OBJECTIVES: To investigate the therapeutic mechanism of 2,6-dimethoxy-1,4-benzoquinone (DMQ) for alleviating dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced ulcerative colitis (UC) in mice. METHODS: Eighteen male C57BL/6J mice were equally randomized into control group, DSS group and DMQ treatment group. In DSS and DMQ groups, the mice were treated with DSS in drinking water to induce UC, and received intraperitoneal injections of sterile PBS or DMQ (20 mg/kg) during modeling. The changes in body weight, disease activity index (DAI), colon length, spleen weight, and colon histological scores of the mice were examined, and the percentages of Th17 and IFN-γ⁺ CD8⁺ T cells in the mesenteric lymph nodes and spleen were analyzed using flow cytometry. The expressions of tight junction proteins (Occludin and ZO-1), proteins associated with inflammasome activation (caspase-1 and p20), IL-1β and TNF-α in the colon tissues were detected using Western blotting or ELISA. In the cell experiment, mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) primed with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were treated with DMQ, followed by stmulation with nigericin to activate the classical NLRP3 inflammasome pathway. In cultured human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) treated with either LPS alone or LPS plus nigericin, the effects of DMQ on inflammasome activation, pyroptosis, and cytokine release were evaluated via Western blotting, ELISA, and flow cytometry. RESULTS: In DSS-treated mice, DMQ treatment significantly alleviated DSS-induced body weight loss, colon shortening, spleen enlargement, and colon inflammation. The DMQ-treated mice showed significantly reduced percentages of Th17 cells and IFN-γ⁺ CD8⁺ T cells in the mesenteric lymph nodes and spleen, with increased occludin and ZO-1 expressions and decreased caspase-1 expression in the colon tissue. DMQ obviously inhibited classical NLRP3 inflammasome activation in mouse BMDMs and both the classical and alternative pathways of NLRP3 activation in human PBMCs, causing also suppression of caspase-1-dependent pyroptosis. CONCLUSIONS DMQ ameliorates DSS-induced UC in mice by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation.
Animals ; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein/metabolism* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Colitis, Ulcerative/metabolism* ; Dextran Sulfate/adverse effects* ; Male ; Inflammasomes/metabolism* ; Mice ; Benzoquinones/therapeutic use* ; Th17 Cells ; Caspase 1/metabolism*

Objective To investigate the value of integrin subunit αM(ITGAM)and integrin subunit β2(ITGB2)levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMC)in the diagnosis and prognosis evaluation for patients with severe acute pancreatitis(SAP)complicated with acute lung injury(ALI).Methods A total of 205 patients with SAP admitted from November 2022 to February 2024 in the hospital were selected,and they were divided into ALI group(103 cases)and non-ALI group(102 cases)according to whether they were com-plicated with ALI.Meanwhile,110 healthy people who underwent the physical examination were selected as the control group.The differences of the levels of ITGAM and ITGB2 in PBMC in different groups were com-pared.Logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors for ALI in patients with SAP.The re-ceiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to analyze the diagnostic value of levels of ITGAM and ITGB2 in PBMC for SAP patients complicated with ALI and the predictive value for poor prognosis.Results The levels of ITGAM,ITGB2 in PBMC,and serum amylase and urine amylase levels in ALI group were higher than those in non-ALI group and control group(P＜0.05).Multivariate Logistic regression anal-ysis showed that the increase of ITGAM,ITGB2 and serum amylase levels were risk factors for ALI in pa-tients with SAP(P＜0.05).ROC curve results showed that the area under the curve(AUC)of ITGAM com-bined with ITGB2 in diagnosing ALI in patients with SAP was significantly higher than those of ITGAM and ITGB2 alone(P＜0.05).The levels of ITGAM and ITGB2 in PBMC in the poor prognosis group were higher than those in the good prognosis group(P＜0.05).ROC curve results showed that the AUC of ITGAM com-bined with ITGB2 in predicting poor prognosis in patients with SAP complicated with ALI was significantly higher than those of ITGAM and ITGB2 alone(P＜0.05).Conclusion Increased levels of ITGAM and IT-GB2 in PBMC are risk factors for ALI in patients with SAP.ITGAM combined with ITGB2 has a good predic-tive efficacy for the poor prognosis in patients with SAP complicated with ALI,which has important value in clinical practice and is expected to become potential biomarkers.

Objective:This study investigated the awareness and consumption of Trogia venenata among populations in regions affected by Yunnan unexplained sudden death (YUSD). The findings aim to support etiological research on YUSD and contribute to the formulation of preventive measures against Trogia venenata poisoning. Methods:This study was a case-control study. From 2018 to 2021, surveys were conducted in 90 villages across 25 counties within YUSD-affected areas in Yunnan Province. Households with YUSD cases were designated as case households, whereas households without YUSD cases served as controls, ande were selected through convenience sampling at a 3:1 ratio. An enhanced questionnaire was designed to collect information on the consumption of Trogia venenata, and symptoms following consumption. Frequency data were presented as percentages, and group comparisons were conducted using χ 2 tests or Fisher’s exact tests. Results:A total of 711 questionnaires were collected (response rate: 100%), comprising 175 case households and 536 control households. Trogia venenata was present in 80.82% of the villages surveyed. Among the 711 households, 15.89% reported consuming Trogia venenata, primarily through stir-frying (53.10%), followed by boiling (29.20%), boiling and stir-frying (15.93%), and steaming (1.77%). Most households (94.69%) consumed fresh fruiting bodies, with 69.02% consuming them fewer than three times annually. The consumption rates were higher among the case households than among the control households. Of the 113 households with a history of Trogia venenata consumption, 35.40% reported symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and limb soreness. The proportions of affected families in each group were compared according to their source, cooking method, fruiting body status and consumption frequency. The proportion of affected families with high consumption frequency (≥3 times/year) was higher than that with low consumption frequency (<3 times/year). Among 421 YUSD cases, 63 cases (14.96%) had a history of Trogia venenata consumption before death, with 43 cases showing symptoms within the longest known latency period (14 d) for poisoning by this mushroom. Conclusions:Trogia venenata is prevalent in 80.82% of YUSD-affected regions, with 16.67% of the population reporting its consumption, predominantly as fresh fruiting bodies prepared by stir-frying or boiling. Confirmed Trogia venenata consumption was identified in 14.96% of YUSD cases, suggesting that mushroom poisoning is a significant risk factor for YUSD. Ongoing health education and interventions are critical for mitigating the risk of Trogia venenata poisoning.

Objective To explore the factors associated with respiratory syncytial virus(RSV)infection in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(AECOPD)and its correlation with serum levels of heat shock protein 70(HSP70),Krüppel-like factor 5(KLF5),and macrophage inflammatory protein-2(MIP-2).Methods A total of 195 AECOPD patients were prospectively enrolled and categorized into an RSV-infected group(n=95)and an uninfected group(n=100)based on RSV infection status.The infected group was further subdivided by disease severity into mild,moderate,and severe subgroups(31 cases,35 cases,29 cases),and by prognosis into poor prognosis(n=51)and good prognosis subgroups(n=44).ELISA method was used to measure the serum levels of HSP70,KLF5,and MIP-2 in each group,and their correlation with relevant clinical indicators was analyzed.Multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to explore risk factors for RSV infection in AECOPD patients.Relative risk analysis was used to explore the impact of high and low levels of HSP70,KLF5,and MIP-2 on the prognosis of AECOPD patients with RSV infection.Kaplan-Meier survival curves analyzed patient survival outcomes.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves were plotted to analyze the predictive value of serum HSP70,KLF5,and MIP-2 levels for the prognosis of AECOPD patients with RSV infection.Results The infected group had significantly higher proportions of respiratory failure,higher number of exacerbations within one year,and higher levels of CRP,HSP70,KLF5,and MIP-2 compared to the non-infected group(P<0.05),while FEV1%pred were significantly lower(P<0.05).Serum HSP70,KLF5,MIP-2 levels were positively correlated with respiratory failure,number of exacerbations within one year,and CRP levels(P<0.05),and negatively correlated with FEV1%pred(P<0.05).Multivariate Cox regression identified respiratory failure,number of AECOPD exacerbations within one year≥3 times,low FEV1%pred,and high levels of CRP,HSP70,KLF5,and MIP-2 as independent risk factors for RSV infection in AECOPD patients(P<0.05).As the condition worsens,the levels of serum HSP70,KLF5,and MIP-2 gradually increase(P<0.05).The poor prognosis subgroup had prominently higher serum levels than the good prognosis subgroup(P<0.05).Patients with high levels of HSP70,KLF5,and MIP-2 have a greater risk of poor prognosis and a lower 28-day progression-free survival rate(P<0.05).The areas under the ROC curve(AUC)predicted by the combination of the three indicators was significantly better than that predicted by a single indicator(P=0.015).Conclusion Respiratory failure,the number of AECOPD exacerbations within one year≥3 times,low FEV1%pred,high CRP level,and high serum levels of HSP70,KLF5,and MIP-2 are risk factors for RSV infection in AECOPD patients.Serum levels of HSP70,KLF5,MIP-2 are closely related to disease severity and prognosis in AECOPD patients with RSV infection.The combined detection of the three biomarkers has significant predictive value for patient prognosis,which is helpful for early clinical assessment and the formulation of intervention strategies.

Objective:To analyze the clinical features of postpartum hepatitis flares in pregnant women with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted. Patients who met the enrollment criteria were included. Liver function and HBV virology tests were collected from pregnant women with chronic HBV infection at delivery, 6, 24, 36, and 48 weeks after delivery through the hospital information and test system. Additionally, antiviral therapy types and drug withdrawal times were collected. Statistical analysis was performed on all the resulting data.Results:A total of 533 pregnant women who met the inclusion criteria were included, with all patients aged (29.5±3.7) years old. A total of 408 cases received antiviral drugs during pregnancy to interrupt mother-to-child transmission. There was no significant difference in the levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT, z ?=?-1.981, P ?=?0.048), aspartate aminotransferase (AST, z ?=?-3.956, P ?

Objective:To investigate the changes in liver injury and oxidative-antioxidant level in mice exposed to X-rays at varying doses.Methods:Fifty-four 8-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were divided into three groups, namely the control, 2 Gy irradiation, and 4 Gy irradiation groups. Then, each of the groups was further divided by days post-irradiation (i.e., 1, 3, and 7 d), and so nine sub-groups ( n = 6). After irradiation was performed as planned, all the mice were dissected and weighed, and their liver indexes were calculated to determine any histopathological changes in the liver. The peripheral blood cell count and the levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were detected. Furthermore, spectrophotometry was also used to determine the superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, the malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration, and the reduced glutathione (GSH) concentration in liver tissues. Results:Compared to the control group, mice undergoing irradiation exhibited a significant reduction in body weight ( F = 84.03, 27.11, 25.50, P < 0.001), but significantly increased liver indexes ( F = 28.40, 17.75, P <0.001) at 1, 3, and 7 d post-irradiation. Pathological observations of these mice revealed liver injury, which proved related to dose and time course. The counts of leukocytes, neutrophils, and lymphocytes in peripheral blood decreased significantly ( F = 8.42-22.91, P < 0.05), trending downward with an increase in the radiation dose. For mice in the 4 Gy irradiation group, their AST and ALT levels increased significantly at 1 d post-irradiation ( H = 7.24, 7.82, P < 0.05), and their ALP levels rose notably at 1 and 3 d post-irradiation ( F = 11.86, 9.75, P < 0.05). Furthermore, their MDA and SOD levels initially rose and then dropped but their GSH levels exhibited an opposite trend at 1, 3, and 7 d post-irradiation. There was a positive correlation between their MDA levels in the liver and the degree of damage to histopathological lesions at 1, 3, and 7 d post-irradiation ( r = 0.30, P < 0.001). Conclusions:A model for radiation-induced liver injury of mice was preliminarily established in this study. It can be concluded that X-rays at varying doses affect the severity of liver injury, pathological grade, peripheral blood cell count, liver function index, and liver oxidative and antioxidant levels of mice, presenting a certain relationship between dose and time course effects.

Objective:To translate the perceived stressors in intensive care units Scale into Chinese version,and to validate its validity and reliability and in intensive healthcare professionals.Methods:The Perceived Stressors in Intensive Care Units Scale was translated according to the Brislin translation model.After cultural adjustment,495 ICU healthcare professionals were selected to evaluate the validity and reliability of the scale,and univariate analysis was conducted on the scores of the Scale with different characteristics.Results:The Chinese version of the scale re-tained 40 items,and 6 common factors were extracted after exploratory factor analysis.The cumulative variance contribution rate reached 58.21％.Confirmatory factor analysis showed a basic fit of the model(x2/df=2.85,CFI=0.93,TLI=0.93,RMSEA=0.09).The total Cronbach coefficient of the scale was 0.940 and the split-half relia-bility was 0.87.The retest reliability after 2 weeks was 0.92.The item-level content validity index of the Chinese version of The Perceived Stressors in Intensive Care Units Scale was 0.83～1.00,the scale-level content validity index was 0.93,and the average content validity was 0.98.Comparison of the total scores of scale among ICU healthcare professionals with different occupations,professional titles,marital status and working years showed sta-tistically significant differences(P＜0.05).Conclusion:The Chinese version of the Perceived Stressors in Intensive Care Units Scale is proved to be a good instrument with acceptable validity and reliability.

Sedentary bad habits and unhealthy diets in modern lifestyles have led to an upward trend in the incidence of obesity, and a series of diseases related to obesity have also gradually received attention. Multiple sclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system, and obesity has a common inflammatory component with most chronic diseases. Therefore, this paper reviews the research progress on the relationship between obesity and multiple sclerosis in order to better understand the role of obesity in the management of multiple sclerosis.

Background The thyroid gland is one of the organs sensitive to ionizing radiation, and there are few studies on the effects of long-term exposure to low doses of ionizing radiation on the thyroid gland of radiation workers. Objective To investigate thyroid abnormalities in workers in medical radiology departments in Guangdong Province and to identify potential influencing factors of thyroid abnormalities. Methods A total of 1657 radiation workers from 48 hospitals in Guangdong Province were selected as survey subjects using convenience sampling, and their personal dose monitoring results and health examination information were retrospectively analyzed to determine the factors affecting thyroid abnormalities. Results The M (P₂₅, P₇₅) of thyroid absorbed dose (D_T) was 1.55 (0.65, 3.96) mGy in the 1657 investigated workers. The attribute-specific medians of D_T were 1.29, 1.38, 1.99, and 3.51 mGy for departments of diagnostic radiology, interventional radiology, radiotherapy, and nuclear medicine, respectively; and 1.10, 1.55, and 1.80 mGy for job titles of nurse, technician, and physician, respectively. Differences in D_T by gender, age, years of radiological work, age of radiation exposure onset, occupational category, and job title were statistically significant (Z=−6.35, H=708.52, 918.20, 31.19, 95.64, 39.28, P<0.05). The positive rate of thyroid abnormalities in investigated workers was 46.53% (771/1657). Among them, the positive rate of abnormal thyroid function was 22.87% (379/1657), that of abnormal thyroid morphology was 33.98% (563/1657), and that of thyroid nodule was 26.55% (440/1657). The differences in thyroid abnormality rates by gender, age, years of radiation work, age of radiation exposure onset, D_T, and job title of radiation workers were statistically significant (χ²=51.89, 49.64, 20.54, 18.29, 12.07, 16.16, P<0.05). The differences in abnormal thyroid function positive rate by gender, age of radiation exposure onset, and job title were statistically significant (χ²=26.21, 6.21, 8.32, P<0.05). The differences in the positive rates of abnormal thyroid morphology and nodules were statistically significant by gender, age, years of radiological work, age of radiation exposure onset, D_T, and job title (abnormal thyroid morphology, χ²=40.24, 64.17, 37.63, 15.17, 19.28, 15.05; nodules, χ²=31.41, 77.98, 42.11, 19.16, 21.70, 13.52, P<0.05). The positive rates of thyroid abnormality, thyroid morphology abnormality, and nodules all showed a linear increasing trend with increasing age, years of radiation work, and age of radiation exposure onset (P<0.05). The results of logistic regression analysis indicated that the factors influencing thyroid abnormalities were female (OR=2.17, 95%CI: 1.72-2.74), increased years of radiological work (OR=1.04, 95%CI: 1.03-1.06), onset of radiation exposure in age groups of 30-34 and ≥35 years (OR=1.63, 95%CI: 1.12-2.37; OR=2.58, 95%CI: 1.74-3.29), and working in department of diagnostic radiology (OR=1.40, 95%CI: 1.07-1.84). Conclusion Long-term exposure to low doses of ionizing radiation has an effect on thyroid abnormalities in medical radiation workers. Among them, being female, physicians, and working in department of diagnostic radiology are at a higher risk of abnormal thyroid function; being female, increased years of radiation work, and radiation exposure onset at age ≥30 years are associated with a higher risk of reporting abnormal thyroid morphology.

Objective:To evaluate the effect of comprehensive intervention measures on Yunnan unexplained sudden death (YUSD) in Dali Prefecture, Yunnan Province, and to provide scientific basis for improving the prevention and control measures.Methods:Since 2010, Yunnan Province had implemented comprehensive intervention measures in ward areas according to the etiological pattern of YUSD. In July 2019, 47 families with YUSD were selected as case families and 23 families without YUSD were selected as control families in 31 natural villages of Heqing, Xiangyun, Yunlong, Eryuan, Jianchuan, Binchuan and Nanjian counties of Dali Prefecture. A unified questionnaire was used to investigate the basic information, economic status, dietary structure, and health literacy of the families during the two periods of "the first sudden death case" and "the present".Results:The annual household income of the case families at present (median, 20 492.6 yuan) was significantly higher than that of the first sudden death case (3 883.4 yuan), and the difference was statistically significant ( Z = - 5.27, P < 0.001). At present, rice (76.6%, 36/47) was the main diet of the case families; at the time of the first sudden death case, 23.4% (11/47) of the case families could not eat enough, and there was no such situation in the case families at present. Compared with the time of the first sudden death case, the dietary habits of the case families at present were as follows: the proportion of eating Trogia venenata decreased from 19.0% (39/205) to 0 (0/190), the proportion of eating wild fruit decreased from 17.1% (35/205) to 9.5% (18/190), and the proportion of drinking raw water decreased from 55.1% (113/205) to 42.1% (80/190), and the differences were statistically significant (χ 2 = 22.37, 4.90, 6.86, P < 0.05). Lifestyle and health awareness: the proportion of those who washed their hands before meals and after using the toilet increased from 9.8% (20/205) to 41.6% (79/190), those who did not overwork increased from 16.6% (34/205) to 34.2% (65/190), and those who took good protection when spraying pesticides increased from 7.3% (15/205) to 21.6% (41/190), and the differences were statistically significant (χ 2 = 53.17, 33.94, 16.48, P < 0.001). Toilet habits: the proportion of using outdoor toilet decreased from 75.6% (155/205) to 9.5% (18/190), the difference was statistically significant (χ 2 = 175.21, P < 0.001). When the first sudden death case occurred, the proportions of eating Trogia venenata and using outdoor toilet in the case families were higher than those in the control families (χ 2 = 22.37, 23.70, P < 0.001), the proportions of those who washed their hands before meals and after using the toilet and those who did not overwork in the case families were lower than those in the control families (χ 2 = 7.38, 4.93, P < 0.05). Conclusions:The economic conditions, production and living conditions of YUSD areas in Dali Prefecture have been significantly improved, and the health literacy and health prevention awareness of the population have been greatly improved. Economic conditions and living standard, dietary structure and health literacy may be related factors of YUSD.