OBJECTIVE: To explore the genetic etiology of 46 Chinese pedigrees affected with Hereditary multiple exostoses (HME) and provide genetic counseling and reproductive intervention. METHODS: Whole-exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing were carried out on 87 patients from the 46 pedigrees to analyze the variants of EXT1 and EXT2 genes. Pathogenicity of the variants was assessed based on the guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics and Association for Molecular Pathology (ACMG/AMP). Prenatal diagnosis and preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) were provided for couples with identified pathogenic mutations. This study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the hospital (Ethics No.: LL-SC-SG-2014-010). RESULTS: In total 17 and 22 pathogenic variants were respectively identified in the EXT1 and EXT2 genes, among which 5 EXT1 and 12 EXT2 variants were unreported previously. Three patients with no family history were found to harbor de novo variants of the EXT1 gene. Twenty nine couples had opted for PGT or underwent prenatal diagnosis following natural conception, and 17 healthy babies were born. CONCLUSION This study has clarified the genetic etiology of 45 HME pedigrees and identified 17 novel variants, which has enriched the mutational spectrum of the EXT1 and EXT2 genes. Reproductive intervention through PGT and prenatal diagnosis have prevented the recurrence of HME in these families.
Humans ; Female ; Male ; Pedigree ; Exostoses, Multiple Hereditary/diagnosis* ; N-Acetylglucosaminyltransferases/genetics* ; Adult ; Exostosin 1 ; Asian People/genetics* ; Genetic Testing ; Exostosin 2 ; Mutation ; China ; Prenatal Diagnosis ; Pregnancy ; Genetic Counseling ; Preimplantation Diagnosis ; Exome Sequencing ; East Asian People

Chronic atrophic gastritis （CAG） is a digestive system disease characterized by the reduction and atrophy of the intrinsic glands of the gastric mucosa. This disease is closely related to risk factors such as Helicobacter pylori （Hp） infection，long-term unhealthy eating habits and lifestyle. As CAG is a key link in the development of gastric cancer，effectively preventing its deterioration is of great significance for the prevention of gastric cancer. At present，Western medicine mainly uses symptomatic treatments such as eradicating Hp，protecting gastric mucosa， and promoting gastrointestinal motility. However， long-term use is prone to drug resistance and cannot reverse limitations such as gland atrophy， making it urgent to explore new intervention strategies. In recent years，with the deepening of CAG mechanism research，the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt） signaling pathway，as one of the classic signaling pathways，plays a significant role in the occurrence and development of CAG，while its systematic summary is still blank. Based on the regulatory advantages of "multi-target，multi-pathway，and low toxicity"，traditional Chinese medicine can improve the pathological process of CAG by intervening in key nodes of the PI3K/Akt pathway. In this paper，the research progress of traditional Chinese medicine regulating PI3K/Akt pathway to improve CAG was systematically reviewed for the first time. The expression of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in CAG was discussed，including the regulation of inflammation and oxidative stress，cell proliferation and apoptosis，and autophagy. The traditional Chinese medicine flavonoids，alkaloids，terpenoids and other compounds that regulate this pathway were summarized. The traditional Chinese medicine compounds mainly include classic famous prescriptions such as Xiaochaihu Tang，Banxia Xiexin Tang，Morodan concentrated pills，Elian granules and other traditional Chinese patent medicines，as well as empirical prescriptions such as modified Leweiyin formula，and Qiling prescription. This study aims to give full play to the advantages of traditional Chinese medicine and lay a solid foundation for the wide application and further development of CAG treatment，and provide new ideas for clinical research and drug research on CAG.

Objective To prepare Zanthoxylum alkaloid thermosensitive hydrogel, optimize the preparation process and conduct related performance studies. Methods Zanthoxylum alkaloids were obtained by reflux extraction, followed by enrichment and purification using macroporous adsorption resin. Poloxamer 407 and Poloxamer 188 were used as substrates to prepare the thermosensitive hydrogel of Zanthoxylum alkaloids, and the preparation process was optimized by orthogonal design. The quality of the hydrogel was systematically evaluated based on its gelation temperature, gelation time, Fourier transform infrared （FTIR） spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy （SEM） images, mechanical properties, and in vitro release profile. Results The optimal preparation conditions for the Zanthoxylum alkaloid thermosensitive hydrogel were: 20% （g/ml） poloxamer 407, 2% （g/ml） poloxamer 188 and 100 μg/ml Zanthoxylum alkaloid. The gelation temperature was 32.6℃, and the average gelling time was 143.3 s. The hydrogel appeared as a transparent liquid at room temperature and was transformed into a semi-solid gel state when the temperature exceeded 33℃. Experimental results confirmed the successful preparation of poloxamer 407 and poloxamer 188 thermosensitive hydrogel loaded with Zanthoxylum alkaloids, which exhibited good bio adhesion, self-healing properties, and tensile strength. Conclusion The Zanthoxylum alkaloid thermosensitive hydrogel demonstrated favorable mechanical properties and a sustained-release effect, showing promising potential for further development and application.

Traditional Chinese medicine contains a variety of volatile components （VOCs） such as terpenes and aliphatics, which have significant pharmacological activities, and are commonly analyzed by gas chromatography （GC） and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry （GC-MS）. Although the separation ability is strong, the samples need to be pre-treated and the analysis time is long. In recent years, the combination of GC and ion migration spectrometry （IMS） has been widely used in the academic community. The combination of high separation ability of GC and rapid reaction ability of IMS has the advantages of no sample pretreatment, fast analysis time, low detection limit and simple operation. It is increasingly used in traditional Chinese medicine research. The working principle of GC-IMS was introduced, the application in VOCs research of traditional Chinese medicine was summarized, and the future development direction was prospected in this paper.

Background and aims Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells are metabolically reprogrammed for excessive uptake and metabolism of many nutrients. The tumor suppressive microRNA-148a-3p (miR-148a-3p) is downregulated in HCC, whereas its function in regulating HCC cell metabolism remains obscure. Herein we aimed to delineate the role of miR-148a-3p in HCC cell metabolism by using novel bioengineered miR-148a-3p (BioRNALeu/miR-148a-3p) agent produced in vivo. Methods BioRNALeu/miR-148a-3p was designed by using human leucyl transfer RNA fused hsa-pre-miR-34a carrier, overexpressed in Escherichia coli (E. coli), and purified to high homogeneity. After transfection into HCC cells, the released miR-148a-3p levels were assessed by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Cell proliferation was determined by CellTiter-Glo assays. Targets were validated by dual-luciferase reporter assays, immunoblotting, and immunofluorescence confocal imaging. Glycolysis capacity was evaluated by Seahorse XF assays, and glucose, lactate, and amino acid levels were quantified by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) methods. Results BioRNALeu/miR-148a-3p was efficiently processed into target miR-148a-3p in HCC cells to effectively inhibit cell proliferation in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Mechanistically, miR-148a-3p suppressed the protein levels of glucose transporter GLUT1/SLC2A1 and L-type amino acid transporter LAT1/SLC7A5 via acting on their 3′-untranslated regions, as well as amino acid transporter ASCT2/SLC1A5. These, in turn, led to a reduction of glucose uptake, lactate production, and glycolytic flux in HCC cells, and alteration of intracellular amino acid metabolome including glutamine, leucine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, and methionine. Conclusions Reintroduction of miR-148a-3p into HCC cells modulates glucose and amino acid metabolism via regulating multiple SLC transporters, thereby suppressing HCC cell viability. These findings highlight the role of miR-148a-3p in HCC cell metabolism and potential of bioengineered miRNA molecules for functional studies and therapeutic development.

Objective To optimize the process conditions and analyze the components of alkaloids from Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim（Z. bungeanum）using macroporous resin. Methods Combining single factor tests and orthogonal tests, the content of hydroxy-α-sanshool（HAS）and hydroxy-β-sanshool（HBS）were considered as indexes to determine the best process parameters. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-TOF-MS^E）was used to identify the structures of alkaloids. Results The optimal conditions were Mitsubishi HP-20 macroporous resin, the loading solution concentration was 0.2 g crude drug/ml, the ratio of crude drug to resin volume was 1 g∶2.5 ml, the diameter/height ratio of resin column was 1∶7, the dynamic adsorption flow rate was 4 times of bed volume（BV）per hour, and the adsorption time was 1 h. Impurities were removed by using 2 BV of 20% ethanol, 5 BV of 80% ethanol was used to elution, and the content of HAS and HBS was 4.71% and 1.02%, respectively. A total of 20 alkaloids were identified from Z. bungeanum. Conclusion This method was stable and feasible, obtaining high purity and various kinds of alkaloids, which could be used for the enrichment and purification of alkaloids from Z. bungeanum.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease （NAFLD） is a chronic liver disease closely related to metabolism， which is mainly characterized by abnormal lipid deposition in hepatocytes. In recent years， with the increasing prevalence of obesity and metabolic syndrome， NAFLD has become one of the most common chronic diseases in the world. The pathogenesis of NAFLD is complex and varied， involving the cross-regulation of multiple signaling pathways such as glucose-lipid metabolism， oxidative stress， and inflammation. The TLR4 signaling pathway plays a key role in the development and progression of NAFLD， and abnormal activation of this pathway accelerates the deterioration of NAFLD by promoting the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines， inducing oxidative stress， and exacerbating insulin resistance. Studies have shown that traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） can regulate the TLR4 signaling pathway to alleviate the symptoms and pathological features of NAFLD. The present review summarizes the experimental research progress in the TCM regulation of the TLR4 signaling pathway in treating NAFLD in the past 5 years， covering a wide range of TCM active ingredients （such as polysaccharides， terpenoids， alkaloids， flavonoids） and compound prescriptions. The active ingredients and compound prescriptions of TCM can effectively ameliorate lipid metabolism disorders， reduce insulin resistance， regulate intestinal flora， and inhibit inflammation and oxidative stress by regulating the TLR4 signaling pathway via multiple targets and pathways， thus slowing down the progression of NAFLD. Through in-depth analysis of the pathological mechanisms of NAFLD and exploration of the potential of TLR4 signaling pathway as a therapeutic target， we can provide theoretical support for the application of TCM in the treatment of NAFLD， as well as new perspectives and directions for future clinical research and new drug development， thereby promoting the innovation and development of therapeutic strategies for NAFLD.

With the rapid development of social economy and the continuous improvement of human living standard, the incidence, fatality and recurrence rates of cardiovascular disease (CVD) are increasing year by year, which seriously affects people's life and health. Conventional therapeutic drugs have limited improvement on the disability rate, so the search for new therapeutic drugs and action targets has become one of the hotspots of current research. In recent years, the therapeutic role of the natural compound rosmarinic acid (RA) in CVD has attracted much attention, which is capable of preventing CVD by modulating multiple signalling pathways and exerting physiological activities such as antioxidant, anti-apoptotic, anti-inflammatory, anti-platelet aggregation, as well as anti-coagulation and endothelial function protection. In this paper, the role of RA in the prevention of CVD is systematically sorted out, and its mechanism of action is summarised and analysed, with a view to providing a scientific basis and important support for the in-depth exploration of the prevention value of RA in CVD and its further development as a prevention drug.

Objective To systematically evaluate the risk prediction models for anastomotic leakage (AL) in patients with esophageal cancer after surgery. Methods A computer-based search of PubMed, EMbase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Chinese Medical Journal Full-text Database, VIP, Wanfang, SinoMed and CNKI was conducted to collect studies on postoperative AL risk prediction model for esophageal cancer from their inception to October 1st, 2023. PROBAST tool was employed to evaluate the bias risk and applicability of the model, and Stata 15 software was utilized for meta-analysis. Results A total of 19 literatures were included covering 25 AL risk prediction models and 7373 patients. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was 0.670-0.960. Among them, 23 prediction models had a good prediction performance (AUC>0.7); 13 models were tested for calibration of the model; 1 model was externally validated, and 10 models were internally validated. Meta-analysis showed that hypoproteinemia (OR=9.362), postoperative pulmonary complications (OR=7.427), poor incision healing (OR=5.330), anastomosis type (OR=2.965), preoperative history of thoracoabdominal surgery (OR=3.181), preoperative diabetes mellitus (OR=2.445), preoperative cardiovascular disease (OR=3.260), preoperative neoadjuvant therapy (OR=2.977), preoperative respiratory disease (OR=4.744), surgery method (OR=4.312), American Society of Anesthesiologists score (OR=2.424) were predictors for AL after esophageal cancer surgery. Conclusion At present, the prediction model of AL risk in patients with esophageal cancer after surgery is in the development stage, and the overall research quality needs to be improved.

Objective To investigate the distribution and antimicrobial resistance profiles of common pathogens isolated from cerebrospinal fluid(CSF)in CHINET program from 2015 to 2021.Methods The bacterial strains isolated from CSF were identified in accordance with clinical microbiology practice standards.Antimicrobial susceptibility test was conducted using Kirby-Bauer method and automated systems per the unified CHINET protocol.Results A total of 14 014 bacterial strains were isolated from CSF samples from 2015 to 2021,including the strains isolated from inpatients(95.3％)and from outpatient and emergency care patients(4.7％).Overall,19.6％of the isolates were from children and 80.4％were from adults.Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria accounted for 68.0％and 32.0％,respectively.Coagulase negative Staphylococcus accounted for 73.0％of the total Gram-positive bacterial isolates.The prevalence of MRSA was 38.2％in children and 45.6％in adults.The prevalence of MRCNS was 67.6％in adults and 69.5％in children.A small number of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium(2.2％)and linezolid-resistant Enterococcus faecalis(3.1％)were isolated from adult patients.The resistance rates of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae to ceftriaxone were 52.2％and 76.4％in children,70.5％and 63.5％in adults.The prevalence of carbapenem-resistant E.coli and K.pneumoniae(CRKP)was 1.3％and 47.7％in children,6.4％and 47.9％in adults.The prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii(CRAB)and Pseudomonas aeruginosa(CRPA)was 74.0％and 37.1％in children,81.7％and 39.9％in adults.Conclusions The data derived from antimicrobial resistance surveillance are crucial for clinicians to make evidence-based decisions regarding antibiotic therapy.Attention should be paid to the Gram-negative bacteria,especially CRKP and CRAB in central nervous system(CNS)infections.Ongoing antimicrobial resistance surveillance is helpful for optimizing antibiotic use in CNS infections.