Objective To investigate the effect of tritiated water on the immune system of zebrafish and its potential molecular mechanism. Methods Zebrafish embryos (2.5 to 3 hours post-fertilization [hpf]) were exposed to 3.7 × 10⁴ Bq/mL tritiated water (tritiated water group), and those exposed to E3 culture medium were used as the control group. The mortality rate, hatching rate, deformity rate, heart rate, body length, yolk sac area, neutrophil count in the tail, immune-related gene expression, and immune-related protein expression of zebrafish in the two groups were determined. Then transcriptome technology was used to further analyze the possible mechanism of tritiated water affecting the immune system of zebrafish. Results Compared with the control group, zebrafish at 72 hpf in the tritiated water group had no significant changes in the mortality rate, hatching rate, deformity rate, body length, and yolk sac area((t = 0.9045, 0.5000, 1.0000, 0.7238, 0.0337, P = 0.4169, 0.6433, 0.3739, 0.4785, 0.9735), but had significantly increased heart rate(t = 4.575，P = 0.002). At 4 days post-fertilization (dpf), the neutrophil count in the tail of zebrafish in the tritiated water group was significantly increased(t = 2.563，P = 0.0196), the mRNA expression of TNF-α was significantly decreased(t = 2.891, P = 0.045), the protein expression of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) was significantly increased(t = 3.848, P = 0.018), and the protein expression of NLRP3 was significantly decreased(t = 14.98, P = 0.001). At 7 dpf, the neutrophil count in the tail and the protein expression levels of NF-κB, NLRP3, and interleukin-1β were significantly decreased(t = 3.772, 7.048, 15.620, 4.423, P = 0.014, 0.002, 0.0001, 0.012). Transcriptome sequencing revealed that differentially expressed genes were mainly enriched in the “neutrophil activation” and “platelet activation pathways” at 4 dpf and in the “neutrophil apoptosis”, “ferroptosis”, and “necroptosis” pathways at 7 dpf. Conclusion Tritiated water exposure induces a temporally dynamic immune response in zebrafish, potentially affecting immune homeostasis by regulating neutrophil activation and apoptosis, as well as the expression of NF-κB and NLRP3.

BACKGROUND:Neuroinflammation is a major cause of exacerbation after spinal cord injury.In recent years,pyroptosis has received much attention due to its remarkable pro-inflammatory features.Some of these natural products can significantly inhibit the inflammatory response and improve the damaged nerve function by regulating the level of pyroptosis after spinal cord injury,which provides a new therapeutic idea for spinal cord injury.OBJECTIVE:To summarize the mechanism of action of natural products in regulating pyroptosis for the treatment of spinal cord injury,with a view to providing lessons and references for future research on the treatment of spinal cord injury.METHODS:The search terms"spinal cord injury,pyroptosis,inflammasome,natural products,natural compounds,traditional Chinese medicine"in Chinese and English were used to search for relevant literature since the establishment of the database up to September 2024 in the databases of PubMed,Web of Science,WanFang,and CNKI.According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria,75 relevant articles were finally obtained.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Pyroptosis is an important pro-inflammatory pathway in spinal cord injury,and controlling pyroptosis is an effective way to improve damaged nerve function.(2)Some natural products can regulate pyroptosis via the NLRP3/Caspase-1 classical pyroptosis pathway,the NF-κB-related pathway,other upstream pathways such as Nrf2/HO-1,and autophagy,thereby affecting the level of tissue inflammation and accelerating neurological recovery after spinal cord injury.(3)The anti-pyroptosis effects of these natural products are mostly dependent on the NLRP3 classical pyroptosis pathway,and there is a lack of studies on other pyroptosis pathways.(4)There are still many problems in this field,such as the fact that these natural products are not currently supported by evidence from appropriate clinical studies.(5)The natural product has great potential in regulating pyroptosis and is expected to be a powerful weapon in the treatment of spinal cord injury.

Objective:To investigate effects of rutin on ultraviolet irradiation (UVR) -induced human dermal fibroblast (FB) senescence and melanogenesis in mouse ear skin.Methods:The third- to fifth-passage FBs were divided into 4 groups: a blank control group, a UVR group, a rutin group, and a combined treatment group. In the UVR group, FBs were irradiated using an ultraviolet irradiator at a single dose of 0.6 J/cm 2 UVA combined with 0.03 J/cm 2 UVB once daily for 5 consecutive days; FBs in the rutin group were cultured in Dulbecco's modified Eagle medium containing 50 μmol/L rutin for 5 days; the combined treatment group received both UVR and the treatment with 50 μmol/L rutin for 5 days; the blank control group underwent no treatment. β-Galactosidase staining was performed to assess the senescence of FBs, real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) to measure the telomere length in FBs, and Western blot analysis to detect the expression levels of stem cell factor (SCF) in FB cell lysates and culture supernatants. FB culture supernatants were collected from each group, and mixed with M254 medium at a ratio of 3∶1 to prepare conditioned medium, which was then used to treat PIG1 melanocytes for 24 hours. Western blot analysis was conducted to determine the tyrosinase (TYR) expression in PIG1 melanocytes in each group, while the 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine (EdU) incorporation assay was applied to assess the proliferative activity of PIG1 cells in each group. Ten Dct-LacZ transgenic mice were divided into a control group and a UVR group. For each mouse, 5% rutin-containing cream was topically applied to the right ear after UVR, while the left ear treated with the cream base alone served as a control. Skin biopsies were performed after 4 weeks, followed by X-gal staining and Avidin/fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) staining to count the numbers of melanocytes and mast cells in mouse ear skin. Results:In the UVR group, the number of senescent FBs (25.67 ± 2.89), relative protein expression levels of SCF (1.95 ± 0.22), and relative levels of SCF in the cell culture supernatant (1.52 ± 0.34) were all significantly higher than those in the blank control group (5.67 ± 1.56, 0.95 ± 0.11, 1.01 ± 0.31, respectively), while these indicators were significantly lower in the combined treatment group (12.00 ± 1.63, 1.32 ± 0.19, 1.15 ± 0.32, respectively) than in the UVR group (all P < 0.05). The relative telomere length in FBs was significantly shorter in the UVR group (0.49 ± 0.12) than in the blank control group (0.94 ± 0.11; LSD- t = 3.15, P = 0.021), but significantly longer in the combined treatment group (0.81 ± 0.13) than in the UVR group (LSD- t = 4.30, P = 0.034). After the treatment with FB conditioned medium, the relative expression level of TYR in PIG1 melanocytes and the number of EdU-positive cells were significantly higher in the UVR group (2.54 ± 0.21, 33.54 ± 3.21, respectively) than in the blank control group (0.97 ± 0.19, 21.45 ± 2.51, respectively; both P < 0.001), but significantly lower in the combined treatment group (1.63 ± 0.12, 18.54 ± 3.87, respectively) than in the UVR group (both P < 0.001). X-gal staining and Avidin/FITC staining showed that the numbers of melanocytes and mast cells in the mouse left ear skin in the UVR group (5.00 ± 1.22, 98.60 ± 8.47, respectively) were significantly higher than those in the mouse left ear skin in the control group (1.80 ± 0.45, 53.80 ± 5.76, respectively) and those in the mouse right ear skin treated with the rutin-containing cream in the UVR group (2.80 ± 0.45, 69.60 ± 8.89, respectively) (all P < 0.05) . Conclusion:Rutin may inhibit UVR-induced skin melanogenesis by suppressing the senescence of dermal FBs and paracrine secretion of SCF.

Objective To study the efficacy of hemoperfusion(HP)in series with continuous renal replace-ment therapy(CRRT)integrated combined blood purification under extracorporeal citrate anticoagulation in the treatment of severe hypertriglyceridemic acute pancreatitis(HTG-AP).Methods A total of 62 patients with severe HTG-AP admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University from June 2022 to May 2024 were selected and randomly divided into control group and observation group,with 31 cases in each group.The control group was treated with conventional medical treatment+HP combined with CRRT staged combined blood purifica-tion treatment,and the observation group was treated with conventional medical treatment+HP in series with CRRT integrated combined blood purification treatment under extracorporeal citrate anticoagulation.The indexes and clinical efficacy before and 7 days after treatment were compared between the two groups.Results The single CRRT time of the observation group was longer than that of the control group,and the frequency of CRRT was less than that of the control group(P<0.05).There were no significant differences in the total CRRT time,single HP time,HP frequency and total HP time between the two groups(P>0.05).The blood routine,inflammatory factors,blood biochemistry and clinical scores of the two groups after treatment were improved compared with those before treatment(P<0.05).After treatment,the hemoglobin(Hb)and platelet count(Plt)of the observation group were higher than those of the control group(P<0.05),and there were no significant differences in other indexes of blood routine,inflammatory factors,blood biochemistry and clinical scores between the two groups(P>0.05).There were no significant differences in clinical indexes,prognosis and complications between the two groups(P>0.05).Conclusions Without affecting the efficacy,HP in series with CRRT integrated combined blood purification under extracorporeal citrate anticoagulation in the treatment of severe HTG-AP can prolong the use time of CRRT blood filter and pipeline,reduce the use of consumables,reduce the risk of bleeding,and avoid multiple catheter removal of HP and CRRT operation separately,and reduce the risk of related infection.It is worthy of clinical application.

Picea mongolica, known for its remarkable tolerance to cold, drought, and salinity, is a key species for ecological restoration and urban greening in the "Three Norths" region of China. MYB transcription factors are involved in plant responses to abiotic stress and synthesis of secondary metabolites. However, studies are limited regarding the MYB transcription factors in P. mongolica and their roles in salt stress tolerance. In this study, 196 MYBs were identified based on the genome of Picea abies and the transcriptome of P. mongolica. Phylogenetic analysis classified the MYB transcription factors into seven subclasses. The R2R3-MYB subclass contained the maximum number of genes (84.77%), while the R-R and R1R2R3 subclasses each represented the smallest proportion, at about 0.51%. The MYB transcription factors within the same subclass were highly conserved, exhibiting similar motifs and gene structures. Experiments with varying salt stress gradients revealed that P. mongolica could tolerate the salt concentration up to 1 000 mmol/L. From the transcriptome data of P. mongolica exposed to salt stress (1 000 mmol/L) for 0, 3, 6, 12, and 24 h, a total of 34 differentially expressed MYBs were identified, which suggested that these MYBs played a key role in regulating the response to salt stress. The proteins encoded by these differentially expressed genes varied in length from 89 aa to 731 aa, with molecular weights ranging from 10.19 kDa to 79.73 kDa, isoelectric points between 4.80 and 9.91, and instability coefficients from 41.20 to 70.99. Subcellular localization analysis indicated that most proteins were localized in the nucleus, while three were found in the chloroplasts. Twelve MYBs were selected for quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), which showed that their expression patterns were consistent with the RNA-seq data. This study provides valuable data for further investigation into the functions and mechanisms of MYB family members in response to salt stress in P. mongolica.
Picea/physiology* ; Transcription Factors/classification* ; Salt Stress/genetics* ; Phylogeny ; Plant Proteins/genetics* ; Salt Tolerance/genetics* ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant

Background: Intradermal microdroplet injections of botulinum toxin type-A (BoNT/A) effectively ameliorate rosacea-related angiogenesis, but the mechanism remains unclear. Objective: To explore the anti-angiogenesis of BoNT/A in the rosacea-like mouse model and to measure the secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) by mast cells. Methods: A rosacea-like mouse model was induced by LL37 in both Mas-related G-proteincoupled receptor B2 conditional knockout (MrgprB2 −/− ) mice and wild-type (WT) mice, then treated with BoNT/A and/or Apatinib. The abundance of endothelial cells and mast cells in mouse skin was determined using dual immunofluorescence staining. The VEGF levels in supernatants and cell lysates of laboratory of allergic disease 2 (LAD2) mast cells were assessed using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction, western blots, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The effect of conditioned medium (CM) collected from LAD2 on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) was determined using tube formation assays. The number of proliferative cells was confirmed using the 5-ethynyl-2’-deoxyuridine incorporation assays.The effect of BoNT/A on the internalization of Mas-related G-protein-coupled receptor X2 (MRGPRX2) was detected using flow cytometry and immunofluorescence staining. Results: LL37-induced rosacea-like skin manifestations were significantly alleviated in MrgprB2 −/− mice compared to WT controls. BoNT/A mitigated the LL37-induced secretion of VEGF by LAD2. The CM from BoNT/A-treated LAD2 inhibited HUVEC proliferation and tube formation. The LAD2 cells co-treated with LL37 and BoNT/A exhibited dramatically enhanced MRGPRX2 internalization. Conclusion BoNT/A enhances LL37-mediated MRGPRX2 internalization in mast cells, thereby reducing VEGF secretion and neovascularization and improving facial flushing symptom in rosacea.

Objective:To investigate the effect of the antioxidant Tempol on the skin depigmentation of a vitiligo-like mouse model induced by the combination of the endogenous reactive oxygen species (ROS) producer AAPH and tyrosinase-related protein 2 (TRP2) -180 nonapeptide.Methods:A vitiligo-like skin depigmentation model was established by immunizing mice with injections of a TRP2-180 nonapeptide mixture into the foot pads twice and into the tails twice, with the injection interval being 1 week. After the first injection, 12 immune-induced mouse models of vitiligo were randomly divided into 4 groups (3 mice per group) : a model group, an AAPH group, a Tempol group, and a combined treatment group; additionally, 3 untreated mice injected with an ovalbumin (OVA) 257-264 peptide served as a sham control group. Mice in the AAPH group, the Tempol group, and the combined treatment group were subcutaneously injected with AAPH into the tails, intraperitoneally injected with Tempol, and received the above both treatments, respectively, while mice in the model group and the sham control group received phosphate-buffered saline injections into the tail and/or abdomen. Drug interventions were carried out 3 times per week for 3 consecutive weeks. Six weeks after the last immunization, mice were sacrificed. The area of depigmented macules on the tail was measured using a point-counting method, X-gal staining and double immunofluorescence staining were performed to assess the distribution and number of melanocytes, mast cells, and CD8 + T cells in depigmented macules on the tail. HaCaT cells were in vitro co-cultured with AAPH and/or Tempol, and a conventional culture group served as the control. Cellular ROS levels were measured by dichlorofluorescin diacetate labeling and flow cytometry; Western blot analysis was performed to determine the expression of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) and stem cell factor (SCF) in cell lysates, and to detect soluble SCF levels in the culture supernatant. Comparisons among multiple groups were conducted using one-way analysis of variance, and multiple comparisons were performed using least significant difference- t test. Results:Depigmented macules were observed on the tails of mice in all groups except the sham control group. The area of depigmented macules was significantly larger in the AAPH group (7.27 ± 0.31 cm 2) than in the model group and combined treatment group (3.53 ± 0.21 cm 2, 4.07 ± 0.40 cm 2; t = 13.48, 11.56, respectively, both P < 0.001), while there was no significant difference between the Tempol group (3.30 ± 0.40 cm 2) and the model group ( P = 0.424). X-gal staining and double immunofluorescence staining showed that the number of melanocytes in the normal skin around the depigmented macules was significantly lower in the AAPH group and the combined treatment group than in the model group ( t = 6.31, 5.16, respectively, both P < 0.001), and no significant difference was observed between the AAPH group and the combined treatment group ( P = 0.516). The numbers of CD8 + T cells and mast cells were significantly higher in the AAPH group than in the model group and the combined treatment group (all P < 0.001). The numbers of the 3 types of cells mentioned above in the Tempol group did not differ from those in the model group (all P > 0.05). The ROS levels in HaCaT cells in the AAPH group were the highest, and significantly higher than those in the control group and the combined treatment group (both P < 0.001). Western blot analysis showed that the MMP9 level in the cell lysates and soluble SCF level in the culture supernatant were significantly higher in the AAPH group than in the control group and the combined treatment group (all P < 0.05) ; no significant difference was observed in the membrane-bound SCF level in cell lysates among the groups ( F = 0.06, P = 0.977) . Conclusion:The antioxidant Tempol could inhibit the formation of skin depigmented macules in vitiligo-like mouse models under AAPH-induced oxidative stress.

Objective:To investigate effects of rutin on ultraviolet irradiation (UVR) -induced human dermal fibroblast (FB) senescence and melanogenesis in mouse ear skin.Methods:The third- to fifth-passage FBs were divided into 4 groups: a blank control group, a UVR group, a rutin group, and a combined treatment group. In the UVR group, FBs were irradiated using an ultraviolet irradiator at a single dose of 0.6 J/cm 2 UVA combined with 0.03 J/cm 2 UVB once daily for 5 consecutive days; FBs in the rutin group were cultured in Dulbecco's modified Eagle medium containing 50 μmol/L rutin for 5 days; the combined treatment group received both UVR and the treatment with 50 μmol/L rutin for 5 days; the blank control group underwent no treatment. β-Galactosidase staining was performed to assess the senescence of FBs, real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) to measure the telomere length in FBs, and Western blot analysis to detect the expression levels of stem cell factor (SCF) in FB cell lysates and culture supernatants. FB culture supernatants were collected from each group, and mixed with M254 medium at a ratio of 3∶1 to prepare conditioned medium, which was then used to treat PIG1 melanocytes for 24 hours. Western blot analysis was conducted to determine the tyrosinase (TYR) expression in PIG1 melanocytes in each group, while the 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine (EdU) incorporation assay was applied to assess the proliferative activity of PIG1 cells in each group. Ten Dct-LacZ transgenic mice were divided into a control group and a UVR group. For each mouse, 5% rutin-containing cream was topically applied to the right ear after UVR, while the left ear treated with the cream base alone served as a control. Skin biopsies were performed after 4 weeks, followed by X-gal staining and Avidin/fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) staining to count the numbers of melanocytes and mast cells in mouse ear skin. Results:In the UVR group, the number of senescent FBs (25.67 ± 2.89), relative protein expression levels of SCF (1.95 ± 0.22), and relative levels of SCF in the cell culture supernatant (1.52 ± 0.34) were all significantly higher than those in the blank control group (5.67 ± 1.56, 0.95 ± 0.11, 1.01 ± 0.31, respectively), while these indicators were significantly lower in the combined treatment group (12.00 ± 1.63, 1.32 ± 0.19, 1.15 ± 0.32, respectively) than in the UVR group (all P < 0.05). The relative telomere length in FBs was significantly shorter in the UVR group (0.49 ± 0.12) than in the blank control group (0.94 ± 0.11; LSD- t = 3.15, P = 0.021), but significantly longer in the combined treatment group (0.81 ± 0.13) than in the UVR group (LSD- t = 4.30, P = 0.034). After the treatment with FB conditioned medium, the relative expression level of TYR in PIG1 melanocytes and the number of EdU-positive cells were significantly higher in the UVR group (2.54 ± 0.21, 33.54 ± 3.21, respectively) than in the blank control group (0.97 ± 0.19, 21.45 ± 2.51, respectively; both P < 0.001), but significantly lower in the combined treatment group (1.63 ± 0.12, 18.54 ± 3.87, respectively) than in the UVR group (both P < 0.001). X-gal staining and Avidin/FITC staining showed that the numbers of melanocytes and mast cells in the mouse left ear skin in the UVR group (5.00 ± 1.22, 98.60 ± 8.47, respectively) were significantly higher than those in the mouse left ear skin in the control group (1.80 ± 0.45, 53.80 ± 5.76, respectively) and those in the mouse right ear skin treated with the rutin-containing cream in the UVR group (2.80 ± 0.45, 69.60 ± 8.89, respectively) (all P < 0.05) . Conclusion:Rutin may inhibit UVR-induced skin melanogenesis by suppressing the senescence of dermal FBs and paracrine secretion of SCF.

Forensic medicine has been designated as a first-level discipline,presenting new opportunities and challenges for the development of forensic medicine.Since the 1980s,the establishment of foren-sic medicine discipline and the cultivation of high-level forensic talents have become hot topics in the development of forensic medicine in China.Since the 13th Five-Year Plan,the forensic team of Shanxi Medical University has been aiming at the forefront,proposing the development goals of"Five First-class"and the discipline development path"Six Major Achievements".It has selected benchmark disci-plines,identified gaps in disciplinary development,unified thoughts,formulated completion timelines,concentrated superior resources,assigned tasks to individuals,and created an"Organized Fill-in-the-Blank Format"forensic medicine discipline construction model with the characteristics of the new era.The construction model of forensic medicine has achieved good results in the goals,discipline frame-work,scientific research,talent cultivation,discipline team and platform construction,forming a rela-tively complete discipline construction and management system,and accumulating valuable experience for the construction of first-level discipline and high-level talent cultivation of forensic medicine.

BACKGROUND:Neuroinflammation is a major cause of exacerbation after spinal cord injury.In recent years,pyroptosis has received much attention due to its remarkable pro-inflammatory features.Some of these natural products can significantly inhibit the inflammatory response and improve the damaged nerve function by regulating the level of pyroptosis after spinal cord injury,which provides a new therapeutic idea for spinal cord injury.OBJECTIVE:To summarize the mechanism of action of natural products in regulating pyroptosis for the treatment of spinal cord injury,with a view to providing lessons and references for future research on the treatment of spinal cord injury.METHODS:The search terms"spinal cord injury,pyroptosis,inflammasome,natural products,natural compounds,traditional Chinese medicine"in Chinese and English were used to search for relevant literature since the establishment of the database up to September 2024 in the databases of PubMed,Web of Science,WanFang,and CNKI.According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria,75 relevant articles were finally obtained.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Pyroptosis is an important pro-inflammatory pathway in spinal cord injury,and controlling pyroptosis is an effective way to improve damaged nerve function.(2)Some natural products can regulate pyroptosis via the NLRP3/Caspase-1 classical pyroptosis pathway,the NF-κB-related pathway,other upstream pathways such as Nrf2/HO-1,and autophagy,thereby affecting the level of tissue inflammation and accelerating neurological recovery after spinal cord injury.(3)The anti-pyroptosis effects of these natural products are mostly dependent on the NLRP3 classical pyroptosis pathway,and there is a lack of studies on other pyroptosis pathways.(4)There are still many problems in this field,such as the fact that these natural products are not currently supported by evidence from appropriate clinical studies.(5)The natural product has great potential in regulating pyroptosis and is expected to be a powerful weapon in the treatment of spinal cord injury.