Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by synovial inflammation, joint destruction, and functional impairment. Angiogenesis plays a key role in the pathological progression of RA with dysfunction of endothelial cells to promote synovial inflammation, sustain pannus formation, subsequently leading to joint damage. Colquhounia Root Tablets (CRT), a Chinese patent drug, has shown a satisfying clinical efficacy in treating RA, while the underlying mechanism by which CRT inhibits RA-associated angiogenesis remains unclear. In this study, we applied a research approach combining transcriptomic data analysis, bio-network mapping, and in vivo and in vitro experiments to explore the molecular mechanisms of CRT in suppressing angiogenesis in RA. Animal welfare and experimental procedures follow the regulations of the Animal Ethics Committee of Institute of Basic Theory for Chinese Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences (ratification number: IBTCMCACMS21-2307-06). Network analysis identified that key genes such as nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-containing protein 2 (NOD2), SMAD family member 3 (SMAD3), and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) significantly enriched in pathways related to NOD-like receptor signaling and VEGF signaling, indicating that CRT may inhibit angiogenesis by regulating vascular endothelial cell function with modulating angiogenesis-related pathways. In vivo data showed that CRT significantly reduced the positive expression of CD31 and VEGF in the ankle joint of adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA) rats. In vitro data further confirmed that CRT effectively inhibited VEGF-induced migration, invasion, and tube formation in HUVECs, while significantly reduced the expression of angiogenesis-related factors VEGF/CD31/Ang-1, as well as the positive expression of VEGF and CD31 in HUVECs. Furthermore, CRT markedly decreased the protein expression of NOD2, VEGFA, and SMAD3. In conclusion, these findings indicate that CRT may inhibit the RA-related angiogenesis by targeting the NOD2/SMAD3/VEGF signaling axis to improve endothelial cell function, enriching the scientific connotation of CRT in inhibiting pathological angiogenesis in RA and also offer new insights for clinical prevention and treatment of RA.

OBJECTIVE: To screen factors affecting the prognosis of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients, and construct a nomogram model for event-free survival (EFS). METHODS: To screen out meaningful variables by univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis in CML patients, and construct a nomogram model using R software. The nomogram was validated using consistency index (C-index), receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, area under the ROC curve (AUC), calibration curve, decision curve analysis (DCA), and risk stratification analysis. RESULTS: This study analyzed data from 116 CML patients. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated that age, peripheral blood basophil percentage, BCR-ABL1 ^IS at 3 months, and red blood cell distribution width (RDW) were independent prognostic factors of EFS. Subsequently, a nomogram was constructed based on the above predictors. The C-index of the nomogram was 0.733(95%CI : 0.676-0.790). The AUC values for predicting 1-, 3-, and 5-year EFS rate were 0.765, 0.855, and 0.827, respectively. The results of the calibration curve and DCA curve showed that the predictive model had good consistency, as well as strong clinical utility. The patients were stratified into high-risk group and low-risk group based on the total score of the model, there was a significant difference in EFS between the two groups (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION Age, peripheral blood basophil percentage, BCR-ABL1 ^IS at 3 months, and RDW were associated with the prognosis of CML patients. The nomogram model constructed in this study can accurately predict the prognostic status of CML patients, but its widespread application still requires external and prospective validation.
Nomograms ; Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive/mortality* ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Erythrocyte Indices ; Risk Assessment/methods* ; Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl/genetics* ; Basophils ; Leukocyte Count ; Humans

OBJECTIVE: To explore and quantify the association of hot night exposure during the sperm development period (0-90 lag days) with semen quality. METHODS: A total of 6,640 male sperm donors from 6 human sperm banks in China during 2014-2020 were recruited in this multicenter study. Two indices (i.e., hot night excess [HNE] and hot night duration [HND]) were used to estimate the heat intensity and duration during nighttime. Linear mixed models were used to examine the association between hot nights and semen quality parameters. RESULTS: The exposure-response relationship revealed that HNE and HND during 0-90 days before semen collection had a significantly inverse association with sperm motility. Specifically, a 1 °C increase in HNE was associated with decreased sperm progressive motility of 0.0090 (95% confidence interval [ CI]: -0.0147, -0.0033) and decreased total motility of 0.0094 (95% CI: -0.0160, -0.0029). HND was significantly associated with reduced sperm progressive motility and total motility of 0.0021 (95% CI: -0.0040, -0.0003) and 0.0023 (95% CI: -0.0043, -0.0002), respectively. Consistent results were observed at different temperature thresholds on hot nights. CONCLUSION Our findings highlight the need to mitigate nocturnal heat exposure during spermatogenesis to maintain optimal semen quality.
Humans ; Male ; Semen Analysis ; Adult ; Sperm Motility ; Hot Temperature/adverse effects* ; China ; Middle Aged ; Spermatozoa/physiology* ; Young Adult

With the development of information technology and the increasing demand for vaccination services among the people, it is a definite trend to enhance the quality of vaccination services through digitization. This article starts with a clear concept of digital services for vaccination, introduces the current development status in China and abroad, analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of existing models in leading regions, takes a glean from the summation, and proposes targeted solutions. This study suggests establishing a departmental coordination mechanism for data interconnection and sharing, formulating data standards and functional specifications, enhancing the functionalities of the immunization planning information system, strengthening data collection and analytical usage, and intensifying appointment management and science and health education to provide expert guidance for the construction of digital vaccination services across the country in the future.

Objective:To discuss the effect of curcumin on ameliorating doxorubicin(DOX)-induced cytotoxicity in the H9c2 cardiomyocytes,and to clarify its mechanism.Methods:The H9c2 cardiomyocytes were treated with DOX to establish the cardiotoxicity model.The H9c2 cells were divided into normal group,DOX group,DOX+curcumin group,and DOX+curcumin+silent information regulator 3(SIRT3)inhibitor-3(3-TYP)group.After 24 h,the morphology of the cells in various groups were observed;CCK-8 method was used to detect the viabilities of the cells in various groups;TUNEL staining was used to detect the apoptotic rates of the cells in various groups;enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)method was used to detect the activities of catalase(CAT)and superoxide dismutase(SOD)and the levels of malondialdehyde(MDA)in the cells in various groups;2,7-dichlorofluorescein diacetate(DCFH-DA)staining was used to detect the levels of reactive oxygen species(ROS)in the cells in various groups;Western blotting method was used to detect the expression levels of B-cell lymphoma 2(Bcl-2),Bcl-2-associated X protein(Bax),nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate(NADPH)oxidase 2(NOX2),NADPH oxidase 4(NOX4),SIRT3,acetylated superoxide dismutase 2(Ac-SOD2),and superoxide dismutase 2(SOD2)proteins in the cells in various groups.Results:Compared with normal group,the H9c2 cells in DOX group exhibited swelling,the activity of the cells was decreased(P＜0.05),the CAT and SOD activities were decreased(P＜0.05),the MDA and ROS levels were increased(P＜0.05),the expression levels of NOX2,and NOX4 proteins were increased(P＜0.05),the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax and the expression level of SIRT3 protein were decreased(P＜0.05),and the expression levels of SOD2 and Ac-SOD2 proteins were increased(P＜0.05).Compared with DOX group,the H9c2 cells in DOX+curcumin group showed improved morphology,the activity of the cells was increased(P＜0.05),the CAT and SOD activities were increased(P＜0.05),the MDA and ROS levels were decreased(P＜0.05),the expression levels of NOX2,and NOX4 proteins were decreased(P＜0.05),the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax and the expression level of SIRT3 protein were increased(P＜0.05),and the expression levels of SOD2 and Ac-SOD2 proteins were decreased(P＜0.05).Compared with DOX+curcumin group,the cells in DOX+curcumin+3-TYP group exhibited swelling,the activity of the cells was decreased(P＜0.05),the apoptotic rate of the cells was significantly increased(P＜0.05),the CAT and SOD activities were decreased(P＜0.05),the MDA and ROS levels were significantly increased(P＜0.05),the expression levels of NOX2 and NOX4 proteins were increased(P＜0.05),the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax and the expression level of SIRT3 protein were decreased(P＜0.05),and the expression levels of SOD2 and Ac-SOD2 proteins were increased(P＜0.05).Conclusion:Curcumin suppresses the oxidative stress and apoptosis by activating the SIRT3/SOD2 signaling pathway,improving the cell activity and alleviating the DOX-induced cytotoxicity in the H9c2 cells.

With the development of information technology and the increasing demand for vaccination services among the people, it is a definite trend to enhance the quality of vaccination services through digitization. This article starts with a clear concept of digital services for vaccination, introduces the current development status in China and abroad, analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of existing models in leading regions, takes a glean from the summation, and proposes targeted solutions. This study suggests establishing a departmental coordination mechanism for data interconnection and sharing, formulating data standards and functional specifications, enhancing the functionalities of the immunization planning information system, strengthening data collection and analytical usage, and intensifying appointment management and science and health education to provide expert guidance for the construction of digital vaccination services across the country in the future.

Objective To evaluate the effects of high-fat diet on the pharmacokinetics of metronidazole in Chinese healthy adult subjects.Methods This program is designed according to a single-center,randomized,open,single-dose trial.Forty-seven healthy subjects were assigned to receive single dose of metronidazole tablets 200 mg in either fasting and high-fat diet state,and blood samples were taken at different time points,respectively.The concentrations of metronidazole in plasma were determined by high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectromentry.Results The main pharmacokinetic parameters of metronidazole in fasting state and high-fat diet state were as follows:Cmax were(4 799.13±1 195.32)and(4 044.17±773.98)ng·mL-1;tmax were 1.00 and 2.25 h;t1/2 were(9.11±1.73)and(9.37±1.79)h;AUC0_t were(5.59±1.19)x 104 and(5.51±1.18)x 104 ng·mL-1·h;AUC0_∞ were(5.79±1.33)x 104 and(5.74±1.32)× 104 ng·mL-1·h.Compared to the fasting state,the tmaxof the drug taken after a high fat diet was delayed by 1.25 h(P＜0.01),Cmax,AUC0_t,AUC0-∞ were less or decreased in different degrees,but the effects were small(all P＞0.05).Conclusion High-fat diet has little effects on the pharmacokinetic parameters of metronidazole,which does not significantly change the degree of drug absorption,but can significantly delay the time to peak.

Objective To evaluate the bioequivalence of metronidazole tablet and reference formulation in Chinese healthy subjects.Methods A single-dose,two-cycle,randomized,open,self-crossover trial was designed with 48 healthy subjects randomly assigned to fasting or postprandial group.For each group,a single oral dose of metronidazole tablet(200 mg)or a reference preparation(200 mg)per cycle were enrolled.The concentration of metronidazole in plasma was measured by high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry(HPLC-MS/MS).The non-compartmental model was applied to calculate the pharmacokinetic parameters for bioequivalence analysis via SAS 9.3 software.Results The main pharmacokinetic parameters of test and reference metronidazole tablets in the fasting group were as follows,the Cmax were(4 855.00±1 383.97)and(4 799.13±1 195.32)ng·h·mL-1;the AUC0-t were(54 834.68±12 697.88)and(55 931.35±11 935.28)ng·h·mL-1;the AUC0-∞ were(56 778.09±13 937.76)and(57 922.83±13 260.54)ng·h·mL-1;the Tmax were respectively 1.17 and 1.00 h;t1/2 were(8.99±1.76)and(9.11±1.73)h,respectively.The ratio of the geometric mean and its 90％confidence intervals(CI)of Cmax,AUC0-t and AUC0-∞ were all within the equivalent interval of 80.00％-125.00％.As for postprandial conditions,the main pharmacokinetic parameters of test and reference metronidazole tablets were as follows,the Cmax were(4 057.08±655.08)and(4 044.17±773.98)ng·h·mL-1;the AUC0-t were(55 956.42±12 228.12)and(55 121.04±11 784.55)ng·h·mL-1;the AUC0-∞ were(58 212.83±13 820.00)and(57 350.38±13 229.46)ng·h·mL-1;the Tmax were 2.50 and 2.25 h;the t1/2 were(9.37±1.68)and(9.37±1.79)h,respectively.The ratio of the geometric mean and 90％CI of Cmax,AUC0-t and AUC0-∞ were all within the equivalent interval of 80.00％-125.00％.Conclusion The two preparations were bioequivalent to Chinese healthy adult volunteers under both fasting and fed conditions.

Objective To investigate the role of endoplasmic reticulum stress and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase P38MAPK signaling pathway in thyroid epithelial cell injury induced by high iodine.Methods The thyroid epithelial cells Nthy-ori 3-1 were randomly divided into control group(normal culture),model group(40 mmol·L-1 potassium iodide),4-phenylbutyric acid(4-PB A)group(40 mmol·L-1 potassium iodide and 2 mmol·L-1 4-PBA)and SB203580 group(40 mmol·L-1 potassium iodide and 10 μmol·L-1 SB203580).Western blot was used to detect the expression of glucose regulated protein 78(GRP78)and p-P38/P38 of Nthy-ori 3-1 cells.MTT and colony formation experiments were used to detect the proliferation level.Flow cytometry was used to detect the apoptosis level.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)was used to detect the level of interleukin-6(IL-6).Results The expression levels of GRP78 protein in control group,model group,4-PBA group and SB203580 group were 0.15±0.03,0.61±0.07,0.27±0.03 and 0.37±0.04;the ratios of p-P38/P38 were 0.12±0.03,0.53±0.04,0.35±0.04 and 0.25±0.03;cell survival rates were(100.00±0.00)％,(53.71±6.16)％,(80.24±8.17)％and(71.29±7.36)％;the number of clones formed was 271.36±25.18,96.09±10.79,183.24±15.36 and 141.24±16.18;the apoptosis rates were(1.04±0.21)％,(9.27±1.67)％,(3.18±1.52)％and(3.82±1.09)％;IL-6 secretion levels were(0.71±0.08),(9.17±0.87),(3.26±0.29)and(4.71±0.41)nmol·L-1,respectively.For the above indicators,there was significant difference between the model group and the control group(all P＜0.05);there was significant difference between the 4-PBA group,SB203580 group and the model group(all P＜0.05).Conclusion High iodine can inhibit the proliferation of Nthy-ori 3-1 cells and induce apoptosis and secretion of inflammatory factors,which may be related to the activation of endoplasmic reticulum stress and P38MAPK signaling pathway by high iodine.

Aim To explore the effects of Lycium berry seed oil on Nrf2/ARE pathway and oxidative damage in testis of subacute aging rats. Methods Fifty out of 60 male SD rats, aged 8 weeks, were subcutaneously injected with 125 mg • kg"D-galactosidase in the neck for 8 weeks to establish a subacute senescent rat model. The presence of senescent cells was observed using P-galactosidase ((3-gal), while testicular morphology was examined using HE staining. Serum levels of testosterone (testosterone, T), follicle-stimulating hormone ( follicle stimulating hormone, FSH ) , luteinizing hormone ( luteinizing hormone, LH ) , superoxide dis-mutase ( superoxide dismutase, SOD ) , glutathione ( glutathione, GSH) and malondialdehyde ( malondial-dehyde, MDA) were measured through ELISA, and the expressions of factors related to aging, oxidative damage, and the Nrf2/ARE pathway were assessed via immunohistochemical analysis and Western blotting. Results After successfully identifying the model, the morphology of the testis was improved and the intervention of Lycium seed oil led to a down-regulation in the expression of [3-gal and -yH2AX. The serum levels of SOD, GSH, T, and FSH increased while MDA and LH decreased (P 0. 05) . Additionally, there was an up-regulated expression of Nrf2, GCLC, NQOl, and SOD2 proteins in testicular tissue ( P 0. 05 ) and nuclear expression of Nrf2 in sertoli cells. Conclusion Lycium barbarum seed oil may reduce oxidative damage in testes of subacute senescent rats by activating the Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway.