OBJECTIVES: Sepsis-associated acute lung injury (S-ALI) is one of the major causes of death in intensive care unit (ICU) patients, yet its mechanisms remain incompletely understood and effective therapies are lacking. Lytic cell death of macrophages is a key driver of the inflammatory cascade in S-ALI. PANoptosis, a newly recognized form of lytic cell death characterized by PANoptosome assembly and activation, involves plasma membrane rupture (PMR) mediated by ninjurin-1 (NINJ1), a recently identified pore-forming protein. Itaconic acid is known for its anti-inflammatory effects, but its role in macrophage PANoptosis during S-ALI is unclear. This study aims to investigate the protective effect of itaconic acid on macrophage PANoptosis in S-ALI to provide new therapeutic insights. METHODS: Male specific-pathogen-free C57BL/6J mice (6-8 weeks, 18-20 g) received intraperitoneal lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to establish a classical S-ALI model. Western blotting was used to assess PANoptosome-related proteins and enzymes involved in the itaconic acid metabolic pathway, while real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and metabolomics quantified itaconic acid levels. Primary peritoneal macrophages (PMs) were pretreated with the itaconate derivative 4-octyl itaconate (4-OI) and then exposed to tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) plus interferon gamma (IFN-γ) to induce PANoptosis. Cell viability was evaluated by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. Western blotting was employed to quantify enzymes of the itaconate-metabolic pathway in PANoptotic macrophages, to evaluate the impact of 4-OI on PANoptosome-associated proteins, and to determine NINJ1 abundance in lung tissues from S-ALI mice and in PANoptotic macrophages. Fluorescent dye FM_4-64 was used to visualize 4-OI-mediated changes in PMR, whereas immunofluorescence staining mapped the effect of 4-OI on both the expression level and membrane localization of NINJ1 in PANoptotic macrophages. The effect of 4-OI on lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release in culture supernatants and peripheal blood serum was assessed using a LDH assay kit, and non-denataring polyacylamide gel electrophoresis was used to assess the expression of NINJ1 in S-ALI mouse lung tissues and the impact of 4-OI on the expression of PANoptosis-associated NINJ1 multimeric reflected protein in macropahges. RESULTS: In S-ALI mouse lungs, PANoptosome components [NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3 (NLRP3), Gasdermin D (GSDMD), Caspase-1, Z-DNA binding protein (ZBP1), and Caspase-3] and phosphorylated mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein (MLKL) S345 were significantly upregulated (all P<0.05), while metabolomics showed compensatory increases in itaconic acid and its key enzymes [aconitate decarboxylase 1 (ACOD1)/immunoresponsive gene 1 (IRG1)]. In macrophages, 4-OI obviously suppressed PANoptosome protein expression, reduced LDH release, restored plasma membrane integrity, and inhibited NINJ1 expression and oligomerization at the membrane (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Itaconic acid may alleviate macrophage PANoptosis in S-ALI by inhibiting NINJ1-mediated plasma membrane rupture. Targeting NINJ1 or enhancing itaconate pathways may offer a novel therapeutic strategy for S-ALI.
Animals ; Acute Lung Injury/pathology* ; Succinates/pharmacology* ; Sepsis/complications* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Male ; Mice ; Macrophages/pathology* ; Cell Membrane/metabolism* ; Lipopolysaccharides ; Hydro-Lyases

Objective: To evaluate the value of cerebrospinal fluid markers expecially total-tau protein (T-tau), phosphorylated-tau protein (P-tau) in diagnosis and differentiation of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD). Methods: sCJD (according to 2009 Brain criteria, 2018 Neurology amended criteria), Alzheimer's disease (AD; the National Institute on Aging at National Institutes of Health and the Alzheimer's Association revised guidelines 2011 criteria) and other patients without cognitive impairment, matched for sex and age, in the Department of Neurology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital from 2018 to 2019 were enrolled. Twelve sCJD patients, 49 AD patients and 14 normal controls were enrolled. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens were collected through gravity dropping directly, and further stored in -80 ℃ and disposed according to widely used standards. The levels of T-tau and P-tau were measured by ELISA. The data on electroencephalogram and neuroimaging findings of sCJD patients were recorded. Moreover, specimens of sCJD patients were sent to the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention to test 14-3-3 protein and PRNP genotype. Results: Using Mann-Whitney U test, T-tau concentrations were found higher in patients with sCJD (1 211(448, 2 227) pg/ml) than in AD patients (549(314, 1 078) pg/ml; U=178, P=0.034 9), and both groups had higher T-tau than the control group (127(79, 192) pg/ml; U=20, 73, P<0.01). The level of P-tau was significantly increased in AD patients (72(58,109) pg/ml) compared to the control group (27(15, 42) pg/ml; U=82, P<0.01), but not in sCJD patients (32(24, 47) pg/ml). The T-tau/P-tau ratio was higher in sCJD patients (29.77(20.01, 54.53)) than in AD patients (7.45(4.79, 10.43); U=87, P<0.01). Twelve sCJD patients had cotical hyperintensity on diffusion weighted imaging and five had periodic three-phase waves on electroencephalogram. Nine sCJD patients, whose CSF samples were tested in the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, carried an M/M genotype at codon 129 and E/E at codon 219. Conclusion The CSF tau level and T-tau/P-tau ratio are significantly increased in sCJD, which may promote the diagnosis and differentiation of sCJD in routine clinical setting.

BACKGROUND:The cultivation of mammary gland stem cel s is of great significance for the development of mammary gland and breast cancer.
OBJECTIVE:To seek an easy method to isolate and culture mammary gland stem cel in vitro, and verify the safety of cel s.
METHODS:Mammary epithelial cel s were isolated from normal tissues surrounding breast cancer, and CD49f-and EPCAM-positive cel s were sorted using flow cytometry fol owed by surface marker analysis and cel colony formation ability analysis. Afterwards, real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR was used to detect C-erbB-2 and Maspin mRNA expression in mammary gland stem cel s, breast cancer tissues and normal tissues surrounding breast cancer.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Human mammary gland stem cel s were successful y cultured and highly expressed CD49f and EPCAM, with the presence of mixed colony, pleural epithelial cel colony, and myoepithelial cel colony. c-erbB-2 was lowly expressed while Maspin highly expressed in mammary gland stem cel s. Our experimental findings indicate that the mammary gland stem cel s derived from normal tissue surrounding breast cancer have biological safety.

Objective To evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of fiberoptic ductoscope versus galactography for nipple discharge. Methods Literatures on comparing the diagnostic value of galactography with fiberoptic ductoseope (FDS) on the nipple discharge were searched from the Cochrane library, Evidence based medicine (EBM ),PubMed,China Vip database, and 8 studies were intaked. Then the data was analyzed by software Metadisc1.4 and Review Manager5.1. Results There are 1170 patients in the 8 studies. The pooled estimates for sensitivity of FDS and galactography was 82%, 78%, and the pooled estimates for specificity was 51%, 50%, respectively. The weighted AUC (area under curve) was 0.776, 0.705, Q*values was 0.715, 0.657, respectively. The sensitivities and specificity of the 2 methods were not significantly different. The overall diagnostic efficacy of FDS was better than that of galactography. Conclusion FDS is better than galaetography in the diagnostic value of nipple discharge.

Objective To investigate the expression of SOX2 in gastric carcinoma and to analyze its relationship with clinicopathological features.Methods Immunohistochemistry method was used to detect the level of SOX2 in 67 cases of gastric carcinoma group and 30 cases of normal gastric mucosa group.Results The positive expression rate of SOX2 in gastric carcinoma group (52.24 ％) was obviously lower than that in normal gastric mucosa group (93.33 ％) (x2 =16.326,P ＜ 0.01).The SOX2 expression was significantly correlated with differentiation,the depth of invasion,lymph node metastasis and TNM stage of the tumor (all P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions The low expression of SOX2 may contribute to the early carcinogenesis of gastric carcinoma,and the expression level of SOX2 is closely related with lymph node metastasis and TNM stage.The expression level of SOX2 is a useful marker for predicting the prognosis of gastric carcinoma.

Objective To observe the effects of Chlamys farreri skirt glycosaminoglycan(SS-GAG) on the expressions of c-myc and TNF-? genes so as to explore the anti-atherosclerosis(AS) mechanism of SS-GAG.Methods The cell proliferation model of vascular smooth muscle cells(VSMC) was established by basic fibroblast growth factor(bFGF) induction.In Situ hybridization marked by non-isotope was applied to determine the effects of SS-GAG on the mRNA levels of c-myc and TNF in proliferative VSMC.Results The mRNA levels of c-myc and TNF in low dose group and high group of SS-GAG were obviously lower than that of model group(P