BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with common pathophysiological processes, such as inflammation and fibrosis, in both the heart and the kidney. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms that drive these processes are not yet fully understood. Therefore, this study focused on the molecular mechanism of heart and kidney injury in CKD. METHODS: We generated an microRNA (miR)-26a knockout (KO) mouse model to investigate the role of miR-26a in angiotensin (Ang)-II-induced cardiac and renal injury. We performed Ang-II modeling in wild type (WT) mice and miR-26a KO mice, with six mice in each group. In addition, Ang-II-treated AC16 cells and HK2 cells were used as in vitro models of cardiac and renal injury in the context of CKD. Histological staining, immunohistochemistry, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and Western blotting were applied to study the regulation of miR-26a on Ang-II-induced cardiac and renal injury. Immunofluorescence reporter assays were used to detect downstream genes of miR-26a, and immunoprecipitation was employed to identify the interacting protein of LIM and senescent cell antigen-like domain 1 (LIMS1). We also used an adeno-associated virus (AAV) to supplement LIMS1 and explored the specific regulatory mechanism of miR-26a on Ang-II-induced cardiac and renal injury. Dunnett's multiple comparison and t -test were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Compared with the control mice, miR-26a expression was significantly downregulated in both the kidney and the heart after Ang-II infusion. Our study identified LIMS1 as a novel target gene of miR-26a in both heart and kidney tissues. Downregulation of miR-26a activated the LIMS1/integrin-linked kinase (ILK) signaling pathway in the heart and kidney, which represents a common molecular mechanism underlying inflammation and fibrosis in heart and kidney tissues during CKD. Furthermore, knockout of miR-26a worsened inflammation and fibrosis in the heart and kidney by inhibiting the LIMS1/ILK signaling pathway; on the contrary, supplementation with exogenous miR-26a reversed all these changes. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that miR-26a could be a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of cardiorenal injury in CKD. This is attributed to its ability to regulate the LIMS1/ILK signaling pathway, which represents a common molecular mechanism in both heart and kidney tissues.
Animals ; MicroRNAs/metabolism* ; Angiotensin II/toxicity* ; Mice ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic/chemically induced* ; Mice, Knockout ; Disease Models, Animal ; Male ; Signal Transduction/genetics* ; LIM Domain Proteins/genetics* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Cell Line ; Humans

OBJECTIVE: Rhodiolae Crenulatae Radix et Rhizoma (Hongjingtian in Chinese, RCRR), the roots and rhizomes of Rhodiola crenulata and its application in the medicinal market is very chaotic. In this study, DNA barcoding database and identification engine of Rhodiola species were established, decoction pieces from the medicinal market were identified, and the application and challenges of DNA barcoding in the rapid radiation of Rhodiola species were analyzed. This study provides reference for the protection, rational development, and utilization of endangered resources within Rhodiola species. METHODS: A total of 50 original plant samples from 20 species of the genus Rhodiola from Hebei, Xinjiang, Tibet, Jilin, and other major production areas were collected. Theses samples cover the typical distribution area (Qinghai-Tibetan Platea) of Rhodiola species and other scattered alpine regions (Changbai Mountain, Taibai Mountain, Lushan Mountain, etc.), it encompasses all Rhodiola species with thick rhizomes in China. ITS2 and psbA-trnH barcode of Rhodiola database (BORD) were established and an identification engine named Rhodiola-IDE was developed. The stability and accuracy of the standard DNA barcoding database were evaluated using two datasets. Rhodiola-IDE identified 31 decoction pieces of RCRR from the medicinal material market. RESULTS: The BORD containing 1 532 sequences of 88 Rhodiola species has been established, and the identification efficiency results showed good accuracy and stability. According to the Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2020 edition), 23 samples (74.2%) were identified as authentic R. crenulata, while the rest of the marketed varieties were R. kirilowii, R. dumulosa, and R. fastigiata. The product label "Larger flower, Hongjingtian" was identified as R. crenulata. Samples labeled as "Smaller flower, Hongjingtian" were identified as R. crenulata, R. kirilowii, and R. fastigiata. CONCLUSION ITS2 and psbA-trnH barcodes can identify monophyletic groups represented by R. crenulata. However, for non-monophyletic species, it is necessary to collect as many samples as possible and combine them with multiple markers for joint identification. This study discussed the application and challenges of DNA barcodes in Rhodiola under rapid radiation conditions, providing a scientific basis for the rational development and utilization of Rhodiola varieties.

ObjectiveTo establish a mouse model of basilar artery dolichoectasia （BAD） and explore the mechanism of modified Tongqiao Huoxuetang （JTQHX） in regulating BAD via phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt） pathway. MethodSixty C57/BL6 female mice were randomized into sham operation （injected with 10 U·mL^-1 inactivate elastase）， model， atorvastatin calcium tablets （2.6 mg·kg·d^-1）， and low- and high-dose （crude drug 3.4， 17 g·kg^-1·d^-1， respectively） JTQHX groups. The mouse model of BAD was established by injection with 10 U·mL^-1 elastase. After 14 days of modeling， the sham operation group and model group were administrated with equal volumes of pure water by gavage， and other groups with corresponding drugs for 2 months. The levels of interleukin-6 （IL-6） and calpain （LpA） in the serum were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Verhoeff 's Van Gieson （EVG） staining was employed to observe the pathological changes of blood vessels. Terminal-deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated nick end labeling （TUNEL） was employed to examine the apoptosis rate of vascular smooth muscle cells （VSMCs）. Image Pro Plus was used to observe and calculate the curvature index， elongation length， percentage increase in vessel diameter， and curvature angle of the basilar artery vessels in mice. Western blot was employed to determine the expression levels of PI3K and Akt in the vascular tissue. ResultCompared with the sham operation group， the model group showed lowered IL-6 level （P<0.01）， no significant change in LpA level， increased apoptosis of VSMCs （P<0.01）， and increased curvature index， elongation length， percentage increase in vessel diameter， and curvature angle （P<0.01）. Furthermore， the modeling up-regulated the protein levels of PI3K and Akt in blood vessels （P<0.01） and aggravated the destruction of the inner elastic layer， atrophy of the muscular layer， and hyaline changes in the connective tissue of the medial membrane of the basilar artery wall. Compared with the model group， 2 months of treatment with JTQHX elevated the IL-6 level （P<0.01）， reduced the apoptosis of VSMCs （P<0.01）， decreased the curvature index， elongation length， percentage increase in vessel diameter， and curvature angle （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and down-regulated the protein levels of PI3K and Akt in blood vessels （P<0.01）. In addition， the treatment alleviated the destruction of the inner elastic layer， atrophy of the muscular layer， and hyaline changes in the connective tissue of the medial membrane of the basilar artery wall. ConclusionJTQHX inhibits the elongation， expansion， and curvature of basilar artery vessels and alleviates the pathological changes by reducing the apoptosis of VSMCs and down-regulating the expression of PI3K/Akt pathway.

Objective To explore the characteristics of blood vitamins A, B2, B6, B12, D, E, K1, K2 and folic acid and their correlation with severity in patients with metabolic-related fatty liver disease (MAFLD). Methods　From September to December 2022, a total of 473 cases of residents were recruited through community MAFLD screening activities and their health information was obtained through questionnaire survey and physical examination. The severity of hepatic steatosis was determined with FibroScan, and vitamin concentrations were determined with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Two independent samples' t-tests were used to assess the differences between the two groups, and univariate chi-square tests and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to explore the related factors of MAFLD. Results　Of the 473 inhabitants, 195 (41.23%, 195/473) met the diagnostic criteria for MAFLD, including mild 43 (22.05%, 43/195) cases of fatty liver, 88 (45.13%, 88/195) cases of moderate fatty liver, and 64 (32.82%, 64/195) cases of severe fatty liver. Using healthy residents collected during the same period as controls, the overall mean of vitamins A, E, K1, and K2 in the MAFLD group was higher than that of the healthy group, with a statistical difference (P<0.05). Furthermore, the concentrations of vitamins A, E, K1 and K2 increased with the severity of fatty liver [R=0.149, P=0.004; R=0.245, P<0.001; R=0.110, P=0.032; R=0.129，P=0.012]. There were statistically significant differences (P<0.05) in the blood levels of vitamin A and E between patients with moderate or severe fatty liver and the healthy population. The blood vitamins K1 and K2 in severe fatty liver patients were also different from those of healthy people (P<0.05). However, there was no significance between folic acid, vitamin D, B2, B6, B12, and MAFLD (P>0.05). Through univariate chi-square analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis, it was found that male [Wald=5.789, P=0.034，OR=1.598(1.037-2.463)] and vitamin E≥8.13 μg/mL[Wald=14.632，P<0.001，OR=2.378(1.522-3.674)] were risk factors for moderate and severe MAFLD. Conclusions The concentrations of vitamin A, E, and K in the blood are increased in patients with MAFLD compared to the healthy population, and they are positively correlated with the severity of MAFLD. ale gender and high levels of vitamin E may be related to moderate to severe MAFLD.

Objective To construct a recombinant poxvirus vector vaccine, rVTTδTK-RBD, and to evaluate its safety and immunogenicity. Methods The receptor-binding domain (RBD) gene was synthesized with reference to the gene sequence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and was inserted into the polyclonal site of the self-constructed recombinant plasmid pSTKE, to construct the recombinant poxvirus shuttle vector pSTKE-RBD. This was then transfected into BHK-21 cells pre-infected with the vaccinia virus Tiantan strain (VTT). The recombinant poxvirus rVTTδTK-RBD was successfully obtained after several rounds of fluorescence phage screening. The effect of rVTTδTK-RBD on the body mass of BALB/c mice was detected after immunizing mice by intra-nasal vaccination. The levels of specific and neutralizing antibodies produced by rVTTδTK-RBD on BALB/c mice were analyzed after immunizing mice intramuscularly. The effect of rVTTδTK-RBD on T cell subsets in BALB/c mice was detected by flow cytometry. Results Through homologous recombination, enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) screening marker, and multiple rounds of fluorescent phosphorescence phage screening, a recombinant poxvirus rVTTδTK-RBD, expressing RBD with deletions in the thymidine kinase (TK) gene, was successfully obtained, which was validated by PCR. The in vivo experiments on BALB/c mice showed that rVTTδTK-RBD was highly immunogenic against SARS-CoV-2 and significantly reduced toxicity to the body compared to the parental strain VTT. Conclusion The recombinant poxvirus vaccine rVTTδTK-RBD against SARS-CoV-2 is successfully constructed and obtained, with its safety and immunogenicity confirmed through various experiments.
Animals ; Mice ; SARS-CoV-2/genetics* ; COVID-19 ; Vaccines, Synthetic/genetics* ; Genes, Reporter ; Bacteriophages ; Mice, Inbred BALB C

Objective We systematically analyze the changes in the count and function of platelet at the early sepsis based on clinical study and single cell sequencing.Methods Clinical data of sepsis patients at the early stage were collected and had been compared between different prognostic groups in the prospective case-control study.The independent risk factors of death were analyzed by logistic regression,and the predictive efficacy of clini-cal indicators was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve.The healthy volunteers and sepsis patients were recruited.Clinical researchers collected peripheral venous blood samples for sorting cell samples to carry out single-cell RNA sequencing(sc-RNA seq).Through bioinformatics techniques,we analyzed the changes in platelet count,the significantly differential-expressed genes and its enriched functional signaling pathways in the early stages of sepsis.Results(1)A total of 224 patients were enrolled,with a 90 day survival rate of 70.5%.Compared with the survival group,the count of platelet and MAP in the death group at the early stage of sepsis were significantly lower,but the plasma lactate content and SOFA score were significantly higher.(2)Based on single cell sequencing technology,cells are annotated as six groups.The proportion of innate immune cells(neutrophils,monocytes,and dendritic cells)was significantly increased in the early stage of sepsis compared to the healthy volun-teers(2.15∶1),while platelets significantly decreased(0.31∶1).(3)Through bioinformatics technology,CD41/CD42a/CD61 was identified as platelet specific molecules,with significantly increased expression levels in sepsis.Three molecules can distinguish platelets together.(4)771 genes were significantly upregulated and 1101 genes were significantly downregulated in platelets of patients with sepsis,including core molecules involved in physiological functions such as cell adhesion,chemotaxis,and immune response.Functional analysis suggests that differentially expressed genes are enriched in coagulation,immune functions and cell death,participating in oxidative phosphory-lation,leukocyte chemotaxis,iron death,and NOD like receptor signaling pathways.Conclusion Reduced platelet count is associated with poor prognosis in the early stage of sepsis.The specific high expression molecules CD41/CD42a/CD61 that are significantly upregulated in platelets can serve as biomarkers for platelets.Platelets not only mediate cell adhesion and coagulation cascade,but also participate in functional changes such as immune cell chemotaxis,inflammatory response,and the pathological death of inflammatory cells.

Objective A neuroblastoma(NB)liver transplantation model was established and compared with the adrenal orthotopic transplantation model to explore its characteristics.Methods 5× 105 SK-N-SH cells were implanted along the long axis of the left lobe of mouse livers with a micro-injection needle.The growth,metastasis,expression of related genes,and histopathological changes of tumors were detected after the modeling.Results The tumor formation rate in mice inoculated with tumor cells reached 100％after 21 days,and tumor growth,metastasis,related gene expression changes,and pathological characteristics were apparent.Conclusions In this study,a neuroblastoma liver transplantation model was successfully constructed via a relatively simple surgical method to provide a more suitable choice for future scientific NB experiments.

Objective As a signaling molecule,NO regulates key physiological processes and is closely related to periodontitis.To investigate the effect of flavonoid NO donor composite nanoparticles(G10@HAP/MSN@ZnO@COS)on osteogenic differentiation of periodontal ligament stem cells(PDLSCs)by regulating macrophage polarization.Methods The novel NO donor drug G10 was loaded on hydroxyapatite/mesoporous silicanant particles(HAP/MSN),filled with zinc oxide(ZnO),and then coated with chitosan(COS)to prepare composite nanoparticles(G10@HAP/MSN@ZnO@COS).The best concentration of G10@HAP/MSN@ZnO@COS was screened to promote cell proliferation by CCK-8 cell experiment.After the mouse mononuclear macrophages were stimulated by lipopo-lysaccharide,the mice were divided into four groups:Control group,G10 group,HAP/MSN@ZnO@COS group and G10@HAP/MSN@ZnO@COS group.Each group was cultured with fresh medium,5 μg/mL G10,5 μg/mL HAP/MSN@ZnO@COS and 5 μg/mL G10@HAP/MSN@ZnO@COS for 72 h respectively.ELISA and RT-qPCR were used to detect the expression of cytokines(TNF-α,IL-6,IL-1β,iNOS,IL-10)and mRNA expression in each group,and the phenotypic changes of M1/M2 were evaluated.The supernatant of each culture medium was used as conditioned medium to culture PDLSCs,and the osteogenic ability and cell miner-alization were evaluated by alkaline phosphatase activity test and alizarin red staining.Results CCK-8 experiment showed that G10@HAP/MSN@ZnO@COS of 5 μg/mL could significantly promote the proliferation of PDLSCs.The results of ELISA showed that compared with Control group,the expression of M1 type marker IL-1β,IL-6,TNF-α and iNOS in G10@HAP/MSN@ZnO@COS group was significantly decreased(P＜0.000 1),while the expression of M2 type marker IL-10 was significantly increased(P＜0.000 1).The results of RT-qPCR were consistent with those of ELISA,which showed that the expression of M1-related genes in G10@HAP/MSN@ZnO@COS group decreased significantly(P＜0.01).The results of alizarin red staining and alkaline phosphatase activity test showed that the number of mineralized nodules and alkaline phosphatase activity in G10@HAP/MSN@ZnO@COS-CM group were significantly higher than those in other groups(P＜0.000 1).Conclusion Composite nanoparticles(G10@HAP/MSN@ZnO@COS)can effectively inhibit the polarization of macrophages to M1 phenotype and promote it to M2 phenotypic polarization.The anti-inflammatory microenvironment regulated by G10@HAP/MSN@ZnO@COS can en-hance the osteogenic differentiation of PDLSCs.

Objective:To analyze the clinicopathological features of solitary papillary thyroid isthmus carcinoma (SPTIC) and the therapeutic effect and prognosis of different surgical methods.Methods:A total of 161 patients with SPTIC who underwent surgical treatment in the Department of Thyroid Surgery of the First Hospital of Jilin University from Dec. 2012 to Oct. 2021 were selected. Gender, age, body mass index and pathology of the patients were collected and the clinicopathological characteristics of SPTIC were analyzed. They were divided into three groups according to different surgical methods: group A underwent isthmic excision, group B underwent extended isthmic excision, and group C underwent total thyroidectomy. There were 47 patients in group A (8 males and 39 females with an average age of 42.6±9.1 years), 50 patients in group B (11 males and 39 females with an average age of 45.3±11.3 years), and 64 patients in group C (10 males and 54 females with an average age of 46.9±11.4 years). The clinicopathological features and therapeutic effect of the three groups were compared by ANOVA, multiple local rank sum test, χ2 test or Fisher's exact probability method, and the recurrence rate and recurrence free survival (RFS) of the three groups were compared after a follow-up of 6 to 126 months. Results:Among the 161 patients with SPTIC, 132 (82.0%) were female, 130 (80.7%) were younger than 55 years old, BMI (25.1±3.6) kg/m 2, 124 (77.0%) were combined with capsule invasion. There were 53 cases (32.9%) with central lymph node metastasis (CLNM). Subgroup analysis showed that the proportion of males in patients with tumor diameter > 1 cm, the proportion of patients with BMI≥26.0 kg/m 2, the rate of capsular invasion, the rate of extrandular invasion and the rate of CLNM were higher (30.0% vs. 14.0%, P=0.023; 60.0% vs. 33.9%, P=0.004; 97.5% vs. 70.2%, P< 0.001; 42.5% vs. 9.9%, P<0.001; 50.0% vs. 27.3%, P=0.008) ; The CLNM rate was higher in male patients with BMI≥26.0 kg/m 2 and tumor diameter > 1 cm (28.3% vs. 13.0%, P=0.017; 52.8% vs. 34.3%, P=0.024; 37.7% vs. 18.5%, P=0.008). Compared with groups A and B, group C had longer hospitalization days, higher hospitalization costs, longer operation time, more postoperative drainage flow and higher incidence of postoperative hypoparathyroidism, and the differences were statistically significant (all P< 0.05). Groups A and B were similar in all aspects, with no statistical significance ( P> 0.05 for all). During the follow-up, 3 patients in both group A and B relapsed, while no patients in group C relapsed, and there were no statistically significant differences in the recurrence rate ( P=0.059) or RFS ( P=0.082) among the three groups. Conclusions:The majority of SPTIC were microcarcinomas, but the incidence of tumor combined with capsule invasion was higher, and the tumor size of more than 1 cm was more invasive (capsule invasion rate and extrathyroid invasion rate were higher). SPTIC should be treated as conservatively as possible (isthmic excision or enlarged isthmic excision) .

ObjectiveThe antitumor activity of sesquiterpenoid M36 isolated from Myrrha against human hepatoma HepG2 cells was investigated in this study. MethodHepG2 cells were treated with M36 at different concentrations （0， 2， 4， 6， 8， 10 μmol·L^-1）. Firstly， the effects of M36 on the proliferation of human hepatoma HepG2 cells were detected by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium （MTT）， colony formation assay， and EdU proliferation assay. Hoechst staining， flow cytometry analysis， and Western blot were used to explore the effect of M36 on the apoptosis of human hepatoma HepG2 cells. Acridine orange staining and western blotting were used to examine the effect of M36 on autophagy in HepG2 cells. Finally， Western blot was used to detect protein expression of cancer-related signaling pathways. ResultCompared with the blank group， M36 treatment significantly inhibited the proliferation of human hepatoma HepG2 cells （P<0.01）， and the half inhibitory concentration （IC₅₀） value of M36 for 48 h was 5.03 μmol·L^-1， in a dose- and time-dependent manner. M36 was also able to induce apoptosis and autophagy in human hepatoma HepG2 cells. After treatment with 8 μmol·L^-1 M36 for 48 hours， the apoptosis rate of HepG2 cells was （42.03±9.65）% （P<0.01）. Compared with the blank group， HepG2 cells treated with 4 and 8 μmol·L^-1 M36 for 48 h had a significant increase in cleaved poly ADP-ribose polymerase （cleaved-PARP） protein levels （P<0.01）. Acridine orange staining showed that autophagy was significantly activated in HepG2 cells treated with 4 and 8 μmol·L^-1 M36 for 48 h compared with the blank group （P<0.01）， which was further verified by the up-regulation of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 Ⅱ （LC3 Ⅱ）. Western blot results showed that compared with the blank group， the levels of phosphorylated extracellular regulated protein kinase （p-ERK）， phosphorylated p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase （p-p38 MAPK）， phosphorylated c-Jun N-terminal kinase （p-JNK）， and its downstream nuclear transcription factors c-Jun and p-c-Jun protein were significantly increased in M36 group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The mechanism may be related to the up-regulation of MAPK signaling pathway. ConclusionThe sesquiterpenoid M36 isolated from Myrrha inhibits the proliferation of human hepatoma HepG2 cells and promotes apoptosis and autophagy， which may be related to the activation of the MAPK signaling pathway.