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.

In this study, potential quality markers(Q-markers) of Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus for treating bronchial asthma were predicted based on analytic hierarchy process(AHP), entropy weight method(EWM), fingerprint, and network pharmacology. AHPEWM was employed to quantitatively identify the Q-markers of Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus. AHP was used to weight the primary indicators(effectiveness, measurability, and specificity), while EWM was employed to analyze the secondary indicators of each primer indicator. Further, through fingerprint combined with network pharmacology, a ″component-target-pathway″ network was constructed to screen the components of Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus for treating bronchial asthma. It was finally determined that schisandrol A,schisandrin A, and schisandrin B were potential Q-markers of Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus in the treatment of bronchial asthma. This study is the first to comprehensively use AHP-EWM, fingerprint, and network pharmacology to screen the key Q-markers of Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus in the treatment of bronchial asthma. This study provides a scientific basis for improving the quality standard of Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus and lays a foundation for studying its material basis in treating bronchial asthma.
Schisandra/chemistry* ; Asthma/drug therapy* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Network Pharmacology ; Humans ; Entropy ; Lignans/analysis* ; Fruit/chemistry* ; Quality Control ; Cyclooctanes ; Polycyclic Compounds/analysis*

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the association between body mass index (BMI) and mortality based on the 10-year population-based multicenter prospective study. METHODS: A general population-based multicenter prospective study was conducted at four sites in rural China between 2013 and 2023. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models and restricted cubic spline analyses were used to assess the association between BMI and mortality. Stratified analyses were performed based on the individual characteristics of the participants. RESULTS: Overall, 19,107 participants with a sum of 163,095 person-years were included and 1,910 participants died. The underweight (< 18.5 kg/m ²) presented an increase in all-cause mortality (adjusted hazards ratio [ aHR] = 2.00, 95% confidence interval [ CI]: 1.66-2.41), while overweight (≥ 24.0 to < 28.0 kg/m ²) and obesity (≥ 28.0 kg/m ²) presented a decrease with an aHR of 0.61 (95% CI: 0.52-0.73) and 0.51 (95% CI: 0.37-0.70), respectively. Overweight ( aHR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.67-0.86) and mild obesity ( aHR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.59-0.87) had a positive impact on mortality in people older than 60 years. All-cause mortality decreased rapidly until reaching a BMI of 25.7 kg/m ² ( aHR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.92-0.98) and increased slightly above that value, indicating a U-shaped association. The beneficial impact of being overweight on mortality was robust in most subgroups and sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSION This study provides additional evidence that overweight and mild obesity may be inversely related to the risk of death in individuals older than 60 years. Therefore, it is essential to consider age differences when formulating health and weight management strategies.
Humans ; Body Mass Index ; China/epidemiology* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Rural Population/statistics & numerical data* ; Aged ; Follow-Up Studies ; Adult ; Mortality ; Cause of Death ; Obesity/mortality* ; Overweight/mortality*

A method for determining volatile organic compounds(VOCs)in environmental air samples using thermal desorption-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry(TD-GC/MS)was developed.The qualitative and quantitative analyses of 103 kinds of VOC species were achieved under the optimal conditions such as cold trap desorption temperature and time during the thermal desorption process,combined with full-scan data acquisition using an electron impact ionization source.With a sampling volume of 3.0 L,the method exhibited detection limits of 0.1-0.5 μg/m3 and quantitation limits of 0.4-2.0 μg/m3.At spiked concentrations of 1.0 μg/m3 and 10.0 μg/m3,the recoveries ranged from 60.5%to 118.0%,with relative standard deviations varying from 2.37%to 18.70%.Furthermore,all target compounds showed correlation coefficients(R2)exceeding 0.997 across their respective concentration ranges,demonstrating that the method had high accuracy and reliability.Using this method,a study was conducted to investigate the spatial variations and source apportionment of VOCs across urban,suburban,and rural sites in Anyang,a representative industrial city,during the summer season.The results revealed significant differences in VOC concentrations among the three regions.The urban site recorded the highest concentration at 40.1 μg/m3,followed by the rural site at 23.5 μg/m3,while the suburban site had the lowest concentration of 9.74 μg/m3.With regard to compositional characteristics,alkanes were the dominant components in the urban and rural areas,whereas oxygenated VOCs were predominant in the suburban site.The ozone formation potential(OFP)also varied significantly across regions:96.0 μg/m3 in urban areas,72.0 μg/m3 in rural areas,and only 27.6 μg/m3 in suburban areas.Alkenes were identified as the primary contributors to the total ozone formation potential(TOFP)in all regions,highlighting their critical role in atmospheric oxidation processes.Source apportionment analysis using the positive matrix factorization(PMF)model identified combustion sources,natural sources,chemical industry emissions,industrial emissions,solvent use,and vehicle emissions as the major sources of VOCs in Anyang during summer.Notably,chemical industry emissions and combustion sources were dominant in urban and rural areas,whereas combustion sources and natural sources were more prominent in the suburban area,reflecting distinct emission patterns and anthropogenic activities across the regions.

Objective To explore the application value of musculoskeletal ultrasound(MSUS)in grading acute gastrocnemius muscle injuries.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on ultrasound images of 291 patients who presented with sudden calf pain and suspected acute gastrocnemius muscle injury in the General Hospital of Central Theater Command from March 2019 to July 2024.The images were independently reviewed and assessed by three ultrasound doctors with different qualifications to determine the presence and grade of gastrocnemius muscle injury.The consistency of grading results among three doctors was compared.The diagnostic results of three doctors were summarized.Then,the diagnostic results of 29 patients who underwent routine MRI scans were compared with those of MSUS,and the agreement between the two imaging modalities was assessed using the Kappa test.Results Among the 291 patients,171 cases(58.8%)were diagnosed with gastrocnemius muscle injury,including 55 cases(32.2%)with grade Ⅰ,109 cases(63.7%)with grade Ⅱ,and 7 cases(4.1%)with grade Ⅲ.There were 159 cases(93.0%)of unilateral medial head injury,10 cases(5.8%)of unilateral lateral head injury,and 2 cases(1.2%)of bilateral medial and lateral head injury.Compared with patients without gastrocnemius muscle injury,patients with gastrocnemius muscle injury were older(P<0.05),with no significant difference in gender and laterality(P>0.05).No significant differences in baseline characteristics were found among patients with different grades of injury(P>0.05).The three doctors diagnosed 173(59.5%),171(58.8%),and 171(58.8%)cases of injury,respectively,with an inter-class correlation coefficient(ICC)of 0.947(P<0.001).Among 29 patients who underwent MRI,the diagnostic agreement between MRI and ultrasound for grade Ⅰ,Ⅱ and Ⅲ injury was 8(27.6%),18(62.1%)and 3(10.3%)for MRI;and 9(31.0%),17(58.6%)and 3(10.3%)for MSUS,respectively,with a Kappa value of 0.808(P<0.001).Conclusions MSUS is effective for assessing the grade of acute gastrocnemius muscle injury,and shows high diagnostic consistency among doctors with different qualifications.It is recommended as the preferred method for diagnosing gastrocnemius muscle injury.

Good endometrial receptivity is an essential factor for embryo implantation,and gene expression in endometrial tissue during the window of implantation(WOI)is closely related to receptivity.Transcriptome sequencing technology enables the identification of gene expression profiles of endometrium during different menstrual phases,as well as microRNAs and long-chain non-coding RNA sequences involved in regulating gene expression.Combining this technology with bioinformatics analysis provides a better understanding of specific gene expression during the receptive period and offers technical support for studying its regulatory mechanism.Moreover,gene expression profiles of the endometrium during different menstrual phases hold significant clinical application value for accurately assessing endometrium receptivity in infertility patients and those with repeated implantation failure,thereby guiding individualized embryo transfer strategies.This review summarizes the progress of transcriptome sequencing in evaluating human endometrial receptivity and discusses future research directions.This review aims to understand the complex molecular mechanisms of endometrial receptivity formation and regulation from the transcriptional level,in order to improve the implantation rate of embryos in assisted reproductive technology and reduce the abortion rate.

Objective To investigate the risk factors for pneumonia complicating infectious mononucleosis(IM)in adults and construct a nomogram prediction model.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 198 IM patients admitted to the Second Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University from January 2015 to December 2021.Patients were divided into pneumonia group(n=52)and non-pneumonia group(n=146)based on whether pulmonary infection occurred during hospitalization.The baseline data(age,gender,place of onset,etc.),clinical manifestations(maximum body temperature,lymph node enlargement,splenomegaly,etc.),and inflammatory indicators[white blood cell count(WBC),C-reactive protein(CRP),etc.]were compared between the two groups.Kaplan-Meier curves were plotted to analyze the key indicators affecting the hospital stay of IM patients.Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the independent risk factors for pneumonia complicating IM in adults and construct a nomogram prediction model based on the identified risk factors.The predictive efficacy of the model was evaluated using the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve and the consistency of the model was assessed using the calibration curve.The fit of the model was evaluated using the Hosmer-Lemeshow test.Additionally,the sensitivity,specificity,and accuracy of the model were assessed using confusion matrix.Results Compared with non-pneumonia group,the pneumonia group had a significantly higher proportion of patients from rural areas,with body mass index(BMI)≥24 kg/m2,smoking history,hepatomegaly,fever duration of≥7 d,as well as increased total hospitalization costs and average daily hospitalization costs,and prolonged hospital stay(P<0.05).The proportion of patients with a history of antibiotic use was lower in the pneumonia group(P<0.05).Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that patients from rural areas,with BMI≥24 kg/m2,smoking history,no prophylactic use of antibiotics,fever duration≥7 d,and hepatomegaly had significantly prolonged hospital stays(P<0.05).Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that living in a rural area(OR=4.089,P<0.05),hepatomegaly(OR=4.082,P<0.05),and elevated WBC(OR=1.205,P<0.05)were independent risk factors for pneumonia complicating IM in adults,while the prophylactic use of antibiotics(OR=0.142,P<0.05)was an independent protective factor.The area under the ROC curve of the constructed nomogram prediction model was 0.827(95%CI 0.762-0.892),and the slope of the calibration curve was close to 1,and the Hosmer-Lemeshow test showed χ2=5.299,P=0.725,indicating good consistency and fit of the prediction model.The results of the confusion matrix assessment showed that the sensitivity of the model was 0.669(0.624-0.773),the specificity was 0.827(0.724-0.930),and the accuracy was 0.732(0.665-0.793).Conclusion The nomogram prediction model based on place of onset,hepatomegaly,the prophylactic use of antibiotics and WBC has excellent fit and discrimination,providing an effective quantitative tool for prognosis assessment of IM.

Objective To investigate the value of the maximum standard uptake value(SUVmax)obtained with orbital SEPCT/CT for evaluating activity of thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy(TAO)and predicting curative efficacy.Methods A total of 96 patients with initially diagnosed TAO were retrospectively collected,including 71 with clinical activity score(CAS)≥3(active group)and 25 with CAS=2(inactive group).Data of orbital SEPCT/CT were collected,and the patients were treated with hormones or immunosuppressants for 3 months.CAS was performed again within 1 week after treatment,and orbital imaging was reviewed.The patients were divided into effective group and ineffective group according to treatment results.Pretreatment(pre)SUVmax(pre-SUVmax)and imaging agent uptake rate(UR)(pre-UR)in extraocular muscle were compared between active and inactive groups.Pre-CAS,post-treatment(post)CAS(post-CAS),as well as pre-SUVmax,post-SUVmax,pre-UR,post-UR and the difference of pre-and post-treatment CAS,SUVmax and UR(△CAS,△UR,△SUVmax)of extraocular muscle were compared between effective group and ineffective group.The correlations of SUVmax,UR and CAS were analyzed.Pre-CAS,pre-SUVmax and pre-UR were included in univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis to screen the predictors of effective treatment of TAO.Results Pre-SUVmax and pre-UR of extraocular muscle in active group were higher than those in inactive group(both P＜0.05).Among 96 cases,70 were in effective group and 26 were in ineffective group.Pre-CAS,the proportion of pre-CAS≥3 scores,pre-SUVmax,pre-UR,△CAS,△SUVmax and △UR in effective group were all higher than those in ineffective group(all P＜0.05).Pre-SUVmax and pre-UR in extraocular muscle of TAO patients were positively correlated with pre-CAS(rs=0.419,0.395,both P＜0.001),while post-SUVmax and post-UR were positively correlated with post-CAS(rs=0.322,0.221,P=0.001,0.030),△SUVmax and △UR were positively correlated with △CAS(rs=0.368,0.206,P＜0.001,P=0.044).Pre-CAS≥3(OR=2.95)and pre-SUVmax(OR=4.22)were both independent predictors of effective treatment of TAO(both P＜0.05).Conclusion SUVmax obtained with orbital SEPCT/CT could be used to quantitatively assess TAO activity and predict curative efficacy.

Objective:To perform RHD gene detection on a blood sample with serological weak D phenotype.Methods:A specimen received by the People's Hospital of Zhijin County was serologically identified by the microcolumn gel method and saline method.RHD gene detection was conducted by the PCR-SSP method,and the full sequence determination of the 10 exons amplified was performed.The sequencing results were compared with the ISBT database to determine the genotype.Bioinformatics tool was used to predict the functional damage of mutant proteins,and Alphafold-3 was used for tertiary structural modeling of wild-type and mutant RhD proteins,and the structures of the two proteins were compared and analyzed to explore the reasons why mutations lead to weak serological manifestations.Results:The patient's genotype was identified as RHD*DV.5/RHD*01N.01 heterozygote,with the complete deletion of RHD genes on one chromosome,unable to express the D antigen.On the other chromosome,a G＞A mutation occurred at the 697th base of the 5th exon,resulting in a partial D phenotype.This mutation causes internal hydrogen bond changes at the 233 position of RhD protein,resulting in a change in the conformation of the protein,affecting binding to the corresponding antibody.Conclusion:The patient is a heterozygous mutant individual with RHD*DV.5/RHD*01N.01,exhibiting a partial D phenotype serologically.This variation is extremely rare and has been scarcely reported globally.

Objective This study aims to systematically evaluate the evidence-based medicine of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)in the treatment of dry eye,analyze its efficacy and differences compared with modern Western medicine treatments,and provide a scientific basis for clinical application.Methods By searching Chinese and English databases(including CNKI,Wanfang Data,PubMed,Cochrane Library,etc.),we included meta-analyses and systematic reviews of TCM treatments for dry eye.Literature was screened according to strict inclusion and exclusion criteria,and relevant data were extracted and integrated for analysis.The Mantel-Haenszel fixed-effects model was used to calculate the relative risk(RR)and mean difference(WMD),with the effect size expressed as a 95％confidence interval,to analyze the efficacy in-dicators of TCM treatment for dry eye.Results A total of 21 articles were finally included,involving various TCM inter-ventions for dry eye(such as Chinese herbal medicine,acupuncture,and TCM external therapies).The results showed that TCM treatment was superior to Western medicine alone in improving the overall clinical efficacy[RR=1.63,95％CI(1.46,1.81),P＜0.05],prolonging tear film break-up time[MD=2.23,95％CI(1.85,2.60),P＜0.05],and increasing tear secretion[MD=1.49,95％CI(1.04,1.94),P＜0.05].In addition,acupuncture,the combination of Chinese herbal medicine and Western medicine,and TCM external therapies all demonstrated unique advantages in improving dry eye symptoms and tear function.Conclusion TCM treatment for dry eye shows significant efficacy in key indicators such as overall clinical efficacy,tear film break-up time,and tear secretion,with a high level of safety.