 107/16 610)]. The CGG repeat numbers of FMR1 gene were normal in 16 498 women (99.326%). Among the 112 women (0.674%) with CGG repeat abnormities, 96 (0.578%) women were classified as intermediate carriers, 15 (0.090%) as premutation carriers, and 1 (0.006%) as a full mutation carrier, whose CGG genotype was (36, >200). Conclusion:In the general reproductive-age female population in China, the normal CGG repeat numbers of the FMR1 gene account for 99.326%, while the intermediate carrier rate is 0.578%, and the combined carrier rate of the premutation and full mutation types is 0.096%.

AIM:To establish a population phar-macokinetic(PPK)model of high-dose methotrex-ate in pediatric patients with diverse malignancies.METHODS:The PPK model of methotrexate was de-veloped using non-linear mixed-effects model;body surface area(BSA)was incorporated by allo-metric size modelling.RESULTS:A two-compart-ment linear model best fitted the concentration da-ta,typical values for clearance(CL)and central compartment distribution volume(Vd)were re-vealed to be 4.51 L/(h·1.73 m2)and 15.47 L/1.73 m2,respectively.Age,BSA,serum creatinine(SCr)and genotypes of ABCC2 rs717620 and ABCC4 rs2274407 were retained in the final model.CON-CLUSION:Age,BSA,SCr and genotypes of ABCC2 rs717620 and ABCC4 rs2274407 were identified to be significantly affecting the clearance.