T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is a highly aggressive hematologic malignancy with a poor prognosis, despite advancements in treatment. Many patients struggle with relapse or refractory disease. Investigating the role of the super-enhancer (SE) regulated gene ubiquitin-specific protease 20 (USP20) in T-ALL could enhance targeted therapies and improve clinical outcomes. Analysis of histone H3 lysine 27 acetylation (H3K27ac) chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) data from six T-ALL cell lines and seven pediatric samples identified USP20 as an SE-regulated driver gene. Utilizing the Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE) and BloodSpot databases, it was found that USP20 is specifically highly expressed in T-ALL. Knocking down USP20 with short hairpin RNA (shRNA) increased apoptosis and inhibited proliferation in T-ALL cells. In vivo studies showed that USP20 knockdown reduced tumor growth and improved survival. The USP20 inhibitor GSK2643943A demonstrated similar anti-tumor effects. Mass spectrometry, RNA-Seq, and immunoprecipitation revealed that USP20 interacted with hypoxia-inducible factor 1 subunit alpha (HIF1A) and stabilized it by deubiquitination. Cleavage under targets and tagmentation (CUT&Tag) results indicated that USP20 co-localized with HIF1A, jointly modulating target genes in T-ALL. This study identifies USP20 as a therapeutic target in T-ALL and suggests GSK2643943A as a potential treatment strategy.

OBJECTIVE: Observational studies have found associations between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and the risk of dementia, including Alzheimer's dementia (AD) and vascular dementia (VD); however, these findings are inconsistent. It remains unclear whether these associations are causal. METHODS: We conducted a meta-analysis by systematically searching for observational studies on the association between IBD and dementia. Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis based on summary genome-wide association studies (GWASs) was performed. Genetic correlation and Bayesian co-localization analyses were used to provide robust genetic evidence. RESULTS: Ten observational studies involving 80,565,688 participants were included in this meta-analysis. IBD was significantly associated with dementia (risk ratio [ RR] =1.36, 95% CI = 1.04-1.78; I ² = 84.8%) and VD ( RR = 2.60, 95% CI = 1.18-5.70; only one study), but not with AD ( RR = 2.00, 95% CI = 0.96-4.13; I ² = 99.8%). MR analyses did not supported significant causal associations of IBD with dementia (dementia: odds ratio [ OR] = 1.01, 95% CI = 0.98-1.03; AD: OR = 0.98, 95% CI = 0.95-1.01; VD: OR = 1.02, 95% CI = 0.97-1.07). In addition, genetic correlation and co-localization analyses did not reveal any genetic associations between IBD and dementia. CONCLUSION Our study did not provide genetic evidence for a causal association between IBD and dementia risk. The increased risk of dementia observed in observational studies may be attributed to unobserved confounding factors or detection bias.
Humans ; Mendelian Randomization Analysis ; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases/complications* ; Dementia/etiology* ; Observational Studies as Topic ; Genome-Wide Association Study

OBJECTIVE: Patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection frequently develop central nervous system damage, yet the mechanisms driving this pathology remain unclear. This study investigated the primary pathways and key factors underlying brain tissue damage induced by the SARS-CoV-2 beta variant (lineage B.1.351). METHODS: K18-hACE2 and C57BL/6 mice were intranasally infected with the SARS-CoV-2 beta variant. Viral replication, pathological phenotypes, and brain transcriptomes were analyzed. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis was performed to identify altered pathways. Expression changes of host genes were verified using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot. RESULTS: Pathological alterations were observed in the lungs of both mouse strains. However, only K18-hACE2 mice exhibited elevated viral RNA loads and infectious titers in the brain at 3 days post-infection, accompanied by neuropathological injury and weight loss. GO analysis of infected K18-hACE2 brain tissue revealed significant dysregulation of genes associated with innate immunity and antiviral defense responses, including type I interferons, pro-inflammatory cytokines, Toll-like receptor signaling components, and interferon-stimulated genes. Neuroinflammation was evident, alongside activation of apoptotic and pyroptotic pathways. Furthermore, altered neural cell marker expression suggested viral-induced neuroglial activation, resulting in caspase 4 and lipocalin 2 release and disruption of neuronal molecular networks. CONCLUSION These findings elucidate mechanisms of neuropathogenicity associated with the SARS-CoV-2 beta variant and highlight therapeutic targets to mitigate COVID-19-related neurological dysfunction.
Animals ; COVID-19/genetics* ; Mice ; Brain/metabolism* ; Apoptosis ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; SARS-CoV-2/physiology* ; Pyroptosis ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Transcriptome ; Male ; Female

Aim To explore the improvement effect of Bazi Bushen capsule on thymic degeneration in SAMP6 mice and the possible mechanism.Methods Twenty 12 week old male SAMP6 mice were randomly divided into the model group(SAMP6)and the Bazi Busheng capsule treatment group(SAMP6+BZBS).Ten SAMR1 mice were assigned to a homologous control group(SAMR1).The SAMP6+BZBS group was oral-ly administered Bazi Bushen capsule suspension(2.8 g·kg-1)daily,while the other two groups were orally administered an equal amount of distilled water.After nine weeks of administration,the morphology of the thymus in each group was observed and the thymus in-dex was calculated;HE staining was used to observe the structural changes of thymus tissue;SA-β-gal stai-ning was used to detect thymic aging;flow cytometry was used to detect the proportion of thymic CD3+T cells in each group;Western blot was used to detect the levels of p16,Bax,Bcl-2,and cleaved caspase-3 proteins in thymus;immunofluorescence was applied to detect the proportion of cortical thymic epithelial cells in each group;ELISA was employed to detect IL-7 lev-els in thymus.Results Compared with the SAMP6 group,the thymic index of the SAMP6+BZBS group significantly increased(P＜0.05);the disordered thy-mic structure was significantly improved;the positive proportion of SA-β-gal staining significantly decreased(P＜0.01);the proportion of CD3+T cells apparently increased(P＜0.05);the level of p16 protein signifi-cantly decreased(P＜0.05);the level of Bcl-2 pro-tein significantly increased(P＜0.05),while the lev-el of cleaved caspase-3 protein markedly decreased(P＜0.05);the proportion of cortical thymic epithelial cells evidently increased;the level of IL-7 significantly increased(P＜0.01).Conclusions Bazi Bushen capsule can delay thymic degeneration,inhibit cell ap-optosis in thymus and promote thymic cell development in SAMP6 mice,which may be related to increasing the proportion of cortical thymic epithelial cells and promoting IL-7 secretion.

Objective: To assess the role of dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE)-MRI of the extraocular muscles (EOMs) for determining the activity of thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) and treatment response to glucocorticoids (GCs). Materials and Methods: We prospectively enrolled 65 patients with TAO (41 active, 82 eyes; 24 inactive, 48 eyes). Twenty-two active patients completed the GC treatment and follow-up assessment, including 15 patients (30 eyes) and 7 patients (14 eyes), defined as responsive and unresponsive, respectively. Model-free (time to peak [TTP], area under the curve [AUC], and Slope max) and model-based (Ktrans , Kep, and Ve) parameters of EOMs in embedded simplified histogram analyses were calculated and compared between groups. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify the independent predictors. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) was used to evaluate the diagnostic performance. Results: Active patients exhibited significantly higher TTP at the 10th percentile (-10th), TTP-mean, and TTP at the 90th percentile (-90th); AUC-10th, AUC-mean, AUC-90th, and AUC-max; Ktrans -10th and Ktrans -mean; and Ve-10th, Ve-mean, Ve-90th, and Ve-max than inactive patients (P < 0.05). Responsive patients exhibited significantly lower TTP-min; higher Ktrans -mean and Ktrans -max; and higher Kep-10th, Kep-mean, and Kep-max than unresponsive patients (P < 0.05). TTP-mean and Ve-mean were independent variables for determining disease activity (P = 0.017 and 0.022, respectively). A combination of the two parameters could determine active TAO with moderate performance (AUROC = 0.687). TTP-min and Ktrans -mean were independent predictors of the response to GCs (P = 0.023 and 0.004, respectively), uniting which could determine the response to GCs with decent performance (AUROC = 0.821). Conclusion DCE-MRI-derived model-free and model-based parameters of EOMs can assist in the evaluation of TAO. In particular, TTP-mean and Ve-mean could be useful for determining the activity of TAO, whereas TTP-min and K trans -mean could be promising biomarkers for determining the response to GCs.

Objective: To assess the role of dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE)-MRI of the extraocular muscles (EOMs) for determining the activity of thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) and treatment response to glucocorticoids (GCs). Materials and Methods: We prospectively enrolled 65 patients with TAO (41 active, 82 eyes; 24 inactive, 48 eyes). Twenty-two active patients completed the GC treatment and follow-up assessment, including 15 patients (30 eyes) and 7 patients (14 eyes), defined as responsive and unresponsive, respectively. Model-free (time to peak [TTP], area under the curve [AUC], and Slope max) and model-based (Ktrans , Kep, and Ve) parameters of EOMs in embedded simplified histogram analyses were calculated and compared between groups. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify the independent predictors. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) was used to evaluate the diagnostic performance. Results: Active patients exhibited significantly higher TTP at the 10th percentile (-10th), TTP-mean, and TTP at the 90th percentile (-90th); AUC-10th, AUC-mean, AUC-90th, and AUC-max; Ktrans -10th and Ktrans -mean; and Ve-10th, Ve-mean, Ve-90th, and Ve-max than inactive patients (P < 0.05). Responsive patients exhibited significantly lower TTP-min; higher Ktrans -mean and Ktrans -max; and higher Kep-10th, Kep-mean, and Kep-max than unresponsive patients (P < 0.05). TTP-mean and Ve-mean were independent variables for determining disease activity (P = 0.017 and 0.022, respectively). A combination of the two parameters could determine active TAO with moderate performance (AUROC = 0.687). TTP-min and Ktrans -mean were independent predictors of the response to GCs (P = 0.023 and 0.004, respectively), uniting which could determine the response to GCs with decent performance (AUROC = 0.821). Conclusion DCE-MRI-derived model-free and model-based parameters of EOMs can assist in the evaluation of TAO. In particular, TTP-mean and Ve-mean could be useful for determining the activity of TAO, whereas TTP-min and K trans -mean could be promising biomarkers for determining the response to GCs.

Objective: To assess the role of dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE)-MRI of the extraocular muscles (EOMs) for determining the activity of thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) and treatment response to glucocorticoids (GCs). Materials and Methods: We prospectively enrolled 65 patients with TAO (41 active, 82 eyes; 24 inactive, 48 eyes). Twenty-two active patients completed the GC treatment and follow-up assessment, including 15 patients (30 eyes) and 7 patients (14 eyes), defined as responsive and unresponsive, respectively. Model-free (time to peak [TTP], area under the curve [AUC], and Slope max) and model-based (Ktrans , Kep, and Ve) parameters of EOMs in embedded simplified histogram analyses were calculated and compared between groups. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify the independent predictors. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) was used to evaluate the diagnostic performance. Results: Active patients exhibited significantly higher TTP at the 10th percentile (-10th), TTP-mean, and TTP at the 90th percentile (-90th); AUC-10th, AUC-mean, AUC-90th, and AUC-max; Ktrans -10th and Ktrans -mean; and Ve-10th, Ve-mean, Ve-90th, and Ve-max than inactive patients (P < 0.05). Responsive patients exhibited significantly lower TTP-min; higher Ktrans -mean and Ktrans -max; and higher Kep-10th, Kep-mean, and Kep-max than unresponsive patients (P < 0.05). TTP-mean and Ve-mean were independent variables for determining disease activity (P = 0.017 and 0.022, respectively). A combination of the two parameters could determine active TAO with moderate performance (AUROC = 0.687). TTP-min and Ktrans -mean were independent predictors of the response to GCs (P = 0.023 and 0.004, respectively), uniting which could determine the response to GCs with decent performance (AUROC = 0.821). Conclusion DCE-MRI-derived model-free and model-based parameters of EOMs can assist in the evaluation of TAO. In particular, TTP-mean and Ve-mean could be useful for determining the activity of TAO, whereas TTP-min and K trans -mean could be promising biomarkers for determining the response to GCs.

Objective: To assess the role of dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE)-MRI of the extraocular muscles (EOMs) for determining the activity of thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) and treatment response to glucocorticoids (GCs). Materials and Methods: We prospectively enrolled 65 patients with TAO (41 active, 82 eyes; 24 inactive, 48 eyes). Twenty-two active patients completed the GC treatment and follow-up assessment, including 15 patients (30 eyes) and 7 patients (14 eyes), defined as responsive and unresponsive, respectively. Model-free (time to peak [TTP], area under the curve [AUC], and Slope max) and model-based (Ktrans , Kep, and Ve) parameters of EOMs in embedded simplified histogram analyses were calculated and compared between groups. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify the independent predictors. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) was used to evaluate the diagnostic performance. Results: Active patients exhibited significantly higher TTP at the 10th percentile (-10th), TTP-mean, and TTP at the 90th percentile (-90th); AUC-10th, AUC-mean, AUC-90th, and AUC-max; Ktrans -10th and Ktrans -mean; and Ve-10th, Ve-mean, Ve-90th, and Ve-max than inactive patients (P < 0.05). Responsive patients exhibited significantly lower TTP-min; higher Ktrans -mean and Ktrans -max; and higher Kep-10th, Kep-mean, and Kep-max than unresponsive patients (P < 0.05). TTP-mean and Ve-mean were independent variables for determining disease activity (P = 0.017 and 0.022, respectively). A combination of the two parameters could determine active TAO with moderate performance (AUROC = 0.687). TTP-min and Ktrans -mean were independent predictors of the response to GCs (P = 0.023 and 0.004, respectively), uniting which could determine the response to GCs with decent performance (AUROC = 0.821). Conclusion DCE-MRI-derived model-free and model-based parameters of EOMs can assist in the evaluation of TAO. In particular, TTP-mean and Ve-mean could be useful for determining the activity of TAO, whereas TTP-min and K trans -mean could be promising biomarkers for determining the response to GCs.

Objective: To assess the role of dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE)-MRI of the extraocular muscles (EOMs) for determining the activity of thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) and treatment response to glucocorticoids (GCs). Materials and Methods: We prospectively enrolled 65 patients with TAO (41 active, 82 eyes; 24 inactive, 48 eyes). Twenty-two active patients completed the GC treatment and follow-up assessment, including 15 patients (30 eyes) and 7 patients (14 eyes), defined as responsive and unresponsive, respectively. Model-free (time to peak [TTP], area under the curve [AUC], and Slope max) and model-based (Ktrans , Kep, and Ve) parameters of EOMs in embedded simplified histogram analyses were calculated and compared between groups. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify the independent predictors. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) was used to evaluate the diagnostic performance. Results: Active patients exhibited significantly higher TTP at the 10th percentile (-10th), TTP-mean, and TTP at the 90th percentile (-90th); AUC-10th, AUC-mean, AUC-90th, and AUC-max; Ktrans -10th and Ktrans -mean; and Ve-10th, Ve-mean, Ve-90th, and Ve-max than inactive patients (P < 0.05). Responsive patients exhibited significantly lower TTP-min; higher Ktrans -mean and Ktrans -max; and higher Kep-10th, Kep-mean, and Kep-max than unresponsive patients (P < 0.05). TTP-mean and Ve-mean were independent variables for determining disease activity (P = 0.017 and 0.022, respectively). A combination of the two parameters could determine active TAO with moderate performance (AUROC = 0.687). TTP-min and Ktrans -mean were independent predictors of the response to GCs (P = 0.023 and 0.004, respectively), uniting which could determine the response to GCs with decent performance (AUROC = 0.821). Conclusion DCE-MRI-derived model-free and model-based parameters of EOMs can assist in the evaluation of TAO. In particular, TTP-mean and Ve-mean could be useful for determining the activity of TAO, whereas TTP-min and K trans -mean could be promising biomarkers for determining the response to GCs.

To explore the mechanism of the active ingredients of Qishiwei Zhenzhu Pills in inhibiting the hepatorenal toxicity of the zogta component based on serum pharmacochemistry and network pharmacology, thereby providing references for the clinical safety application of Qishiwei Zhenzhu Pills. The small molecular compounds in the serum containing Qishiwei Zhenzhu Pills of mice were identified by high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(HPLC-MS/MS). Then, by comprehensively using Traditional Chinese Medicines Systems Pharmacology(TCMSP), High-throughput Experiment-and Reference-guided Database(HERB), PubChem, GeneCards, SuperPred, and other databases, the active compounds in the serum containing Qishiwei Zhenzhu Pills were retrieved and their action targets were predicted. The predicted targets were compared with the targets of liver and kidney injury related to mercury toxicity retrieved from the database, and the action targets of Qishiwei Zhenzhu Pills to inhibit the potential mercury toxicity of zogta were screened out. Cytoscape was used to construct the active ingredient in Qishiwei Zhenzhu Pills-containing serum-action target network, and STRING database was used to construct the protein-protein interaction(PPI) network of intersection targets. The Gene Ontology(GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) enrichment analyses were carried out on the target genes by the DAVID database. The active ingredient-target-pathway network was constructed, and the key ingredients and targets were screened out for molecular docking verification. The results showed that 44 active compounds were identified from the serum containing Qishiwei Zhenzhu Pills, including 13 possible prototype drug ingredients, and 70 potential targets for mercury toxicity in liver and kidney were identified. Through PPI network topology analysis, 12 key target genes(HSP90AA1, MAPK3, STAT3, EGFR, MAPK1, APP, MMP9, NOS3, PRKCA, TLR4, PTGS2, and PARP1) and 6 subnetworks were obtained. Through GO and KEGG analysis of 4 subnetworks containing key target genes, the interaction network diagram of active ingredient-action target-key pathway was constructed and verified by molecular docking. It was found that taurodeoxycholic acid, N-acetyl-L-leucine, D-pantothenic acid hemicalcium, and other active ingredients may regulate biological functions and pathways related to metabolism, immunity, inflammation, and oxidative stress by acting on major targets such as MAPK1, STAT3, and TLR4, so as to inhibit the potential mercury toxicity of zogta in Qishiwei Zhenzhu Pills. In conclusion, the active ingredients of Qishiwei Zhenzhu Pills may have a certain detoxification effect, thus inhibiting the potential mercury toxicity of zogta and playing a role of reducing toxicity and enhancing effect.
Animals ; Mice ; Medicine, Tibetan Traditional ; Network Pharmacology ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry ; Toll-Like Receptor 4 ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Mercury ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/toxicity*