Objective To elucidate the molecular mechanism of sirtuin-3 (SIRT3) in regulating mitochondrial biogenesis in human renal tubular epithelial cells. Methods Cells were stimulated with different concentrations of H₂O₂ and divided into four groups: control (NC), 50 μmol/L H₂O₂, 110 μmol/L H₂O₂ and 150 μmol/L H₂O₂. SIRT3 protein expression was then measured. SIRT3 was knocked down with siRNA, and cells were further assigned to five groups: control (NC), negative-control siRNA (NCsi), SIRT3-siRNA (siSIRT3), NCsi+H₂O₂, and siSIRT3+H₂O₂. After 24 h, cellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and mitochondrial superoxide anion (O₂•⁻) levels were determined, together with mitochondrial expression of SIRT3, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α), nuclear respiratory factor 1 (NRF1), mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM), superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2), acetylated-SOD2 and adenosine monophosphate activated protein kinase α1 (AMPKα1). Results The 110 and 150 μmol/L H₂O₂ decreased SIRT3 protein (both P<0.05). ATP and mitochondrial O₂•⁻ did not differ between NC and NCsi groups (both P>0.05). Compared to the NCsi group, the siSIRT3 group exhibited elevated O₂•⁻ level, decreased SIRT3 protein and increased expression levels of SOD2 and acetylated SOD2 protein (all P<0.05). Compared to the NCsi group, the NCsi+H₂O₂ group exhibited decreased cellular ATP levels, elevated mitochondrial O₂•⁻ levels, and reduced protein expression levels of SIRT3, SOD2, TFAM, AMPKα1, PGC-1α and NRF1 (all P<0.05). Compared with the siSIRT3 group, the siSIRT3+H₂O₂ group showed a decrease in cellular ATP levels, an increase in mitochondrial O₂•⁻ levels, a decrease in SIRT3, SOD2, TFAM, AMPKα1, PGC-1α and NRF1 protein expression levels and a decrease in acetylated SOD2 protein expression levels (all P<0.05). Compared with the NCsi+H₂O₂ group, the siSIRT3+H₂O₂ group showed a decrease in cellular ATP levels, an increase in mitochondrial O₂•⁻ levels, a decrease in SIRT3, AMPKα1, PGC-1α and NRF1, TFAM protein expression levels, and an increase in SOD2 and acetylated SOD2 protein expression levels (all P<0.05). Conclusions SIRT3 promotes mitochondrial biogenesis in tubular epithelial cells via the AMPK/PGC-1α/NRF1/TFAM axis, representing a key mechanism through which SIRT3 ameliorates oxidative stress-induced mitochondrial dysfunction.

OBJECTIVE: Pneumoconiosis, a lung disease caused by irreversible fibrosis, represents a significant public health burden. This study investigates the causal relationships between gut microbiota, gene methylation, gene expression, protein levels, and pneumoconiosis using a multi-omics approach and Mendelian randomization (MR). METHODS: We analyzed gut microbiota data from MiBioGen and Esteban et al. to assess their potential causal effects on pneumoconiosis subtypes (asbestosis, silicosis, and inorganic pneumoconiosis) using conventional and summary-data-based MR (SMR). Gene methylation and expression data from Genotype-Tissue Expression and eQTLGen, along with protein level data from deCODE and UK Biobank Pharma Proteomics Project, were examined in relation to pneumoconiosis data from FinnGen. To validate our findings, we assessed self-measured gut flora from a pneumoconiosis cohort and performed fine mapping, drug prediction, molecular docking, and Phenome-Wide Association Studies to explore relevant phenotypes of key genes. RESULTS: Three core gut microorganisms were identified: Romboutsia ( OR = 0.249) as a protective factor against silicosis, Pasteurellaceae ( OR = 3.207) and Haemophilus parainfluenzae ( OR = 2.343) as risk factors for inorganic pneumoconiosis. Additionally, mapping and quantitative trait loci analyses revealed that the genes VIM, STX8, and MIF were significantly associated with pneumoconiosis risk. CONCLUSIONS This multi-omics study highlights the associations between gut microbiota and key genes ( VIM, STX8, MIF) with pneumoconiosis, offering insights into potential therapeutic targets and personalized treatment strategies.
Humans ; Male ; East Asian People/genetics* ; Europe ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Lung ; Macrophage Migration-Inhibitory Factors/metabolism* ; Mendelian Randomization Analysis ; Multiomics ; Pneumoconiosis/microbiology* ; Intramolecular Oxidoreductases

Objective To compare the efficacy of 2 L and 3 L polyethylene glycol(PEG)electrolyte solution for bowel preparation in a real-world setting.Methods A real-world,single-center cohort study was conducted on the individuals undergoing colonoscopy in Department of Gastroenterology of Chengdu Third People's Hospital between May and October 2023.Based on our inclusion and exclusion criteria,they were given 2 L(n=4 684)and 3 L(n=3 700)PEG electrolyte solution for bowel preparation.The primary outcome indicator was the adequacy of bowel preparation by Boston bowel preparation score(BBPS).Secondary outcome indicators included the BBPS score,polyp detection rate(PDR),tolerability,compliance,and incidence of adverse events.Results The adequacy rate of bowel preparation was 94.35％in the 3 L group,significantly higher than that of the 2 L group(91.29％,P＜0.001).The 3 L group obtained a higher BBPS score then the 2 L group(6.92±1.06 vs 6.81±1.14,P＜0.001).But there was no statistical difference in the PDR between the 2 groups(P=0.073).And the rate of PEG completion(P=0.810),administration of low residue diet as required(P=0.094)or use of dimethicone(P=0.072)were comparable between the 2 groups.However,the incidences of vomiting(4.5％vs 3.2％,P=0.002),abdominal discomfort(5.0％vs 3.9％,P=0.011)and sleep disturbance(18.0％vs 14.6％,P＜0.001)were obviously higher in the 3 L group than the 2 L group.Conclusion In a real-world setting,2 L PEG is a considerably safe and effective regimen for bowel preparation.

Objective:To observe the efficacy and safety of combined lienal polypeptide injection therapy in the treatment of Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia（MPP）in children aged 3 to 14 years old in multiple clinical centers.Methods:A randomized，controlled，multi-center clinical study design was adopted.A total of 240 hospitalized children aged 3 to 14 years old with MPP from 7 hospitals from September 1，2023 to January 31，2024 were included.According to the severity of pneumonia，they were divided into the mild MPP group with 80 cases and the severe MPP/refractory MPP（SMPP/RMPP）group with 160 cases，and then randomly divided into the control group and the experimental group at a ratio of 1 ∶1，using the random number table method.After screening，subjects entered a treatment period of 5 to 7 days.The control group was treated with azithromycin，while the experimental group was treated with azithromycin plus lienal polypeptide injection .The recovery of lung CT，length of hospital stay，duration of fever，cough score，whether mild cases developed into severe or refractory cases，duration of hormone use，use of intravenous immunoglobulin（IVIG），bronchoscopy treatment，and immune function were observed between the two groups to evaluate the efficacy of lienal polypeptide injection.Adverse events after medication，vital signs，blood routine，urine routine，liver function，myocardial enzymes，renal function，and electrocardiogram were observed to evaluate the safety. Results:A total of 231 subjects have completed the trial in the 7 hospitals，including 118 cases in the experimental group and 113 cases in the control group.Main observation index：the rate of lung CT aggravation in the experimental group was lower than that in the control group（2.6% vs 15.3%， P<0.01），and the difference was statistically significant.Secondary indexes：there were no statistically significant differences in the length of hospital stay，duration of fever，cough score，duration of hormone use，whether IVIG treatment was used，the number of bronchoscopy treatment cases，and immunoglobulin between the two groups（all P>0.05）.However，the rate of cases of plastic bronchitis（PB）found under bronchoscopy in the experimental group was lower than that in the control group（0 vs 18.8%， P=0.03），and the difference was statistically significant.Among the mild MPP（72 cases），there were no statistically significant differences in the length of hospital stay，duration of fever，cough score，duration of hormone use，whether IVIG treatment was used，the number of bronchoscopy treatment cases，and the improvement rate of lung CT between the two groups（all P>0.05）.However，compared with the control group，the rate of cases developing into SMPP/RMPP in the experimental group was less（24.3% vs 48.6%， P=0.03），and the difference in IgG before and after treatment was small［0.53（-0.04，1.18）g/L vs 1.33（0.48，2.25）g/L， P=0.01］.Among the SMPP/RMPP cases（159 cases），the rate of cases of PB found under bronchoscopy in the experimental group was less than that in the control group（0 vs 20%， P=0.04），and the rate of cases with aggravated lung CT in the experimental group was less than that in the control group（1.3% vs 19.5%， P<0.01），and the improvement rate of lung CT in the experimental group was higher than that in the control group（88.8% vs 75.3%， P=0.03），with statistically significant differences.There were no statistically significant differences in the length of hospital stay，duration of fever，cough score，duration of hormone use，whether IVIG treatment was used，the number of bronchoscopy treatment cases，and immunoglobulin between the two groups（all P>0.05）.Two cases in the experimental group developed rashes，which improved after the drug was discontinued.There were no serious adverse reactions such as abnormal vital signs like dyspnea and cyanosis due to the use of lienal polypeptide injection.There were no obvious changes in blood routine，liver function，myocardial enzymes，renal function，electrocardiogram，and urine routine values before and after medication compared with the baseline. Conclusion:The combined use of lienal polypeptide injection in the treatment of MPP in children can reduce the probability of the transformation from mild cases to SMPP/RMPP，reduce the rate of aggravation of the image findings，promote the absorption of lung inflammation，reduce the rate of PB found under bronchoscopy，and has good safety.

Objective:To explore the mechanism of Shiwei Chaihu Shugan Powder in the treatment of breast hyperplasia using network pharmacology; To verify the mechanism of Shiwei Chaihu Shugan Powder in the treatment of breast hyperplasia through animal experiments.Methods:The active components and potential targets of Shiwei Chaihu Shugan Powder were searched in TCMSP and Uniprot databases. Breast hyperplasia genes were searched in GeneCards and OMIM databases. The intersection targets were obtained by online tool Venny, and the "drug-component-target" network was constructed by Cytoscape 3.8.2 software. The protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed using the String platform, and GO function and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis were performed using the DAVID annotation database. Molecular docking was performed using PDB, PubChem database, PyMOL 2.1 and AutoDockvina 1.2.5 software to predict the biological mechanism of Shiwei Chaihu Shugan Powder in the treatment of breast hyperplasia. Rats were divided into blank group, model group, tamoxifen group and Shiwei Chaihu Shugan Powder low-, medium- and high-dosage groups according to the random number table method, with 6 rats in each group. Except for the blank group, the other groups were prepared with the modified estrogen-progesterone-induced rat mammary hyperplasia model. Shiwei Chaihu Shugan Powder low-, medium- and high-dosage groups were intragastrically administered with Shiwei Chaihu Shugan Powder solution at 7.425 g/kg, 14.850 g/kg, and 29.700 g/kg respectively, while the tamoxifen group was intragastrically administered with 2.1 mg/kg tamoxifen. The blank group and the model group were intragastrically administered with the same volume of drinking water, once a day, for consecutive 28 d. The thickness of the mammary gland was measured by small animal ultrasound. The height and width of the nipples were measured by vernier calipers. The levels of serum E2 and P were detected by ELISA. The morphology of mammary tissue was observed by HE staining. The expressions of ERα, ERβ, SRC-1 and CBP/p300 proteins were detected by Western blot.Results:A total of 92 active components and 274 disease-drug intersection targets were screened out. GO functional enrichment analysis showed that Shiwei Chaihu Shugan Powder was closely related to positive regulation of gene expression, positive regulation of RNA polymerase Ⅱ promoter transcription, signal transduction, negative regulation of apoptosis process, response to heterogeneous stimulation, and regulation of hormone levels. KEGG enrichment analysis showed that the core targets might be related to NF-κB signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, AGE-RAGE signaling pathway, PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, and regulating hormone levels. Molecular docking results showed that the core components had a good binding energy with the core target and a stable conformation. Compared with the model group, the thickness of the mammary gland in the tamoxifen group and Shiwei Chaihu Shugan Powder low-, medium- and high-dosage groups decreased ( P<0.01), the serum P level increased ( P<0.05), the expressions of ERα, SRC-1, and CBP/p300 proteins decreased ( P<0.01), and the expression of ERβ protein increased ( P<0.01); the height of the nipples in the Shiwei Chaihu Shugan Powder medium- and high-dosage groups and the tamoxifen group decreased ( P<0.01), and the serum E2 level increased ( P<0.05). Conclusion:Shiwei Chaihu Shugan Powder may play a role in the treatment of breast hyperplasia by regulating the levels of estrogen and related proteins.

Objective To establish a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method for the quantitative detection of Chromogranin A (CHGA) in saliva, and to explore its preliminary application in the testing of saliva samples. Methods Recombinant human CHGA protein was used to immunize BALB/c mice, and monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were prepared and screened using conventional hybridoma technology. A double-antibody sandwich ELISA detection method was constructed, and the matrix effect of saliva samples was optimized. This method was then applied to detect the concentration of CHGA in the saliva of stressed individuals. Results Twenty-one stable hybridoma cell lines secreting high affinity anti-human CHGA antibodies were obtained. A pair of detection antibodies with the best effect was selected, and the optimal coating concentration was determined to be 10 μg/mL, with the optimal dilution of detection antibodies being 1:32 000. The accuracy and reproducibility of this method were verified, with both intra-batch and inter-batch variation coefficients less than 15×, and the recovery rate between 80× and 120×. The matrix effect was further optimized to make it suitable for saliva sample detection. Saliva samples from individuals in different stress states were collected, and the CHGA levels were detected using the method established in this study, indicating its potential to reflect the intensity of stress. Conclusion A reliable saliva CHGA ELISA detection method has been successfully established, and its potential as a biomarker in stress-related research has been preliminarily explored.
Saliva/metabolism* ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay/methods* ; Humans ; Animals ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice ; Chromogranin A/immunology* ; Antibodies, Monoclonal/immunology* ; Female ; Male ; Reproducibility of Results ; Adult

Microbial detection and control of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) decoction pieces are crucial for the quality control of TCM preparations. It is also a key area of research in the measurement technology and equipment development for TCM manufacturing. Guided by TCM manufacturing measurement methodologies, this study presented a design of a novel portable microbial detection device, using Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma decoction pieces as a demonstration. Immunomagnetic separation technology was employed for specific isolation and labeling of target microorganisms. Enzymatic signal amplification was utilized to convert weak biological signals into colorimetric signals, constructing an optical biosensor. A self-developed smartphone APP was further applied to analyze the colorimetric signals and quantify target concentrations. A portable and automated detection system based on Arduino microcontroller was developed to automatically perform target microbial separation/extraction, as well as mimetic enzyme labeling and catalytic reactions. The developed equipment specifically focuses on the rapid and quantitative microbial analysis of TCM active pharmaceutical ingredients, intermediates in TCM manufacturing, and final TCM products. Experimental results demonstrate that the equipment could detect Salmonella in samples within 2 h, with a detection limit as low as 5.1 × 10~3 CFU·mL~(-1). The equipment enables the rapid detection of microorganisms in TCM decoction pieces, providing a potential technical solution for on-site rapid screening of microbial contamination indicators in TCM. It has broad application prospects in measurement technology for TCM manufacturing and offers strong technical support for the modernization, industrialization, and intelligent development of TCM.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/analysis* ; Atractylodes/microbiology* ; Rhizome/microbiology* ; Biosensing Techniques/methods* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Colorimetry/instrumentation* ; Quality Control

OBJECTIVE: To comprehensively evaluate the effect of icariin in alleviating reproductive function damage (RFD) in male mice via in vitro and in vivo experiments. METHODS: We isolated Leydig cells from 60 KM male mice in vitro, and examined the toxic effect of icariin on the Leydig cells using Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8). We equally randomized the mice into six groups: normal control, RFD model control (made by intraperitoneal injection of busulfan at 10 mg/kg combined with cyclophosphamide (CP) at 120 mg/kg), positive control, and low-, medium- and high-dose icariin. After modeling, we treated the mice in the positive control group with Wuziyanzong Pills and those in the low-, medium- and high-dose icariin groups by intragastrical administration of icariin at 20, 40 and 80 mg/kg-1, respectively, for 30 successive days. Then we obtained the weight and visceral coefficients of the reproductive organs, calculated the sperm count, observed the pathological changes in the testis tissue by HE staining, measured the serum testosterone (T) level by ELISA, determined the indexes of testicular oxidative stress and nitric oxide (NO) signaling pathway by colorimetric assay, and detected the expression levels of the pro-apoptotic genes Fas and Bax by qRT-PCR. RESULTS: CCK-8 assay confirmed that icariin had no toxic effect on the isolated Leydig cells of the mice, and could effectively reduce busulfan- and CP-induced cytotoxicity and promote the secretion of serum T. Icariin at 80 mg/kg significantly increased the visceral coefficient of the testis and promoted spermatogenesis (P<0.05), but had little effect on the visceral coefficient of the epididymis in the RFD model mice. Testicular histomorphometric observation revealed significantly improved testis structure, intact boundary membrane of seminiferous tubules and increased numbers of various types of spermatogenic cells of the model mice after treated with icariin. Compared with the mice in the model control group, those treated with high-dose icariin showed a significantly reduced content of malondialdehyde (MDA) (by 35.3%, P<0.01), elevated total antioxidant capacity (TAOC) and superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) activity (P<0.05), and decreased NO content and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity in the testis tissue (P<0.01). In addition, icariin exhibited an evident inhibitory effect on the expressions of the pro-apoptotic genes Bax and Fas. CONCLUSION Icariin can ameliorate oxidative stress-induced damage to the testicular function and protect spermatogenesis of male mice by elevating TAOC, decreasing NOS activity, inhibiting the NO level in the testis, and suppressing busulfan- and CP-induced apoptosis of testicular cells.
Animals ; Male ; Cyclophosphamide/adverse effects* ; Mice ; Busulfan/adverse effects* ; Flavonoids/pharmacology* ; Leydig Cells/drug effects* ; Oxidative Stress/drug effects* ; Testis/drug effects* ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Testosterone/blood*

OBJECTIVE: To assess the value of the Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System version 2.1 (PI-RADS v2.1) score combined with PSA density (PSAD) in the diagnosis of clinically significant prostate cancer (CSPCa) in the PSA grey zone by MRI-TRUS cognitive fusion-guided transperineal targeted prostate biopsy. METHODS: This retrospective study included 327 male patients with total PSA (tPSA) levels of 4-10 μg/L undergoing MRI-TRUS cognitive fusion-guided transperineal targeted prostate biopsy in our hospital between January 2021 and December 2023. According to the pathological results, we divided the patients into a CSPCa (n = 44) and a non-CSPCa group (n = 283), collected their clinical and imaging data, and subjected them to statistical analysis. RESULTS: The age, tPSA level, PSAD and PI-RADS score were significantly higher, while the free PSA (fPSA) level, f/tPSA ratio and prostate volume remarkably lower in the CSPCa than in the non-CSPCa group (P<0.05). The areas under the curve (AUCs) of PSAD, PI-RADS score and their combination were 0.772, 0.730 and 0.801, with sensitivities of 63.63%, 70.45% and 72.73%, and specificities of 84.10%, 75.62% and 83.75%, respectively (P<0.01). With PSAD 0.2 μg/(ml·cm3) as the best cut-off value and based on the PI-RADS scores, the patients were divided into two groups for analysis. In the patients with PI-RADS scores 2 and 5, the AUCs were 0.534 and 0.643, with sensitivities of 16.67% and 63.64%, and specificities of 85.14% and 64.29%, with no statistically significant differences (P= 0.784, P= 0.228), and in those with PI-RADS scores 3 and 4, the AUCs were 0.794 and 0.843, with sensitivities of 57.14% and 80.00%, and specificities of 87.14% and 81.82%, with statistically significant differences (P= 0.009, P<0.001). CONCLUSION PI-RADS v2.1 score combined with PSAD can effectively improve the diagnostic efficiency of CSPCa in the PSA grey zone by MRI-TRUS cognitive fusion-guided transperineal targeted prostate biopsy and serve as a guide for selection of prostate biopsy.
Humans ; Male ; Prostatic Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging* ; Retrospective Studies ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Image-Guided Biopsy ; Prostate/pathology* ; Aged ; Middle Aged