Objective To elucidate the molecular mechanism of sirtuin-3 (SIRT3) in regulating mitochondrial biogenesis in human renal tubular epithelial cells. Methods Cells were stimulated with different concentrations of H₂O₂ and divided into four groups: control (NC), 50 μmol/L H₂O₂, 110 μmol/L H₂O₂ and 150 μmol/L H₂O₂. SIRT3 protein expression was then measured. SIRT3 was knocked down with siRNA, and cells were further assigned to five groups: control (NC), negative-control siRNA (NCsi), SIRT3-siRNA (siSIRT3), NCsi+H₂O₂, and siSIRT3+H₂O₂. After 24 h, cellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and mitochondrial superoxide anion (O₂•⁻) levels were determined, together with mitochondrial expression of SIRT3, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α), nuclear respiratory factor 1 (NRF1), mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM), superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2), acetylated-SOD2 and adenosine monophosphate activated protein kinase α1 (AMPKα1). Results The 110 and 150 μmol/L H₂O₂ decreased SIRT3 protein (both P<0.05). ATP and mitochondrial O₂•⁻ did not differ between NC and NCsi groups (both P>0.05). Compared to the NCsi group, the siSIRT3 group exhibited elevated O₂•⁻ level, decreased SIRT3 protein and increased expression levels of SOD2 and acetylated SOD2 protein (all P<0.05). Compared to the NCsi group, the NCsi+H₂O₂ group exhibited decreased cellular ATP levels, elevated mitochondrial O₂•⁻ levels, and reduced protein expression levels of SIRT3, SOD2, TFAM, AMPKα1, PGC-1α and NRF1 (all P<0.05). Compared with the siSIRT3 group, the siSIRT3+H₂O₂ group showed a decrease in cellular ATP levels, an increase in mitochondrial O₂•⁻ levels, a decrease in SIRT3, SOD2, TFAM, AMPKα1, PGC-1α and NRF1 protein expression levels and a decrease in acetylated SOD2 protein expression levels (all P<0.05). Compared with the NCsi+H₂O₂ group, the siSIRT3+H₂O₂ group showed a decrease in cellular ATP levels, an increase in mitochondrial O₂•⁻ levels, a decrease in SIRT3, AMPKα1, PGC-1α and NRF1, TFAM protein expression levels, and an increase in SOD2 and acetylated SOD2 protein expression levels (all P<0.05). Conclusions SIRT3 promotes mitochondrial biogenesis in tubular epithelial cells via the AMPK/PGC-1α/NRF1/TFAM axis, representing a key mechanism through which SIRT3 ameliorates oxidative stress-induced mitochondrial dysfunction.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of the peptide secreted protein isthmin-1 (ISM1) on the proliferation and apoptosis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. ISM1 expression in NSCLC was detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC). ISM1 was overexpressed in lung cancer cell lines by transient transfection of ISM1 plasmids, or establishing ISM1 overexpression stable cell lines, or by treating cells with recombined ISM1 (rISM1). CCK-8 was used to examine cell growth. The intracellular signal transduction pathways regulated by rISM1 were analyzed by transcriptome sequencing, and verified by qRT-PCR and Western blot. The levels of intracellular ROS and apoptosis were further detected using the kit. The results showed that the expression of ISM1 was decreased in human NSCLC tissue samples compared to normal lung tissue samples. Overexpression of ISM1 or rISM1 treatment significantly suppressed the growth of lung cancer cells. RNA sequencing revealed that rISM1 mainly regulated the FoxO signaling pathway. rISM1 treatment decreased the expression of FoxO3 and FoxO1, increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and induced cell apoptosis. These results suggest that ISM1 can inhibit the growth of NSCLC by regulating the FoxO signaling pathway. These findings provide new strategies for cancer therapy.

Objective:To explore the molecular mechanism by which interferon regulatory factor 1 (IRF1) affects hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury (HIRI) by regulating the polarization of Kupffer cells.Methods:Twelve male healthy C57BL/6 wild-type mice weighing 20-25 g and aged 6-8 weeks were divided into a sham operation group ( n=6) and a HIRI group ( n=6); Twelve male healthy C57BL/6 IRF1 gene knockout (IRF1 -/-) mice weighing 20-25 g and aged 6-8 weeks were divided into a sham operation IRF1 -/- group ( n=6) and a HIRI IRF1 -/- group ( n=6). The levels of serum alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST) in mice were measured, and hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining of liver tissues was performed for Suzuki scoring to evaluate liver injury. Fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to evaluate the mRNA levels of IRF1 and tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) in liver tissues. Flow cytometry and qRT-PCR were used to detect the proportion and functional changes of M1/M2-type Kupffer cells in liver tissues. IRF1 was overexpressed or knocked down in the mononuclear macrophage cell line ANA1, and a co-culture and hypoxia-reoxygenation system with the hepatocyte cell line AML12 was established. Flow cytometry was used to detect the apoptosis of AML12 cells. Results:At 12 hours after hepatic ischemia-reperfusion in wild-type mice, the liver tissue injury was the most severe. Compared with the sham operation group, the levels of serum ALT [(8 073±83) U/L vs. (81±19) U/L, q=13.59] and AST [(11 170±2 890) U/L vs. (412±210) U/L, q=13.77] in the HIRI group were significantly higher, and the differences were statistically significant (both P<0.001). The Suzuki score reached 5-6 points. At 12 hours after hepatic ischemia-reperfusion in IRF1 gene knockout mice, the liver tissue injury was not obvious. There were no significant differences in the levels of serum ALT [668 (514, 2 344) U/L vs. 254 (147, 285) U/L, q=2.52, P=0.348] and AST [1 936 (1 262, 2 003) U/L vs. 628 (423, 759) U/L, q=1.22, P=0.824] between the HIRI IRF1 -/- group and the sham operation IRF1 -/- group. Compared with the HIRI group, the ratio of M1/M2-type Kupffer cells in the liver of the HIRI IRF1 -/- group decreased [(0.958±0.090) vs. (2.788±0.258), q=2.06, P<0.0001], and the mRNA expression of TNFα decreased [(4.363±0.393) vs. (12.900±5.504), q=5.59, P=0.018], and the differences between the two groups were statistically significant. In the co-culture and hypoxia-reoxygenation experiment using ANA1 cells overexpressing IRF1 and AML12 cells, the proportion of AML12 hepatocytes in late apoptosis was higher than that in the control group [(14.05±4.25) vs. (3.15±1.16), t=2.85, P=0.047], and the difference was statistically significant. In contrast, when the expression of IRF1 was knocked down, the proportion of apoptotic AML12 cells decreased [(9.26±3.04) vs. (13.36±4.64), t=2.15, P=0.098], but the difference was not statistically significant. Conclusion:The IRF1 protein can regulate the polarization of Kupffer cells into M1-type macrophages, promote the inflammatory injury of the liver tissue after ischemia-reperfusion, and increase the apoptosis of hepatocytes.

Objective:To investigate the expression characteristics of Zeste enhancer of Zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) in breast cancer tissue and its influence on tumor progression and prognosis.Methods:Transcriptome data of breast cancer tissue and normal breast tissue adjacent to cancer as well as clinical data of patients were obtained from the cancer genome atlas (TCGA) database, gene expression comprehensive database and European genome phenotype archives database, and the difference of EZH2 expression was analyzed using TIMER 2.0 platform. The survival information of breast cancer patients was obtained from the Kaplan Meier Plotter database, and the overall survival time, relapse free survival time and distant metastasis free survival time of breast cancer patients with low EZH2 expression and high EZH2 expression were compared. Select 14 nude mice were selected and randomly divided into si-EZH2 group and control group, with 7 mice in each group.MCF7 culture suspensions transfected with EZH2 knockdown plasmid and control plasmid were inoculated for corresponding group. The body mass and tumor volume of two groups of nude mice inoculated with MCF7 cells were compared at different times. On the 28th day, the nude mice were euthanized and the tumors were dissected to compare the tumor mass of the two groups of nude mice. The normally distributed quantitative data was represented by xˉ ± s. Two independent sample t-tests were used for comparison between two groups, repeated measures ANOVA was used for comparison of body mass and tumor volume between two groups of nude mice at different times, and Bonferroni test was used for pairwise comparison. The comparison of survival rates was conducted using log rank test. Results:A total of 1085 breast cancer tissues and 291 normal adjacent breast tissues were included in the TCGA database. EZH2 expression in breast cancer tissues was higher than that in normal adjacent breast tissues ( P<0.05). In the Kaplan Meier Plotter database, the total survival time, relapse free survival time, and distant metastasis free survival time of breast cancer patients in the EZH2 overexpression group were shorter than those in the EZH2 low expression group ( P=0.013, <0.001, <0.001). After 7 days of inoculation with MCF7 culture suspension, significant subcutaneous tumors were observed on the left back of both groups of nude mice. On the first day, there were no statistically significant difference in body mass between the two groups of nude mice ( P>0.05); On day 7, 13, 19, 25, and 28, the body mass and tumor volume of both groups of nude mice gradually increased (nude mouse body mass: within group F=29.31, P<0.001, between groups F=234.32, P<0.001, Finteraction=16.83, P<0.001; Tumor volume: within group F=34.00, P<0.001, between groups F=193.17, P<0.001, Finteraction=35.61, P<0.001). And the body mass of the siEZH2 group nude mice was higher than that of control group (all P<0.05). On days 19, 25, and 28, tumor the volume of the siEZH2 group nude mice was smaller than that of control group (all P<0.05). On the 28th day, the mass of tumors dissected in the siEZH2 group of nude mice was lower than that in the control group [(0.30±0.07) g vs. (0.61±0.14) g, t=5.16, P<0.001]。 Conclusions:EZH2 is highly expressed in breast cancer tissues and is significantly associated with poor prognosis. Knockdown of EZH2 can significantly inhibit the proliferation and tumor formation of breast cancer cells.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical value of high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) viral load for the cervical cancer screening and triage of high-risk HPV positive populations without additional tests.Methods:(1) This study conducted a retrospective analysis of 29 720 women aged 35-64 years who received cervical cancer screening in Quanzhou, China, in 2021. Fourteen high-risk HPV types (including HPV 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59, 66, and 68) were detected for cervical cancer primary screening using hybrid capture-chemiluminescence method. High-risk HPV positive samples were further subjected to HPV 16/18 genotyping using hybrid capture-chemiluminescence method. Among them, HPV 16/18 positive women were directly referred to colposcopy, while the other 12 high-risk HPV positive samples were further subjected to liquid based cytology test. Those with abnormal or suspicious cytology were referred to colposcopy. Biopsies were taken for histopathological examination of suspicious or abnormal individuals under colposcopy. (2) Ten cases of colposcopy loss or refusal to undergo examination were excluded, and the data from the 29 710 cases were analyzed. The HPV viral loads of the other 12 high-risk HPV positive populations were focused and evaluated their HPV viral loads for further cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) Ⅱ and above lesions (CINⅡ +) triage in cervical cancer screening. Results:(1) Among 29 720 women, 2 487 women (8.37%, 2 487/29 720) were positive for high-risk HPV, including 807 women (2.72%, 807/29 720) were positive for HPV 16/18 and 1 680 patients (5.65%, 1 680/29 720) were positive for the other 12 high-risk HPV types. Among 1 680 women who tested positive for the other 12 high-risk HPV types, 573 patients were atypical squamous cell carcinoma of unclear significance or above, 346 patients were CIN Ⅰ, 122 patients were CIN Ⅱ-Ⅲ, 9 patients were squamous cell carcinoma patients, and 4 patients were adenocarcinoma in situ. The immediate risk of CIN Ⅱ + in HPV 16/18 positive women (11.13%) was approximately four times higher than that of other 12 high-risk HPV positive women (2.74%). (2) Through the viral load analysis of the other 12 high-risk HPV types, we found that the viral load of the other 12 high-risk HPV provide a good value for the pathological results, with a clinical cutoff (CO) value of 11.21 relative light unit/CO (RLU/CO) for the CINⅡ + detection. Except for HPV 16/18 positive patients, when the viral load values of the other 12 high-risk HPV types were greater than 10 RLU/CO, these patients had a higher risk of CINⅡ +, with a positive predictive value of 31.29%. CINⅡ + was not found in any of the other 12 high-risk HPV positive with viral load values less than or equal to 10 RLU/CO. Conclusions:Using hybrid capture-chemiluminescence HPV tests for HPV 16/18 genotyping, combined with the viral loads (>10 RLU/CO) of the other 12 high-risk HPV analysis, one could triage HPV positive population without additional tests. Such triage strategy could promote the coverage of cervical cancer screening, particularly where cytology pathologists or economic resources are limited.

Objective To explore the experiences of children with Crohn's disease and their parents regarding the exclusion diet,and to provide a basis for formulating personalized dietary guidance programs.Methods A total of 12 children with Crohn's disease and their parents,hospitalized in the Department of Gastroenterology at a tertiary children's hospital in Guangzhou from June to December 2023,were selected as research subjects using objective sampling.Semi-structured interviews were conducted,and the data were analyzed and refined using Colaizzi's seven-step analysis method.Results Totally 3 themes and 14 sub-themes were extracted.①Lack of cognition and trust in Crohn's disease exclusion diet(unfamiliarity with the contents of the diet,misunderstanding of the diet's preparation,inadequate response to daily exclusion diet practices,parents' distrust in the exclusion diet).②The practical challenges of the Crohn's disease exclusion diet(the challenge of personal dietary preferences,the challenge of family meal preparation,the challenge of school feeding,food intolerance,feelings of monotony and weariness following the exclusion diet).③Innovations in practicing the Crohn's disease exclusion diet(managing taste fatigue,managing visual fatigue,innovative cooking methods,prioritizing exclusive enteral nutrition followed by the exclusion diet,overcoming the desire for universal food).Conclusion Children with Crohn's disease and their parents exhibit insufficient cognition and trust in the exclusion diet and face various challenges in practice.Clinical medical staff should adopt personalized coping strategies tailored to the specific circumstances of each child.

BACKGROUND:The blood-brain barrier is an important structure that protects the central nervous system,and the study of the effects of high glucose on the blood-brain barrier is important for the prevention of high glucose-induced damage to the central nervous system.OBJECTIVE:To investigate the potential effect of high glucose on the blood-brain barrier function of hCMEC/D3 human brain microvascular endothelial cells.METHODS:hCMEC/D3 cells were cultured in regular sugar medium(glucose concentration of 25 mmol/L)and high-sugar medium(glucose concentration of 55 mmol/L).The morphology of cells in each group was observed by light microscopy.CCK-8 assay was used to detect changes in cell viability.A monolayer blood-brain barrier model was established using hCMEC/D3 cell line with Transwell chamber device.Changes in cell transmembrane resistance were monitored daily.The permeability of cell monolayers was detected by phenol red permeability.Flow cytometry was used to detect the apoptosis rate of the cells.Western blot assay was used to detect the expression of Bcl-2,Bax,Caspase-3,ZO-1,Occludin,Claudin-1,and histone deacetylase 4.The levels of histone deacetylase in cell supernatant were detected by ELISA.The expression of histone deacetylase 4 in cells was detected by immunofluorescence.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The cell viability of high sugar group was significantly lower than that of control group(P＜0.000 1).(2)The cells of the control group were in a good growth state,interwoven into a dense mesh,with interconnections between synapses.The cell growth of high glucose group was suppressed,and the connection of inter-cellular synapses was reduced.(3)Compared with the control group,the transmembrane resistance value of the high glucose group was reduced(P＜0.05);phenol-red permeability of the monolayer cell membrane was increased(P＜0.05);cell apoptosis rate was increased(P＜0.01);the expression of Bax protein was increased(P＜0.000 1);the expression of Caspase-3 protein had no significant change(P＞0.05);the expression of Bcl-2,ZO-1,Occludin,Claudin-1,and histone deacetylase 4 proteins was decreased(P＜0.01,P＜0.001,P＜0.01,P＜0.000 1,P＜0.01);the fluorescence expression of histone deacetylase 4 was decreased(P＜0.001)in the high glucose group.(4)The level of histone deacetylase 4 in the cell supernatant of the high glucose group was lower than that of the control group(P＜0.05).The results show that high glucose induces the increased apoptosis and enhances permeability of hCEMCE/D3 cells,and its mechanism may be related to the decreased expression level of histone deacetylase 4.

Objective:To detect the levels of sex hormones and insulin in follicular fluid(FF)and the expression level of phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome ten(PTEN)in granulosa cells in the infertile patients with polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS),and to preliminarily explain the correlations between the insulin level and the expression level of PTEN mRNA.Methods:Seventy infertile patients were selected as the subjects and divided into PCOS group and control group(tubal obstruction or infertility due to male factors)according to infertility factors.All patients received in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer(IVF-ET)treatment.FF and ovarian granulosa cells were collected on the day of ovulation.The expression levels of PTEN mRNA in ovarian granulosa cells of the patients in two groups were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR(RT-qPCR)method.The levels of sex hormone and insulin in FF were measured by electrochemiluminescence.The correlations of the PTEN mRNA expression level in ovarian granulosa cells and testosterone(T)in FF with the level of insulin in FF were analyzed by Spearman correlation analysis method.Results:There were no significant differences in age,infertility years,body mass index(BMI),basic sex hormone,total dose of gonadotropin(Gn)and days of ovulation induction in two groups(P＞0.05).Compared with control group,the anti-Mullerian hormone(AMH)and antral follicle counting(AFC)of the patients in PCOS group were significantly increased(P＜0.05).The RT-qPCR results showed that the PTEN mRNA expression level in ovarian granulosa cells of the patients in the PCOS group was higher than that in control group(P＜0.001).The electrochemiluminescence results showed that the levels of T and insulin in FF of the patients in PCOS group were higher than those in control group(P＜0.05),whereas the estrogen and progesterone levels were lower than those in control group(P＜0.05).The Spearman correlation analysis showed that that T level in FF was positively correlated with the insulin level of the patients in PCOS group(r=0.577,P＜0.001),and the PTEN mRNA expression level in ovarian granulosa cells was positively correlated with the insulin levels in FF(r=0.616,P＜0.001);in control group,there was no correlation between T level and insulin level in FF(r=0.266,P=0.123),and there was no correlation between the expression level of PTEN mRNA in granulosa cells and the insulin level in FF in control group(r=-0.214,P=0.216).Conclusion:The high expression of PTEN in granulosa cells of the infertile patients with PCOS may be related to the local hyperinsulin level in the ovary,and PTEN participates in the occurrence and development of PCOS.

Objective To explore the genes related to the pathogenesis of polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS)through bioinformatics methods and verify them in ovarian granulosa cells,providing a reference for screening potential molecular markers of PCOS.Methods The GSE34526 and GSE137684 datasets were re-spectively used as the training set and validation set.The inflammation-related genes potentially associated with the onset of PCOS were explored through differential expression analysis and weighted gene co-expres-sion network analysis.Subsequently,their predictive value was verified through the receiver operating charac-teristic(ROC)curve.Thirty patients with PCOS(the PCOS group)and 27 patients without PCOS(the con-trol group)who were treated in Affiliated Hospital of Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities were se-lected as the research objects.RT-qPCR was applied to verify the expression level of core genes in granular cells.Spearman correlation and multiple linear regression were used to analyze the correlation between the ex-pression level of core genes and various clinical parameters,and the ROC curve was used to analyze the diag-nostic efficacy of the expression level of core genes for PCOS.Finally,the protein expression level of core genes was verified on animal models.Results A total of 1 888 differentially expressed genes,89 module-relat-ed genes and 366 inflammatory response-related genes were identified.The core gene phosphatidylinositol-4,5-diphosphate 3-kinase catalytic subunit γ(PIK3CG)was ultimately obtained by taking co-expressed genes and verifying with the ROC curve.RT-qPCR results showed that the expression level of PIK3CG in granulosa cells of the PCOS group was higher than that of the control group(P<0.05).Spearman correlation analysis showed that the expression level of PIK3CG was positively correlated with BMI,testosterone(T),fasting in-sulin(FINS),and insulin resistance index(HOMA-IR,P<0.05).Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that FINS,HOMA-IR and BMI were increased with the increasing of PIK3CG expression level(P<0.05).ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve for diagnosing PCOS patients with PIK3CG mRNA expression levels in granulosa cells was 0.659 3.The immunohistochemical results showed that the ex-pression of PIK3CG protein in the ovarian tissues of mice in the PCOS group was significantly increased.Con-clusion PIK3CG may be potentially associated with the pathogenesis of PCOS.