Metabolic reprogramming， as one of the core hallmarks of malignant tumors， plays a key role in the occurrence， development and treatment of breast cancer （BC）. Abnormal changes in glucose metabolism， amino acid metabolism， lipid metabolism， as well as the tricarboxylic acid （TCA） cycle and oxidative phosphorylation （OXPHOS） pathways significantly influence the pathogenesis and progression of BC. Studies have shown that various active components of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） （such as berberine， matrine， quercetin， curcumin， etc.） and their compound formulations （e.g. Xihuang pill， Danzhi xiaoyao powder， Yanghe decoction， etc.） can inhibit the proliferation and migration of BC cells and induce apoptosis by regulating key metabolic pathways such as glycolysis， lipid synthesis， and amino acid metabolism. TCM demonstrates multi-target and holistic regulatory advantages in intervening in BC metabolic reprogramming， showing significant potential in modulating key molecules like hypoxia inducible factor-1α， hexokinase-2， pyruvate kinase M2， lactate dehydrogenase A， glucose transporter-1， fatty acid synthase， and signaling pathways such as AKT/mTOR. However， current researches still focus predominantly on glucose metabolism， with insufficient mechanistic studies on lipid metabolism， amino acid metabolism， the TCA cycle， and OXPHOS. The precise targets， molecular mechanisms， and clinical translation value of these interventions require further validation and clarification through more high-quality experimental studies and clinical trials.

ObjectiveTo investigate the preventive effect and mechanism of Dendrobium officinale （DO） on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease （NAFLD） by network pharmacology and animal experiments. MethodsDO components in blood after administration were identified and analyzed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-electrostatic field orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry （UPLC-QE-HF-MS/MS）. Network pharmacology and molecular docking methods were employed to obtain active ingredients and potential targets of DO for NAFLD control. High-fat feeds were used to replicate the NAFLD rat model. Biochemical kits were used for detecting the expression levels of blood lipids， hepatic lipids， and liver functions of rats. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining and oil red O staining were employed to observe pathological changes in rat liver， and real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR （Real-time PCR） assay was performed to validate potential targets obtained from the network pharmacology analysis. ResultsA total of 13 DO components were identified in blood， including berberine， dihydrosanguinarine， and oxypeucedanin. A total of 14 potential targets were screened through network pharmacology， including Forkhead box protein O1 （FoxO1）， epidermal growth factor receptor （EGFR）， and insulin-like growth factor 1 （IGF-1R）， involving pathways such as the advanced glycation end product （AGE）/receptor for AGE （RAGE） signaling pathway， blood lipids and atherosclerosis， insulin resistance， and FoxO signaling. The results of animal experiments showed that the NAFLD rat model was successfully replicated. After the preventive treatment with DO for NAFLD rats， the indexes of blood lipids， hepatic lipids， and liver function were normalized； lipid deposition and lesions in the liver were significantly improved； the expression level of FoxO1 mRNA in the liver was significantly reduced （P<0.05）， and the mRNA expression levels of phosphatidylinositide 3-kinases （PI3K）， protein kinase B （Akt）， EGFR， and IGF-1R were significantly increased （P<0.05）. ConclusionDO has a preventive effect on NAFLD rats， and the mechanism of action may be related to the modulation of IGF1R and EGFR targets and activation of the PI3K/Akt/FoxO1 signaling pathway.

Objective:The objective of this study is to analyze the detection rate, the pathogenic fungus distribution, risk factors and drug sensitivity of fungal infection of external auditory canal in patients diagnosed with chronic otitis media. Methods:The data of a total of 419 patients with chronic suppurative otitis media or middle ear cholesteatoma who were admitted from January 2019 to February 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. Results:A total of 419 patients were included, and 71 patients（16.9%） were positive for fungal culture. The disease mostly occurred in subjects aged 51-60 years old, and patients over 60 years old（47 cases, 66.2%）. From the fungal culture of external auditory canal secretions, 48 cases（11.4%） of Aspergillus and 14 cases（3.3%） of Candida were identified. The prevalence of fungal cultures in patients with chronic suppurative otitis media（20.8%） was significantly higher than that in patients with middle ear cholectestoma（4.9%）. The detection rate of Fungal was significantly increased after topical treatment with antibiotic ear drops（47.0% vs 13.6%）. Most of the isolated fungal strains are wild-type, and they are the sensitivity to voriconazole and fluconazole was the highest（97.2%）. For patients with positive fungal culture, iodoform gauze with triamcinolone acetonide and econazole cream was used to fill the external auditory canal during surgery. There was no significant difference in the tympanic membrane healing rate between patients with positive fungal culture and patients with negative fungal culture at 3 weeks after surgery（98.6% vs 97.7%）. Conclusion:Fungal infections of external auditory canal in patients with chronic otitis media tend to occur in older patients, which is more common in patients with chronic suppurative otitis media. Long-term topical treatment with antibiotic ear drops is an independent risk factor for fungal infection of external auditory canal in patients with chronic otitis media. The isolated fungal strains were highly sensitive to antifungal drugs. Therefore, it is advisable to refrain from employing topical antibiotic treatment for elderly patients with chronic suppurative otitis media/middle ear cholesteatoma, abuse of local antibiotic therapy should be avoided, and Fungal-related pathogenic examinations should be actively performed and anti-fungal drugs should be added if necessary.
Humans ; Middle Aged ; Female ; Male ; Risk Factors ; Retrospective Studies ; Chronic Disease ; Otitis Media, Suppurative/microbiology* ; Ear Canal/microbiology* ; Antifungal Agents/therapeutic use* ; Adult ; Mycoses/epidemiology* ; Aspergillus/isolation & purification* ; Candida/isolation & purification* ; Otitis Media/complications* ; Aged ; Cholesteatoma, Middle Ear/microbiology*

Objective:To explore the effects of self-made Huoxue Xiaozhong Xunxi Decoction combined with functional exercise on postoperative swelling of affected limbs, bone metabolism and recovery of knee function in patients with traumatic fracture of tibial plateau (FTP).Methods:Randomized controlled trial. totally 80 patients after FTP surgery in the Qidong Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine were enrolled and divided into two groups by random number table method from January 2018 to January 2022, with 40 cases in each group. After surgery, control group was treated with functional exercise, while observation group was additionally treated with self-made Huoxue Xiaozhong Xunxi Decoction. All were treated continuously for 8 weeks. The perioperative indexes (operation time, incision length, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative drainage volume, leaving bed time) in the two groups were recorded. The postoperative swelling and pain of affected limbs were observed, and detumescence time, pain relief time, fracture healing time and complete weight-bearing time were recorded. The knee function was evaluated by Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS). The level of serum bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) was detected by ELISA, and total n-terminal propeptide of typeⅠprecollagen (t-PINP) and β-crossLaps (β-CTX) were detected by full-automatic immunoluminescence analyzer. The occurrence of postoperative complications in the two groups was recorded.Results:There was no significant difference in operation time, incision length, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative drainage volume or leaving bed time between the two groups ( P>0.05). The total effective rate of the observation group was 97.5% (39/40), while the control group was 80.0% (32/40), with statistical significance ( χ2=6.14, P=0.013). The detumescence time, pain relief time, fracture healing time and complete weight-bearing time were earlier in the observation group than control group ( P<0.01). After 10 d of treatment, VAS score and swelling degree in observation group were lower than those in the control group ( t=7.05, 3.81, P<0.01). After 8 weeks of treatment, levels of serum BMP-2 [(625.16±67.43) μg/L vs. (542.35±53.27) μg/L, t=6.10], t-PINP [(54.16±7.29) μg/L vs. (50.34±6.12) μg/L, t=2.54] and β-CTX [(1.26±0.38) μg/L vs. (1.04±0.23) μg/L, t=3.13] in observation group were higher than those in the control group ( P<0.05). During treatment, the incidence of complications in the observation group was 2.5% (1/40) and the control group was 7.5% (3/40), without statistical significance ( χ2=1.05, P=0.305). Conclusion:Self-made Huoxue Xiaozhong Xunxi Decoction combined with functional exercise is beneficial to improve pain and swelling of affected limbs and bone metabolism, and promote the recovery of knee function in patients after FTP surgery.

Objective: To translate and culturally adapt the Penn Acoustic Neuroma Quality of Life (PANQOL) scale into Chinese, and introduce the first specific evaluation tool for the quality of life of acoustic neuroma patients. Methods: Based on strict scale introduction requirements (scale preparation, translation, cultural adaptation and performance evaluation), elaborate on the multistep translation model (forward translation, synthesis, back translation, back translation review, comprehensive coordination) and cultural adaptation process (expert committee, preliminary experiment) to the preliminary experiments PANQOL scale in Chinese version. A preliminary survey and cognitive interview were conducted on 30 patients with acoustic neuroma, and the scale was further revised to establish the Chinese version of PANQOL scale. Results: The translation validity index of each item (I-TVI) in the Chinese version of the PANQOL scale was 96%-100%, and the translation validity index at the scale level (S-TVI) was 100%, reaching the translation standard. The PANQOL scale of 30 patients in the preliminary experiment was generally divided into 73.75 ± 12.12. Conclusions The multistep translation and cultural adaptation of PANQOL scale is a complex and time consuming process. Strict implementation of this process can ensure the quality of the scale introduction. The performance of the Chinese version of PANQOL scale needs to be studied and evaluated by expanding the sample size latterly.

Objective: To explore the spatial distribution of low birth weight (LBW) and the potential environmental risk factors and provide the evidence for the prevention and intervention of LBW. Methods: Data were from a surveillance system for newly born population and adverse pregnancy outcome between 2007 and 2012 in Pingding county, Shanxi province. The data from 313 villages were analyzed. Spatial hierarchical Bayesian model was used to adjust the risk of LBW at village level, Moran’s I and Getis-Ord Gi* were used to analyze the difference in distribution of LBW risk area. Spatial negative binomial model was used to evaluate the association between the risk of LBW and chemical fertilizer application. Results: A total of 18 749 new births were recorded between 2007 and 2012, including 911 LBW cases, the total incidence of LBW was 4.86%. The result of the spatial hierarchical Bayesian model showed that high-risk area of LBW was in the southeast of Pingding and low-risk area was in the middle west of Pingding. The result of Moran’s I showed that there was a clustering pattern of LBW risk, and Getis-Ord Gi* found a high risk (hot spot) area in the south area. Moreover, the findings of association analysis showed that the risk of LBW increased with the increased chemical fertilizer application at village level. Conclusions There were area specific differences in the risk of LBW, and dose-response relationship between chemical fertilizer application and the risk of LBW. Our findings suggest that maternal exposure to chemical fertilizer during pregnancy might be a potential risk factor for LBW in rural area.

Objective To investigate the curative effect and mechanism of α lipoic acid combined with epalrestat and methylcobalamin in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) complicated with pe-ripheral neuropathy ( DPN) . Methods A total of 160 cases of patients with DPN were randomly divided into the control group ( treated with methylcobalamin and epalrestat) and the observation group ( treated with methylcobalamin, epalrestat and α lipoic acid) , and all patients were treated for 4 weeks. The therapeutic effect, nerve conduction velocity, oxidative stress index and related proteins expression in serum were ob-served in two groups. Results The effective rate of treatment in the observation group was higher than that in the control group (87. 50％ vs 75. 0％) (χ2 = 4. 103,P<0. 05). After treatment, the sensory nerve conduction velocity ( SNCV) and motor nerve conduction velocity ( MNCV) of median nerve and common peroneal nerve were significantly better in the observation group than the control group ( P<0. 05 ) . After treatment, the level of superoxide dismutase ( SOD) was significantly higher in the observation group than the control group, while the level of malondialdehyde ( MDA ) was significantly lower the control group (P<0. 05). After treatment, the level of Bcl-2 protein was significantly higher in observation group than the control group, while the levels of Bax and Caspase-3 proteins were significantly lower than the control group (P<0. 05). Conclusions The application ofαlipoic acid combined to epalrestat and methylcobal-amin in the treatment of DPN can significantly improve the sensory and motor nerve conduction.

OBJECTIVEOur objective is to build a model that explains the association between the exposure to trace elements in the soil and the risk of neural tube defects.

METHODSWe built a function with different parameters to describe the effects of trace elements on neural tube defects. The association between neural tube defects and trace element levels was transformed into an optimization problem using the maximum likelihood method.

RESULTSTin, lead, nickel, iron, copper, and aluminum had typical layered effects (dosage effects) on the prevalence of neural tube defects. Arsenic, selenium, zinc, strontium, and vanadium had no effect, and molybdenum had one threshold value that affected the prevalence of birth defects.

CONCLUSIONAs an exploratory research work, our model can be used to determine the direction of the effect of the trace element content of cultivated soil on the risk of neural tube defects, which shows the clues by the dosage effect of their toxicological characteristics. Based on our findings, future biogeochemical research should focus on the direct effects of trace elements on human health.

China ; epidemiology ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Environmental Exposure ; Female ; Humans ; Metals ; chemistry ; toxicity ; Models, Biological ; Neural Tube Defects ; chemically induced ; epidemiology ; Pregnancy ; Prevalence ; Soil Pollutants ; chemistry ; toxicity ; Trace Elements ; chemistry ; toxicity

The study was aimed to investigate the extensive amplification and the cytotoxicity of dendritic cells (DC) derived from chronic myeloid leukemia cells. DC were cultured in two steps: firstly, extensive amplification in primary culture of CD34(+) or mononuclear cells isolated from CML patients' bone marrow and peripheral blood with rhFlt3-L and rhTPO for 7 days; secondly, inducing culture of DC with rhGM-CSF, rhTNF and rhIL-4 for 14 days. A system inducing DC directly were established for comparison. DC were identified by immunophenotype with flow cytometry, chromosome analysis by displaying G banding and electric microscopy analysis. The function of stimulating T cells proliferation and cytotoxicity of CML cells were confirmed through MTT assay. The results showed that after first extensive amplification in primary culture with rhFlt3-L and rhTPO for 7 days, CD34(+) cells had a total cell number with (77 +/- 5) fold expansion, and DC were (39 +/- 8)% of total cell respectively after induction culture of DC with rhGM-CSF, rhTNF and rhIL-4 for 14 days. Both the amplification of cell number and yield of DC were higher than the system without extensively culture (P < 0.01). Such DC could stimulate T cells to proliferate and kill leukemia cells finally. In conclusion, two-step culture method can obviously improve the cell number of DC required, that is better than inducing them directly. DC derived from CML cells induce the generation of anti-leukemia immunization.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Antigens, CD34 ; immunology ; Cell Proliferation ; Cells, Cultured ; Child ; Cytotoxicity, Immunologic ; Dendritic Cells ; immunology ; pathology ; Female ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Immunophenotyping ; Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive ; immunology ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic ; immunology