ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of sorafenib and donafenib on the pharmacokinetics of ertugliflozin in rats， and to provide a theoretical basis for drug combination in clinical practice. MethodsA total of 24 male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into groups A， B， C， and D， with 6 rats in each group. The rats in groups A and B were given sorafenib control solvent and sorafenib （100 mg/kg）， respectively， by gavage for 7 consecutive days， followed by ertugliflozin （1.5 mg/kg） by gavage on day 7. Blood samples were collected from the angular vein plexus at different time points， and ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was used to determine the mass concentration of ertugliflozin and plot the plasma concentration-time curves， while the non-compartment model in DAS 2.1.1 software was used to calculate related pharmacokinetic parameters. The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups， and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups. ResultsCompared with group A， group B had significant increases in the AUC_0-t and AUC_0-∞ of the plasma concentration-time curve of ertugliflozin （both P<0.05）， significant prolongation of t_1/2， MRT_0-t， and MRT_0-∞ （all P<0.05）， and a significant reduction in CL_Z/F （P<0.05）. Compared with group C， group D had significant increases in the AUC_0-t and AUC_0-∞ of ertugliflozin （both P<0.05）， significant prolongation of T_max， t_1/2， MRT_0-t， and MRT_0-∞ （all P<0.01）， and significant reductions in V_Z/F and CL_Z/F （both P<0.05）. ConclusionBoth sorafenib and donafenib can affect the pharmacokinetics of ertugliflozin in rats and significantly increase the plasma exposure of ertugliflozin. The efficacy and adverse drug reactions of ertugliflozin should be closely monitored during combined use in clinical practice and the dose should be adjusted when necessary to avoid the potential risk of drug interaction.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of ertugliflozin on pharmacokinetic of sorafenib and donafenib in rats and explore the mechanism. METHODS Twenty-four male SD rats were randomly divided into four groups， with 6 rats in each group. Groups A and B were respectively gavaged with 0.5% sodium carboxymethyl cellulose solution and ertugliflozin （1.5 mg/kg） for 7 consecutive days， and both were given sorafenib （100 mg/kg） on the 7th day. Groups C and D were administered intragastrically in the same way as those in Groups A and B， respectively， for the first 7 days； after the drug administration on the 7th day， all rats in Groups C and D were further gavaged with donafenib （40 mg/kg）. Blood samples were collected at different time points before and after administration of sorafenib or donafenib， the concentrations of sorafenib in plasma of rats in groups A and B and donafenib in groups C and D were determined by UPLC-MS/MS method. The pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated by DAS 2.1.1 software. Six additional rats were randomly divided into blank control group and ertugliflozin group， with three rats in each group. Blank control group was given 0.5% sodium carboxymethyl cellulose intragastrically， while rats in ertugliflozin group were given ertugliflozin （1.5 mg/kg） once a day for 7 consecutive days. After the last administration， the mRNA expression levels of uridine diphosphate glucuronosyl transferase 1A7 （UGT1A7）， breast cancer resistance protein （BCRP）， and P-glycoprotein （P-gp） in the liver and small intestine tissues of the rats were detected. RESULTS Compared with group A， the AUC0-t， AUC0-∞， cmax， tmax， MRT0-t and MRT0-∞ of sorafenib in group B were decreased significantly， while CL and V were increased significantly. Compared with group C， the AUC0-t， AUC0-∞ ， tmax， cmax and MRT0-t of Δ donafenib in group D were decreased significantly， while V and CL were increased significantly （P＜0.05）. mRNA expression of UGT1A7， P-gp and BCRP in the liver tissue and small intestine of rats were not significantly affected after intragastric administration of ertugliflozin for 7 consecutive days. CONCLUSIONS Ertugliflozin can affect the pharmacokinetics of sorafenib and donafenib in rats and decrease the plasma exposure of them significantly. However， its mechanism of action may not be through the regulation of related metabolic enzymes and transporters. When using drugs in combination clinically， one should be vigilant about the potential for disease progression due to poor therapeutic effects.

ObjectiveTo observe the effect of Yangxin Tongmai Formula （养心通脉方） by midnight-noon ebb-flow administration method for rat models of premature coronary heart disease （PCHD） with blood stasis syndrome， and to explore the possible mechanism of action from the perspective of DNA methylation differential gene expression. MethodsThere were 3 SD rats in each of the blank group， model group and Yangxin Tongmai Formula group， and the rats in the model group and Yangxin Tongmai Formula group were fed with high-fat chow plus vitamin D3 by gavage plus isoproterenol hydrochloride by subcutaneous injection to construct rat models of PCHD with blood stasis syndrome. After successful modelling， rats in Yangxin Tongmai Formula group were gavaged with 18 g/（kg‧d） of Yangxin Tongmai Formula， and rats in blank group and the model group were gavaged with 4 ml/（kg‧d） of 0.9% NaCl solution， and serum samples of rats in each group were collected for DNA methylation sequencing after 3 weeks to screen for the relevant DNA methylation differentiation genes. In addition， rats with successful modelling of PCHD with blood stasis were randomly divided into model group， Yangxin Tongmai Formula with midnight-noon ebb-flow administration method group ［18 g/（kg‧d） of Yangxin Tongmai Formula was gavaged twice in the heart channel period （12：00） and pericardium channel period （20：00）］， the Yangxin Tongmai Formula control group ［18 g/（kg‧d） of Yangxin Tongmai Formula was gavaged twice at 8：00 and 18：00］ and the Atorvastatin Calcium group ［atorvastatin calcium tablets solution 1.8 mg/（kg‧d） at the same intervention time as that in Yangxin Tongmai Formula control group］， and set up a blank group of 8 rats in each group. The model group and blank group were gavaged with 0.9% NaCl solution 4 ml/（kg‧d） for the same time as the Yangxin Tongmai Formula control group. After 3 weeks of gavage， the blood lipids ［including total cholesterol （TC）， low-density lipoprotein （LDL）， high-density lipoprotein （HDL）］ levels of rats in each group were detected； the HE staining of myocardial tissues and thoracic aorta was used to observe the pathomorphological changes； the levels of serum inflammation indexes ［tumour necrosis factor alpha （TNF-alpha）， lipopolysaccharide （LPS）， and interleukin 10 （IL-10）］ were detected； immunoprecipitation-realtime fluorescence quantitative PCR was used to detect the relative expression of cardiac tissue screening differential genes. ResultsThe genes screened for differentially methylated regions were calmodulin 2 （Calm2）， calcium voltage-gated channel subunit α1s （Cacna1s）， and phospholipase Cβ1 （Plcb1）. Compared with the blank group， rats in the model group showed elevated levels of TC， LDL， TNF-α and LPS， and decreased levels of HDL and IL-10 （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）； HE staining showed obvious swelling of myocardial fibres， accompanied by a large number of inflammatory cell infiltration， and thickening of the inner wall of the aortic vessels with internal wall damage， which was visible as a large number of lipid cholesterol crystals and obvious inflammatory cell infiltration. Compared with the model group， the TC， LDL， TNF-α and LPS contents of rats in the Yangxin Tongmai Formula with midnight-noon ebb-flow administration method group， the Yangxin Tongmai Formula control group， and the atorvastatin calcium group all reduced， and the contents of HDL and IL-10 all elevated （P＜0.05）， with the improvement of myocardial tissue damage and the reduction of inflammatory infiltration， and the improvement of the damage of the inner lining of the thoracic aorta and the reduction of lipid infiltration. Compared with Yangxin Tongmai Formula control group， LDL， TNF-α and LPS contents reduced， and IL-10 contents increased in the midnight-noon ebb-flow administration method group （P＜0.05）. Compared with the model group， the relative expression of Calm2 and Plcb1 genes decreased and the relative expression of Cacna1s gene increased in Yangxin Tongmai Formula control group and the midnight-noon ebb-flow administration method group （P＜0.05）； compared with the Yangxin Tongmai Formula control group， the relative expression of Calm2 gene decreased and the relative expression of Cacna1s gene increased in the midnight-noon ebb-flow administration method group （P＜0.05）. ConclusionThe intervention of Yangxin Tongmai Formula in the heart channel period （12：00） and pericardium channel period （20：00） was more effective in improving the blood lipid level， inhibiting inflammation， and improving myocardial tissue damage in rats of PCHD with blood stasis syndrome， and Calm2 and Cacna1s genes may be the key targets of Yangxin Tongmai Formula in intervening the blood stasis syndrome of PCHD.

OBJECTIVE To investigate ameliorative effects and mechanisms of two probiotics （Bacillus subtilis， Lactobacillus acidophilus） combined with Aurantii Fructus Immaturus （AFI） on functional dyspepsia （FD） in rats. METHODS Rats were randomly divided into blank group， model group， positive control group （domperidone group， 2.7 mg/kg）， AFI group （9 g/kg）， L. acidophilus group （5×107 cfu/kg）， B. subtilis group （5×107 cfu/kg）， L. acidophilus+ AFI group （L. acidophilus 5×107 cfu/kg+ AFI 9 g/kg）， and B. subtilis+AFI group （B. subtilis 5×107 cfu/kg+AFI 9 g/kg）， with 8 rats in each group. Except for the blank group， FD model was established by tail-clamping stimulation+hunger and satiety disorder+swimming exhaustion in other groups. After modeling， each group was given the corresponding drug/probiotic suspensions/physiological saline intragastrically， once a day， for 14 consecutive days. After the last medication， gastric emptying rate and the rate of propulsion of the small intestine in rats were measured； the levels of brain-gut peptide-related indicators [gastrin （GAS）， substance P （SP）， vasoactive intestinal peptide （VIP）， somatostatin （SS） and cholecystokinin （CCK）] in the serum of rats were measured. The pathological morphology of the gastric antrum tissue and duodenal tissue was observed. Cecal contents from the rats were collected for gut microbiota sequencing analysis. The protein expression levels of tyrosine kinase receptor c-Kit and stem cell factor （SCF） in the gastric antrum tissue， as well as Toll-like receptor 4 （TLR4）， myeloid differentiation factor 88 （MyD88）， and nuclear factor κB （NF-κB） in the duodenal tissue of the rats were detected. RESULTS Compared with the blank group， model group showed significantly lower gastric emptying rate， small intestinal propulsion rate， serum levels of GAS and SP， relative abundance of Firmicutes， Ace， Chao and Sobs indexes of the gut microbiota， and protein levels of SCF and c-Kit in gastric antrum （P＜0.05）， while serum levels of VIP， SS and CCK， relative abundance of Bacteroidetes， as well as protein expressions of TLR4， MyD88， and NF-κB， were significantly higher （P＜0.05）. The histological structure JZYC23S53） of the gastric antrum tissue appeared basically normal； however， abnormalities were observed in the duodenal structure， with a significant infiltration of inflammatory cells visible. Compared with the model group， all treatment groups significantly modulated most of the above indexes （P＜0.05）. The histological structure of the gastric antrum tissue was normal. Except for the B. subtilis group and the B. subtilis+AFI group， the pathological states of the duodenum in the remaining rats gradually recovered. Compared with each single drug group， most of above indexes in rats from each combination group showed further improvement （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS The combination of AFI with two probiotics can improve gastrointestinal motility in FD rats， and the effect is superior to that of using the drugs alone. The specific underlying mechanisms may be related to the activation of the SCF/c-Kit signaling pathway and the inhibition of the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Ulcerative colitis （UC） is a chronic intestinal autoimmune disease， with clinical manifestations including abdominal pain， diarrhea， mucus and bloody stools， and its pathogenesis is complex. The classic prescription Xianglian pills （XLP） has been widely used in the clinical treatment of UC in recent years. It has few adverse reactions， good patient tolerance， and shows significant potential for clinical application. However， there is currently no comprehensive integration of evidence on its clinical research and molecular mechanisms. Through a systematic review of the clinical research and molecular mechanisms of XLP in the treatment of UC， it is found that XLP and its modified formulas， when used in combination with chemical drugs， can significantly improve the symptoms of UC patients and reduce intestinal inflammation， with superior efficacy compared to chemical drugs alone. Its mechanism of action involves regulating pan-apoptosis， immune response， signaling pathways （hypoxia-inducible factor-1α， nuclear factor-κB， etc.）， intestinal flora， and repairing the intestinal mucosal barrier. Its medicinal materials， monomers and active components can also prevent the differentiation of helper T cells 17 and restore the balance of M1/M2 cells through regulating multiple pathways such as Wnt/β -catenin and Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription， thereby reducing intestinal damage in UC.

Objective To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of mumps in Guangxi from 2012 to 2024, and to provide a scientific basis for formulating prevention and control strategies. Methods Descriptive epidemiological methods were used to analyze the incidence data of mumps in Guangxi from 2012 to 2024. Results A total of 159 873 mumps cases were reported from 2012 to 2024 in Guangxi, with an average annual reported incidence of 25.41/100 000, and no death. Mumps occurred every month, with the peak incidence mainly concentrated in April to July and October to January of the next year. There were 96,118 male cases (29.43 /100 000), and 63 755 female cases (21.07 /100 000). The male to female ratio was 1.40:1, and the difference between male and female was significant (χ²=4 321.276，P＜0.05). The annual incidence of mumps showed a certain periodic change, with the incidence peak and trough alternating every 4 - 5 years. The majority of patients were under 15 years old, accounting for 85.32% of the total number of cases. The patients mainly included students, preschool children and scattered children. The highest average incidence was in Nanning City with 40 231 cases (42.08/100 000), and the lowest was in Qinzhou City with 3 466 cases (8.16/100 000). From 2012 to 2024, a total of 210 mumps outbreaks with 4 483 cases were reported in Guangxi. Conclusion The incidence of mumps in Guangxi from 2012 to 2024 shows a periodic change and obvious seasonality. People under 15 years old are the key group at risk of mumps. The prevention and control of the epidemic of mumps in schools and kindergartens should be strengthened. It is suggested to carry out long-term monitoring of mumps as well as immune effect research, and continue to maintain a high vaccination rate of 2 doses of mumps-containing vaccines.

Objective: To investigate the potential protective effect of Shexiang Tongxin dropping pills (STDP) on ischemia-reperfusion injury and its underlying mechanisms in improving endothelial cell function in coronary microvascular disease (CMVD). Methods: A rat model of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury with CMVD was established using ligation and reperfusion of the left anterior descending artery. The effect of STDP (21.6 mg/kg) on cardiac function was evaluated using echocardiography, hematoxylin-eosin staining, and Evans blue staining. The effects of STDP on the microvascular endothelial barrier were assessed based on nitric oxide production, endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression, structural variety of tight junctions (TJs), and the expression of zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1), claudin-5, occludin, and vascular endothelial (VE)-cadherin proteins. The mechanisms of STDP (50 and 100 ng/mL) were evaluated by examining the expression of sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 2 (S1PR2), Ras Homolog family member A (RhoA), and Rho-associated coiled-coil-containing protein kinase (ROCK) proteins and the distribution of ZO-1, VE-cadherin, and F-actin proteins in an oxygen and glucose deprivation/reoxygenation model. Results: The administration of STDP on CMVD rat model significantly improved cardiac and microvascular endothelial cell barrier functions (all P < .05). STDP enhanced the structural integrity of coronary microvascular positioning and distribution by clarifying and completing TJs and increasing the expression of ZO-1, occludin, claudin-5, and VE-cadherin in vivo (all P < .05). The S1PR2/RhoA/ROCK pathway was inhibited by STDP in vitro, leading to the regulation of endothelial cell TJs, adhesion junctions, and cytoskeletal morphology. Conclusion STDP showed protective effects on cardiac impairment and microvascular endothelial barrier injury in CMVD model rats induced by myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury through the modulation of the S1PR2/RhoA/ROCK pathway.

BACKGROUND: P16 inactivation is frequently accompanied by telomerase reverse transcriptase ( TERT ) amplification in human cancer genomes. P16 inactivation by DNA methylation often occurs automatically during immortalization of normal cells by TERT . However, direct evidence remains to be obtained to support the causal effect of epigenetic changes, such as P16 methylation, on cancer development. This study aimed to provide experimental evidence that P16 methylation directly drives cancer development. METHODS: A zinc finger protein-based P16 -specific DNA methyltransferase (P16-Dnmt) vector containing a "Tet-On" switch was used to induce extensive methylation of P16 CpG islands in normal human fibroblast CCD-18Co cells. Battery assays were used to evaluate cell immortalization and transformation throughout their lifespan. Cell subcloning and DNA barcoding were used to track the diversity of cell evolution. RESULTS: Leaking P16-Dnmt expression (without doxycycline-induction) could specifically inactivate P16 expression by DNA methylation. P16 methylation only promoted proliferation and prolonged lifespan but did not induce immortalization of CCD-18Co cells. Notably, cell immortalization, loss of contact inhibition, and anchorage-independent growth were always prevalent in P16-Dnmt&TERT cells, indicating cell transformation. In contrast, almost all TERT cells died in the replicative crisis. Only a few TERT cells recovered from the crisis, in which spontaneous P16 inactivation by DNA methylation occurred. Furthermore, the subclone formation capacity of P16-Dnmt&TERT cells was two-fold that of TERT cells. DNA barcoding analysis showed that the diversity of the P16-Dnmt&TERT cell population was much greater than that of the TERT cell population. CONCLUSION P16 methylation drives TERT -mediated immortalization and transformation of normal human cells that may contribute to cancer development.
Humans ; Telomerase/genetics* ; DNA Methylation/physiology* ; Fibroblasts/cytology* ; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16/metabolism* ; Cell Line ; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic/genetics*

Emodin is a hydroxyanthraquinone compound that is widely distributed and has multiple pharmacological activities, including anti-diarrheal, anti-inflammatory, and liver-protective effects. Research indicates that emodin may be one of the main components responsible for inducing hepatotoxicity. However, studies on the mechanisms of liver injury are relatively limited, particularly those related to bile acids(BAs) metabolism. This study aims to systematically investigate the effects of different dosages of emodin on BAs metabolism, providing a basis for the safe clinical use of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)containing emodin. First, this study evaluated the safety of repeated administration of different dosages of emodin over a 5-week period, with a particular focus on its impact on the liver. Next, the composition and content of BAs in serum and liver were analyzed. Subsequently, qRT-PCR was used to detect the mRNA expression of nuclear receptors and transporters related to BAs metabolism. The results showed that 1 g·kg~(-1) emodin induced hepatic damage, with bile duct hyperplasia as the primary pathological manifestation. It significantly increased the levels of various BAs in the serum and primary BAs(including taurine-conjugated and free BAs) in the liver. Additionally, it downregulated the mRNA expression of farnesoid X receptor(FXR), retinoid X receptor(RXR), and sodium taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide(NTCP), and upregulated the mRNA expression of cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase(CYP7A1) in the liver. Although 0.01 g·kg~(-1) and 0.03 g·kg~(-1) emodin did not induce obvious liver injury, they significantly increased the level of taurine-conjugated BAs in the liver, suggesting a potential interference with BAs homeostasis. In conclusion, 1 g·kg~(-1) emodin may promote the production of primary BAs in the liver by affecting the FXR-RXR-CYP7A1 pathway, inhibit NTCP expression, and reduce BA reabsorption in the liver, resulting in BA accumulation in the peripheral blood. This disruption of BA homeostasis leads to liver injury. Even doses of emodin close to the clinical dose can also have a certain effect on the homeostasis of BAs. Therefore, when using traditional Chinese medicine or formulas containing emodin in clinical practice, it is necessary to regularly monitor liver function indicators and closely monitor the risk of drug-induced liver injury.
Emodin/administration & dosage* ; Bile Acids and Salts/metabolism* ; Animals ; Male ; Liver/injuries* ; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury/genetics* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/adverse effects* ; Humans ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Mice ; Rats

Testicular histology based on testicular biopsy is an important factor for determining appropriate testicular sperm extraction surgery and predicting sperm retrieval outcomes in patients with azoospermia. Therefore, we developed a deep learning (DL) model to establish the associations between testicular grayscale ultrasound images and testicular histology. We retrospectively included two-dimensional testicular grayscale ultrasound from patients with azoospermia (353 men with 4357 images between July 2017 and December 2021 in The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China) to develop a DL model. We obtained testicular histology during conventional testicular sperm extraction. Our DL model was trained based on ultrasound images or fusion data (ultrasound images fused with the corresponding testicular volume) to distinguish spermatozoa presence in pathology (SPP) and spermatozoa absence in pathology (SAP) and to classify maturation arrest (MA) and Sertoli cell-only syndrome (SCOS) in patients with SAP. Areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUCs), accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were used to analyze model performance. DL based on images achieved an AUC of 0.922 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.908-0.935), a sensitivity of 80.9%, a specificity of 84.6%, and an accuracy of 83.5% in predicting SPP (including normal spermatogenesis and hypospermatogenesis) and SAP (including MA and SCOS). In the identification of SCOS and MA, DL on fusion data yielded better diagnostic performance with an AUC of 0.979 (95% CI: 0.969-0.989), a sensitivity of 89.7%, a specificity of 97.1%, and an accuracy of 92.1%. Our study provides a noninvasive method to predict testicular histology for patients with azoospermia, which would avoid unnecessary testicular biopsy.
Humans ; Male ; Azoospermia/diagnostic imaging* ; Deep Learning ; Testis/pathology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Adult ; Ultrasonography/methods* ; Sperm Retrieval ; Sertoli Cell-Only Syndrome/diagnostic imaging*