Both cathartic colon （CC） and cathartic-dependent constipation （CDC） are caused by the abuse of stimulant laxatives， while their concepts are not completely the same.Starting from the disease name of CC， this article traced the origin and evolution of the concept of CC， summarizes and compared the similarities and differences between CC， CDC， and slow transit constipation （STC）， and called for strict differentiation among the three.Furthermore， this article explored the specific contents of Western medicine clinical subtypes and traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome differentiation of CDC and delved into the TCM pathogenesis of CDC according to both literature and clinical practice.The relationship between clinical subtypes and TCM syndromes was established， and the syndrome characteristics of CDC of different clinical subtypes and TCM syndromes were summarized.The recommended prescriptions for corresponding syndromes were listed.A systematic CDC diagnosis and treatment approach of "clinical subtypes-syndrome differentiation-syndrome characteristics-recommended prescriptions" was thus formed.Additionally， the paper provides an overview of current research on CDC in both Western medicine and TCM contexts， identifies future research directions， and suggests research pathways for refining and advancing CDC studies.

Homo- or heterodimeric compounds that affect dimeric protein function through interaction between monomeric moieties and protein subunits can serve as valuable sources of potent and selective drug candidates. Here, we screened an in-house dimeric natural product collection, and panepocyclinol A (PecA) emerged as a selective and potent STAT3 inhibitor with profound anti-tumor efficacy. Through cross-linking C712/C718 residues in separate STAT3 monomers with two distinct Michael receptors, PecA inhibits STAT3 DNA binding affinity and transcription activity. Molecular dynamics simulation reveals the key conformation changes of STAT3 dimers upon the di-covalent binding with PecA that abolishes its DNA interactions. Furthermore, PecA exhibits high efficacy against anaplastic large T cell lymphoma in vitro and in vivo, especially those with constitutively activated STAT3 or STAT3^Y640F. In summary, our study describes a distinct and effective di-covalent modification for the dimeric compound PecA to disrupt STAT3 function.

Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are the primary fibrogenic cells in the liver, and their activation plays a crucial role in the development and progression of hepatic fibrosis. Here, we report that retinoid X receptor-alpha (RXRα), a unique member of the nuclear receptor superfamily, is a key modulator of HSC activation and liver fibrosis. RXRα exerts its effects by modulating calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase β (CaMKKβ)-mediated activation of AMP-activated protein kinase-alpha (AMPKα). In addition, we demonstrate that K-80003, which binds RXRα by a unique mechanism, effectively suppresses HSC activation, proliferation, and migration, thereby inhibiting liver fibrosis in the CCl₄ and amylin liver NASH (AMLN) diet animal models. The effect is mediated by AMPKα activation, promoting mitophagy in HSCs. Mechanistically, K-80003 activates AMPKα by inducing RXRα to form condensates with CaMKKβ and AMPKα via a two-phase process. The formation of RXRα condensates is driven by its N-terminal intrinsic disorder region and requires phosphorylation by CaMKKβ. Our results reveal a crucial role of RXRα in liver fibrosis regulation through modulating mitochondrial activities in HSCs. Furthermore, they suggest that K-80003 and related RXRα modulators hold promise as therapeutic agents for fibrosis-related diseases.

The incomplete degradation of tumour cells by macrophages (Mϕ) is a contributing factor to tumour progression and metastasis, and the degradation function of Mϕ is mediated through phagosomes and lysosomes. In our preliminary experiments, we found that overactivation of NADPH oxidase 2 (NOX2) reduced the ability of Mϕ to degrade engulfed tumour cells. Above this, we screened out liquiritin from Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch, which can significantly inhibit NOX2 activity and inhibit tumours, to elucidate that suppressing NOX2 can enhance the ability of Mϕ to degrade tumour cells. We found that the tumour environment could activate the NOX2 activity in Mϕ phagosomes, causing Mϕ to produce excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS), thus prohibiting the formation of phagolysosomes before degradation. Conversely, inhibiting NOX2 in Mϕ by liquiritin can reduce ROS and promote phagosome-lysosome fusion, therefore improving the enzymatic degradation of tumour cells after phagocytosis, and subsequently promote T cell activity by presenting antigens. We further confirmed that liquiritin down-regulated the expression of the NOX2 specific membrane component protein gp91 phox, blocking its binding to the NOX2 cytoplasmic component proteins p67 phox and p47 phox, thereby inhibiting the activity of NOX2. This study elucidates the specific mechanism by which Mϕ cannot degrade tumour cells after phagocytosis, and indicates that liquiritin can promote the ability of Mϕ to degrade tumour cells by suppressing NOX2.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the association between susceptibility genes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in children with obesity. METHODS: We conducted a two-step case-control study. Ninety-three participants were subjected to whole-exome sequencing (exploratory set). Differential genes identified in the small sample were validated in 1,022 participants using multiplex polymerase chain reaction and high-throughput sequencing (validation set). RESULTS: In the exploratory set, 14 genes from the NAFLD-associated pathways were identified. In the validation set, after adjusting for sex, age, and body mass index, ECI2 rs2326408 (dominant model: OR = 1.33, 95% CI: 1.02-1.72; additive model: OR = 1.22, 95% CI: 1.01-1.47), C6orf201 rs659305 (dominant model: OR = 1.30, 95% CI: 1.01-1.69; additive model: OR = 1.21, 95% CI: 1.00-1.45), CALML5 rs10904516 (pre-ad dominant model: OR = 1.36, 95% CI: 1.01-1.83; adjusted dominant model: OR = 1.40, 95% CI: 1.03-1.91; and pre-ad additive model: OR = 1.26, 95% CI: 1.04-1.66) polymorphisms were significantly associated with NAFLD in children with obesity ( P < 0.05). Interaction analysis revealed that the gene-gene interaction model of CALML5 rs10904516, COX11 rs17209882, and SCD5 rs3733228 was optional ( P < 0.05), demonstrating a negative interaction between the three genes. CONCLUSION In the Chinese population, the CALML5 rs10904516, C6orf201 rs659305, and ECI2 rs2326408 variants could be genetic markers for NAFLD susceptibility.
Humans ; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease/genetics* ; Child ; Male ; Female ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Case-Control Studies ; Exome Sequencing ; Adolescent ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Obesity/complications* ; Pediatric Obesity/complications* ; China

Background: Maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY) due to variants of hepatocyte nuclear factor 1-beta (HNF1β) (MODY5) has not been well studied in the Chinese population. This study aimed to estimate its prevalence and evaluate the application of a clinical screening method (Faguer score) in Chinese early-onset diabetes (EOD) patients. Methods: Among 679 EOD patients clinically diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus (age at diagnosis ≤40 years), the exons of HNF1β were sequenced. Functional impact of rare variants was evaluated using a dual-luciferase reporter system. Faguer scores ≥8 prompted multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) for large deletions. Pathogenicity of HNF1β variants was assessed following the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) guidelines. Results: Two rare HNF1β missense mutations (E105K and G454R) were identified by sequencing in five patients, showing functional impact in vitro. Another patient was found to have a whole-gene deletion by MLPA in 22 patients with the Faguer score above 8. Following ACMG guidelines, six patients carrying pathogenic or likely pathogenic variant were diagnosed with MODY5. The estimated prevalence of MODY5 in Chinese EOD patients was approximately 0.9% or higher. Conclusion MODY5 is not uncommon in China. The Faguer score is helpful in deciding whether to perform MLPA analysis on patients with negative sequencing results.

An automated identification method for adolescent schizophrenia based on brain electroencephalogram(EEG)entropy features is proposed for further improving the diagnostic accuracy of adolescent schizophrenia.The raw EEG signals are decomposed into 5 commonly used rhythm bands:Delta,Theta,Alpha,Beta,and Gamma.The permutation entropy,fuzzy entropy,and sample entropy are extracted from each rhythm band and then organized into a feature matrix structured by electrode location×frequency band.Finally,an ECA-CNN model integrating efficient channel attention(ECA)and convolutional neural network(CNN)is constructed for feature classification and realizing the automated identification of adolescent schizophrenia.The results demonstrate that the proposed ECA-CNN model has higher recognition accuracy than the traditional machine learning models,achieving an accuracy of 99.08%,a sensitivity of 99.27%,a specificity of 98.85%,a precision of 99.01%,a F1 score of 99.14%,and a Kappa coefficient of 0.9814.This study provides a new idea and method for the diagnosis of adolescent schizophrenia.

AIM: To evaluate the efficacy of 0.05% cyclosporine eye drops in promoting ocular surface recovery following pterygium excision combined with autologous corneal limbal stem cell transplantation.METHODS:This study is a prospective randomized controlled trial, selecting 104 cases(104 eyes)of primary pterygium with monocular onset admitted to Baoding First Central Hospital from September 2023 to September 2024 as the initial sample. The patients were divided into an experimental group and a control group using a random number table method, with 52 eyes in each group. Both groups underwent pterygium excision and autologous corneal limbal stem cell transplantation performed by the same surgeon. The control group received tobramycin dexamethasone eye drops combined with 0.3% sodium hyaluronate eye drops, while the experimental group was additionally treated with 0.05% cyclosporine eye drops. The corneal epithelial repair status, ocular surface function [corneal fluorescein staining(FL)score, Schirmer I test(SIt), break-up time of tear film(BUT)] at preoperative and postoperative time points(1 and 3 mo), and dry eye symptoms [ocular surface disease index(OSDI), standard patient evaluation of eye dryness(SPEED)scores]. Additionally, the recurrence rate and postoperative complications were recorded.RESULTS: During the follow-up period, there was 1 case of loss to follow-up in both the experimental group and the control group, with lost to follow-up rate of 1.9%. Finally, 51 cases in each group completed all followed-up. No statistically significant difference was observed in preoperative general characteristics of patients between the two groups(P>0.05), and there was no statistically significant difference in corneal epithelial repair time or suture removal time(all P>0.05). At 1 mo postoperatively, the SIt and BUT decreased in both groups compared to preoperative levels, with the experimental group showing higher values than the control group(all P<0.05). FL scores increased compared to preoperative levels but were lower in the experimental group(all P<0.05). By 3 mo, the SIt, BUT and FL score of the control group were not statistically different from preoperative levels(all P>0.05), whereas the experimental group showed increased SIt and BUT, which were higher than the control group, and reduced FL scores, and decreased FL scores, which was lower than the control group(all P<0.05). At 3 mo postoperatively, both groups showed increased SIt and BUT compared to 1-month values, with the experimental group outperforming the control group(all P<0.05). FL scores decreased in both groups compared to 1-month values, with the experimental group maintaining lower scores(P<0.05). At 1 mo postoperatively, OSDI and SPEED scores were higher than preoperative levels, with the experimental group higher than the control group(all P<0.05); at 3 mo postoperatively, the scores returned to preoperative level(all P>0.05), and the OSDI and SPEED scores of the control group increased and higher than those of the experiment group(all P<0.05); at 3 mo postoperatively, the OSDI and SPEED scores decreased when compared with 1-month preoperative level, and the experiment group was lower than the control group(all P<0.05). There was no difference in the total incidence of postoperative complications between the two groups(P>0.05). According to the statistics of 6 mo follow-up after operation, there was no recurrence in the experimental group, and the recurrence rate was 11.8% in the control group(P<0.05).CONCLUSION: Adjunctive use of 0.05% cyclosporine eye drops after pterygium excision with limbal stem cell transplantation enhances ocular surface recovery, reduces dry eye symptoms, and lowers recurrence rates without compromising corneal epithelial healing or safety.

Objective:To explore whether LBP3 exerts anti-tumor effects by promoting production of short-chain fatty acids(SCFAs)by intestinal microbiota and regulating function of polymorphonuclear myeloid-derived suppressor cells(PMN-MDSC).Methods:A subcutaneous H22 liver cancer model was employed to assess anti-tumor activity of LBP3 and its regulatory effects on PMN-MDSC.Pseudo-sterile tumor-bearing mouse model was used to investigate role of intestinal microbiota in tumor suppression of LBP3.Fecal microbiota transplantation(FMT)was conducted to explore immune regulatory role of LBP3-modulated flora.Serum SCFAs levels in tumor-bearing mice were quantified using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry,and effect of SCFAs butyrate on arginase 1(Arg-1)expression was evaluated in vitro.Results:Both low-dose(125 mg/kg)and high-dose(250 mg/kg)LBP3 signifi-cantly inhibited tumor growth in H22 tumor-bearing mice,also led to a marked reduction in proportion of PMN-MDSC in both spleen and tumor,a reduced proportion of Treg in lymphoid tissues,a decrease in Arg-1 level within tumor,infiltration of CD8+T cells into tumor was significantly enhanced.However,these effects of LBP3 were did not observed in pseudo-sterile mice,while the above changes could be reproduced after fecal supernatant transplantation in high-dose LBP3 treatment group,suggesting a crucial role for gut microbiota.Furthermore,co-expression of Ly6G and SCFA receptor GPR43 in tumor was also observed.LBP3 treatment resulted in increased levels of SCFAs,particularly butyrate,in both blood and tumor tissues.In vitro,butyrate was shown to inhibit Arg-1 expression in MSC-2 cells,further supporting hypothesis that SCFAs mediate immune-modulatory effects of LBP3.Conclusion:LBP3 exerts its anti-tumor effects by promoting SCFA production,which subsequently inhibits function of PMN-MDSC.This highlights LBP3's potential as an immunomodulatory agent in cancer therapy.

The incomplete degradation of tumour cells by macrophages(Mφ)is a contributing factor to tumour progression and metastasis,and the degradation function of Mφ is mediated through phagosomes and lysosomes.In our preliminary experiments,we found that overactivation of NADPH oxidase 2(NOX2)reduced the ability of Mφ to degrade engulfed tumour cells.Above this,we screened out liquiritin from Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch,which can significantly inhibit NOX2 activity and inhibit tumours,to elucidate that suppressing NOX2 can enhance the ability of Mφ to degrade tumour cells.We found that the tumour environment could activate the NOX2 activity in Mφ phagosomes,causing Mφ to produce excessive reactive oxygen species(ROS),thus prohibiting the formation of phagolysosomes before degradation.Conversely,inhibiting NOX2 in Mφ by liquiritin can reduce ROS and promote phagosome-lysosome fusion,therefore improving the enzymatic degradation of tumour cells after phagocytosis,and subse-quently promote T cell activity by presenting antigens.We further confirmed that liquiritin down-regulated the expression of the NOX2 specific membrane component protein gp91 phox,blocking its binding to the NOX2 cytoplasmic component proteins p67 phox and p47 phox,thereby inhibiting the activity of NOX2.This study elucidates the specific mechanism by which Mφ cannot degrade tumour cells after phagocytosis,and indicates that liquiritin can promote the ability of Mφ to degrade tumour cells by suppressing NOX2.