Objective: To investigate the mechanism of Yishen Tongluo Formula in ameliorating renal pyroptosis in diabetic nephropathy mice by regulating the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88)/nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway. Methods: Sixty C57BL/6 male mice were randomly divided into control (10 mice) and intervention groups (50 mice) using random number table method. The diabetes nephropathy model was established by intraperitoneally injecting streptozotocin(50 mg/kg). After modeling, the intervention group was further divided into model, semaglutide (40 μg/kg), and high-, medium-, and low-dose Yishen Tongluo Formula groups (15.6, 7.8, and 3.9 g/kg, respectively) using random number table method. The high-, medium-, and low-dose Yishen Tongluo Formula groups were administered corresponding doses of medication by gavage, the semaglutide group received a subcutaneous injection of semaglutide injection, and the control group and model groups were administered distilled water by gavage for 12 consecutive weeks. Random blood glucose levels of mice in each group were monitored, and the 24-h urinary protein content was measured using biochemical method every 4 weeks; after treatment, the serum creatinine and urea nitrogen levels were measured using biochemical method. The weight of the kidneys was measured, and the renal index was calculated. Hematoxylin and eosin, periodic acid-Schiff, periodic Schiff-methenamine, and Masson staining were used to observe the pathological changes in renal tissue. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect urinary β2-microglobulin (β2-MG), neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), and kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) levels. Western blotting and real-time fluorescence PCR were used to detect the relative protein and mRNA expression levels of nucleotide-binding domain leucine-rich repeat and pyrin domain-containing receptor 3 (NLRP3), Caspase-1, gasdermin D (GSDMD), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and interleukin-18 (IL-18) in renal tissue. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the proportion of protein staining area of the TLR4, MyD88, and NF-κB in renal tissue. Results: Compared with the control group, the random blood glucose, 24-h urinary protein, serum creatinine, urea nitrogen, and renal index of the model group increased, and the urine β2-MG, NGAL, and KIM-1 levels increased. The relative protein and mRNA expression levels of NLRP3, Caspase-1, GSDMD, IL-1β, and IL-18 in renal tissue increased, and the proportion of TLR4, MyD88, and NF-κB protein positive staining areas increased (P<0.05). Pathological changes such as glomerular hypertrophy were observed in the renal tissue of the model group. Compared with the model group, the Yishen Tongluo Formula high-dose group showed a decrease in random blood glucose after 12 weeks of treatment (P<0.05). The Yishen Tongluo Formula high- and medium-dose groups showed a decrease in 24-h urinary protein, creatinine, urea nitrogen, and renal index, as well as decreased β2-MG, NGAL, and KIM-1 levels. NLRP3, Caspase-1, GSDMD, IL-1 β, and IL-18 relative protein and mRNA expression levels were also reduced, and the proportion of TLR4, MyD88, and NF-κB protein positive staining areas was reduced (P<0.05). Pathological damage to renal tissue was ameliorated. Conclusion Yishen Tongluo Formula may exert protective renal effects by inhibiting renal pyroptosis and alleviating tubular interstitial injury in diabetic nephropathy mice by regulating the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVES: Intracranial aneurysm (IA) has an insidious onset, and once ruptured, it carries high rates of mortality and disability. Cardiometabolic factors may be associated with the formation and rupture of IA. This study aims to summarize the application of Mendelian randomization (MR) methods in research on cardiometabolic factors and IA, providing insights for further elucidation of IA etiology and pathogenesis. METHODS: Literature about MR-based IA studies published up to February 21, 2024, was retrieved from PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CNKI, and Wanfang. Two researchers independently performed literature screening, data extraction, and quality assessment. A narrative synthesis approach was used to conduct a qualitative systematic review of the included studies. RESULTS: A total of 11 MR-based studies on IA published between 2017 to 2024 were included, of which 4 were rated as high quality. These studies investigated the associations between blood pressure, blood lipids, blood glucose, obesity-related indicators, and inflammatory cytokines with IA and its subtypes, though issues of duplication were noted. Four MR studies based on the same European population but using different instrumental variable selection criteria, as well as another MR study in a different European cohort, consistently identified blood pressure as a risk factor for IA and its subtypes. Findings for blood lipids, blood glucose, obesity-related indicators, and inflammatory cytokines were inconsistent across MR studies. CONCLUSIONS Blood pressure appears to increase the risk of IA and its subtypes. Associations between other cardiometabolic factors and IA/subtypes require further in-depth investigation. Given the inherent limitations of MR studies, causal inferences should be made cautiously in combination with other lines of evidence.
Humans ; Mendelian Randomization Analysis ; Intracranial Aneurysm/etiology* ; Risk Factors ; Blood Pressure ; Blood Glucose ; Obesity/complications* ; Cardiometabolic Risk Factors ; Lipids/blood*

Objective To draw the genome-wide distribution and remodeling characteristics of H3K27me3 silencers in signet-ring cell carcinoma of the stomach(SRCC)through epigenetic sequencing technology,and to investigate their roles in transcriptional regulation in order to elucidate the regulatory mechanism of SRCC malignant progression.Methods The study was conducted on 35 gastric samples obtained by gastroendoscopic biopsy(15 normal and 20 SRCC tissues)from Department of Gastroenterology of Army Medical Center of PLA between January 2021 and December 2023.Multi-omics analyses,including assay for transposase-accessible chromatin with high-throughput sequencing(ATAC-seq),cleavage under targets and tagmentation(CUT&Tag)and transcriptome sequencing(RNA-seq),were performed to identify chromatin accessibility,H3K27me3 silencer regions,and transcriptional changes,with aid of Illumina NovaSeq 6000.H3K27me3 related differentially expressed genes(|Log2FC|>1,FDR<0.05)were screened using DESeq2.Gene Ontology(GO)analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)analysis were employed to analyze the enrichment function,and Homer was employed to identify transcription factor motifs.A regulatory network was constructed using Cytoscape,and then validated using immunohistochemistry to explore its regulatory mechanism.Results H3K27me3 silencers were primarily located in distal intergenic regions(37.06%)in SRCC.Compared with the normal tissues,SRCC showed a significant reduction in H3K27me3 silencer signals(95%CI:1.34～2.30,P=0.007)with 6 257 lost sites(FDR<0.01).Integrating CUT&Tag and RNA-seq revealed 380 up-regulated immune-related genes,particularly in T cell receptor signaling(OR=4.2,95%CI:2.8～6.3,P=0.002).Immunohistochemistry confirmed elevated expression of transcription factor EHF(P<0.05).Conclusion There is the remodeling of H3K27me3 silencers in SRCC,and EHF may potentially play a crucial role in the SRCC malignant progression.

Objective To explore the warning value of expression of phosphoglycerate mutase 1(PGAM1),microRNA-433-3p(miR-433-3p)and cyclin-dependent kinase 1(CDK1)in surgical specimens for early recurrence and metastasis after laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer(CRC).Methods Clinical materials of 120 patients with laparoscopic surgery for CRC were retrospectively an-alyzed.Based on the incidence status of recurrence and metastasis within one year after surgery,the patients were divided into recurrence group(n=31)and non-recurrence group(n=89).The clinical materials and the expression levels of PGAM1,miR-433-3p,and CDK1 in surgical specimens were compared between the two groups.Logistic regression analysis was conducted to explore the impacts of PGAM1,miR-433-3p and CDK1 on recurrence and metastasis after laparoscopic surgery for CRC.Re-ceiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was drawn to analyze the values of PGAM1,miR-433-3p and CDK1 alone as well as their combination for predicting recurrence andmetastasis after laparoscopic surgery,and external validation was performed.Results The levels of PGAM1 mRNA and CDK1 mRNA in the recurrence group were significantly higher than those in the non-recurrence group,while the level of miR-433-3p was significantly lower(P＜0.05).Logistic regression analysis showed that PGA M1 mRNA(OR=1.387,95％CI,1.025 to 1.877),miR-433-3p(OR=0.543,95％CI,0.319 to 0.924),and CDK1 mRNA(OR=1.353,95％CI,1.108 to 1.651)were all independent factors associated with recurrence and metastasis after laparoscopic surgery for CRC(P＜0.05).ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve(AUC)for the combined pre-diction of recurrence and metastasis after laparoscopic surgery for CRC by PGAM1 mRNA,miR-433-3p,and CDK1 mRNA was 0.904(95％CI,0.836 to 0.950),which was superior to the predictive per-formance of each indicator alone.Individual value prediction results indicated that CRC patients would experience early recurrence and metastasis after laparoscopic surgery under the condition of a diagnostic accuracy rate of 84.17％.External validation showed that the Kappa value between the combined prediction result and the actual clinical result was 0.864(95％CI,0.611 to 0.984),in-dicating good consistency.Conclusion The expression levels of PG AM1,miR-433-3p,and CDK1 in surgical specimens are all independent factors influencing early recurrence and metastasis after laparoscopic surgery for CRC patients,and their combined detection has high predictive value for postoperative recurrence and metastasis.

Objective:To investigate the association between frailty and prognosis of elderly patients in the emergency department, and to validate frailty screening tools suitable for the emergency department.Methods:This was a prospective cohort study. Clinical data of elderly patients over 60 years old treated in the emergency department of Beijing Bo'Ai Hospital from January to December 2021 were collected. The Frailty Screening Questionnaire (FSQ), FRAIL Scale (FRAIL) and Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) were used to score patients, and patients were divided into frail or non-frail group according to the criteria of the above three scales. Twelve-month all-cause mortality was the primary endpoint, dependence and re-admission to the emergency department within 12 months were secondary outcomes. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to evaluate the ability of the FSQ, FRAIL and CFS scores to predict the primary and secondary endpoints, and the areas under the curve (AUC) were calculated and compared. Survival analysis was performed using Cox hazard proportional regression model, and relative risk was expressed as hazard ratio ( HR) and 95% CI. Results:A total of 406 patients were included in the study. The AUCs (95% CI) of FSQ, FRAIL and CFS scores for predicting 12-month all-cause mortality were 0.879 (0.844-0.909), 0.838 (0.798-0.872), 0.906 (0.873-0.933), respectively (all P<0.001). The AUCs of 3 scores for predicting secondary endpoints ranged from 0.820 to 0.889 (all P<0.001). Pairwise comparisons of the AUCs showed that the CFS was superior to one or both of the other frailty screening scales in predicting 12-month all-cause mortality and dependence except for re-admission to emergency room within 12 months after discharge (all P<0.05). Cox regression analysis revealed that, after adjusting for sex, age, body mass index and comorbidities, frailty as defined by the FSQ, FRAIL, and CFS scales was independently associated with 12-month all-cause mortality, with the HRadj of 3.267 (95% CI: 2.406-4.435), 2.465 (95% CI: 1.819-3.341), 3.523 (95% CI: 2.648-4.687), respectively (all P<0.001). Conclusions:FSQ, FRAIL and CFS scores can predict adverse outcomes, the CFS is a practical frailty screening tool in the emergency department, and frailty screening can improve the risk stratification of older patients.

Objective:To develop and validate a prediction model by combining clinical data and biomarkers to evaluate the probability of frailty among older emergency patients.Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted. From January 2021 to December 2021, patients aged 60 years and older admitted to the emergency department of China Rehabilitation Research Center were enrolled. Data of patient's clinical information were collected. The patients were divided into frail group and non-frail group according to the Fried's frailty phenotype and clinical data were compared between the two groups. LASSO regression was used to deal with dimension reduction and multivariate logistic regression was employed to construct a prediction model based on variables selected by the LASSO regression. Nomogram was used to visualize the prediction model. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, calibration curve, decision curve analysis and bootstrap were used to evaluate the discrimination, calibration, clinical applicability, and internal validity of the model respectively.Results:A total of 348 patients were enrolled, and the incidence of frailty was 53.74% (187/348). Education, coronary heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, albumin, fibrinogen, N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide, decreased creatinine, and underweight were independent predictors for frailty in older emergency patients ( P < 0.05). A nomogram model was built based on the above predictors and the model showed good discrimination, calibration and clinical applicability. Conclusions:The study utilized objective clinical data and biomarkers to establish a predictive model for the occurrence of frailty in elderly emergency department patients. This model aids in risk stratification and targeted intervention for elderly emergency patients, thereby improving patient outcomes.

Objective:To investigate the association between serum interleukin (IL) -6 and silent information regulator (SIRT) -1 and frailty in elderly patients in the emergency department.Methods:This was a cross-sectional study. Patients aged 60 years and above treated in the emergency department of Beijing Bo'Ai Hospital from January to December 2022 were collected. Blood routine, biochemical indicators, and serum IL-6 were detected within 24 h after enrollment. At the same time, fasting venous blood 2 mL was collected and the serum was stored at minus 80℃ after centrifugation. The level of SIRT-1 was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Nutritional risk screening 2002 was performed within 72 h, Barthel index was used to assess the ability of daily living and grip strength was measured. The patients were divided into frailty and non-frailty groups according to Fried frailty phenotype (FP). The differences of clinical data and laboratory indicators were compared between the two groups. Multivariable logistic regression model was used to analyze the association between serum IL-6, SIRT-1 and frailty. The predictive ability of serum IL-6 and SIRT-1 for frailty was evaluated by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.Results:A total of 316 elderly patients in the emergency department were included in this study and divided into frailty group ( n=156) and non-frailty group ( n=160) according to Fried FP criteria. Univariate analysis showed that serum IL-6 [33.3 (13.0, 69.2) ng/L vs. 20.0 (9.2, 41.3) ng/L, P=0.001] and SIRT-1 [(9.98±1.23) μg/L vs. (8.98±1.65) μg/L, P<0.001] of patients in the frailty group were higher than those in the non-frailty group. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that serum IL-6 ( OR=1.006, 95% CI: 1.001-1.011, P=0.036) and SIRT-1 ( OR=1.838, 95% CI: 1.475-2.290, P<0.001) were independently associated with frailty after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, Barthel index and grip strength. The area under the curve (AUC) of serum IL-6 for predicting frailty was 0.671 (95% CI: 0.604-0.738, P<0.001), the predictive cut-off point was 33.8 ng/L. The AUC of SIRT-1 for predicting frailty was 0.736 (95% CI: 0.674-0.799, P<0.001), the predictive cut-off point was 9.13 μg/L. The AUC of the model of IL-6 combined with SIRT-1 was 0.765 (95% CI: 0.707-0.823, P<0.001), the sensitivity and specificity were 0.776 and 0.726, respectively, and its predictive efficacy was superior to that of IL-6 alone ( Z=2.119, P=0.034). Conclusion:Serum IL-6 and SIRT-1 are independent predictors of frailty in elderly patients in the emergency department.

Objective:To analyze the activation of primary somatosensory cortex(S1)neurons in post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD)mice after tactile stimulation of whiskers and the changes of S1 cortical neurons in PTSD mice.Methods:Using the neuron cytoskeleton-associated protein(Arc)labeling strategy and immunofluorescence staining technique,the Arc of S1 cortical neurons in PTSD mice and control mice after whisker stimulation was marked and ob-served.By analyzing the difference in the spatial expression position of Arc labeled neurons and the number of positive cells,the activation level of S1 cortical neurons in the two groups was compared and analyzed.The pyramidal neurons of S1 cortex were labeled by sparse virus labeling method,and the number of dendrites and the morphology and number distribution of dendritic spines were compared between the two groups.Results:After whisker stimulation,it was found that Arc positive neurons were distributed from shallow layer to deep layer of S1,and more densely distributed in layersⅡ/Ⅲ and V.Compared with the control group,the number of positive neurons in different layers of the PTSD group was significantly increased.The results of cell morphology and structure analysis showed that,compared with the control group,the density of dendritic spines in layer Ⅱ/Ⅲ of mice with PTSD increased,and the number of mushroom dendrit-ic spines increased,while the number of filamentous pseudopod dendritic spines decreased.The number of dendritic spines of Si V layer mushroom type and slender type was higher,but the total number of dendritic spines was not sig-nificantly different.Conclusion:After whisker stimulation in PTSD mice,S1 neurons were over-activated,and the structure and morphology of neurons changed significantly.

Ring finger protein 213(RNF213)was first identified as a susceptible gene for Moyamoya disease,and also found to be associated with various vascular related diseases such as intracranial artery occlusion/stenosis,ischaemic stroke,intracranial aneurysm,cerebral arteriovenous malformation,etc.This article systematically reviewed the literature of RNF213,providing an overview of the association and possible mechanisms between RNF213 variation and related diseases,in order to provide reference for the prevention,diagnosis,and treatment of related diseases.

Objective:To establish a 14-day prognosis model for emergency patients with acute ischemic cerebral stroke and evaluate its predictive efficacy.Methods:A prospective cohort study was conducted. Patients with acute ischemic stroke admitted to the emergency department of Beijing Bo’ai Hospital within 72 hours of onset from October 2018 to December 2020 were enrolled. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to screen the risk factors of poor prognosis. The ROC curve was drawn to determine the cut-off value of continuous variables and discretise data with reference to clinical practice. The corresponding scores were set up according to the β regression coefficient of each variable, and the clinical scale prediction model of short-term prognosis of acute cerebral infarction was established. Patients with ischemic stroke in the hospital from January to December 2021 were selected as the internal validation, to verify the constructed predictive model.Results:A total of 321 patients were included in the study, including 223 in the training set and 98 in the internal validation set. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age, hypersensitive C-reactive protein, prealbumin (PA), infarct volume, Frailty Screening Questionnaire (FSQ) and National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) were independent risk factors for poor short-term prognosis of acute cerebral infarction. The total score of the clinical prediction scoring system for short-term prognosis of acute cerebral infarction in the emergency department was 15 points, including age ≥74 years (1 point), PA ≤373 mg/L (2 points), large artery atherosclerosis (1 point), cardiogenic embolism (2 points), infarct volume ≥ 2.18 cm 3 (2 points), FSQ ≥3 points (1 point), NIHSS ≥4 points (6 points); The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of the scoring system for predicting short-term poor prognosis of acute cerebral infarction was 0.927 (95% CI: 0.894-0.960). The optimal cut-off value was ≥5 points, and the sensitivity and specificity were 0.770 and 0.976, respectively. In the internal validation set, the scoring system had similar predictive value for poor outcomes (AUC=0.892, 95% CI:0.827-0.957). Conclusion:The scoring system for short-term prognosis prediction of acute ischemic cerebral infarction has good diagnostic efficacy, and could guide clinicians to judge the prognosis of emergency patients in the early stage.