ObjectiveThis study aims to observe the effect of sinomenine （SIN） on fatty acid binding protein 4 （FABP4） in synovial tissue of rats with osteoarthritis （OA） and investigate the therapeutic mechanism of SIN on OA， further providing new ideas for the management of osteoarthritis by traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）. MethodsAn OA rat model was constructed and randomly divided into a control group， an OA group， an OA + SIN-L group （50 mg·kg^-1）， an OA + SIN-M （100 mg·kg^-1）， an OA + SIN-H （200 mg·kg^-1）， and an OA + prednisone （PDN） group （5 mg·kg^-1）. Following surgical modeling for three weeks， an appropriate medication was administered for four weeks. During modeling and administration， a hot plate test was performed to detect the pain and swelling of the knee joints of the rats. The periarticular tissue was collected for arthropathological observation at the end of drug administration. The expression of cleaved Caspase-3， B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2）， Bcl-2 associated X protein （Bax）， and FABP4 in the synovial tissue of rats was detected by Western blot and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）， and the expression and distribution of FABP4 protein in the synovial membrane were detected by immunofluorescence. ResultsCompared with those in the control group， the levels of inflammatory factors and FABP4 in the serum of rats in the OA group were significantly increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and joint swelling was significantly elevated （P<0.01）. The thermal pain threshold was significantly reduced （P<0.01）， and the expression of FABP4 protein and the fluorescence intensity were significantly increased （P<0.01）. The synovial tissue exhibited significantly increased inflammatory infiltration， proliferated fibroblasts， and an elevated apoptotic index （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with those in the OA group， the serum lipid metabolism indexes of rats in the SIN administration group gradually returned to normal （P<0.05， P<0.01）， while the levels of inflammatory factors and FABP4 in the serum of rats in the SIN-administered group were significantly reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and joint swelling was significantly decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The thermal pain threshold was significantly elevated （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the expression of FABP4 protein and fluorescence intensity in the synovial tissue were significantly decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The synovial tissue displayed significantly reduced inflammatory infiltration and a decreased apoptotic index （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionThe therapeutic effect of SIN on OA may be related to the down-regulation of FABP4 expression， reduction of apoptosis， and inhibition of inflammatory factor expression.

BackgroundNon-suicidal self-injury （NSSI） behaviors are prevalent among adolescents， significantly affecting their physical and mental well-being. Understanding the risk factors associated with adolescent NSSI is crucial for prevention. Previous studies have identified mobile phone dependence as a risk factor for NSSI in adolescents. However， as a key form of mobile phone dependence， the evidence regarding the impact of mobile phone social media dependence on adolescent NSSI behavior remains insufficient. ObjectiveTo explore the impact of mobile phone social media dependence and its associated factors on adolescent NSSI behavior， so as to provide references for intervention strategies targeting NSSI in adolescents. MethodsA total of 100 adolescents diagnosed with NSSI according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders， fifth edition （DSM-5）， and receiving treatment at Tongde Hospital of Zhejiang Province from January 2022 to December 2023 were included in the study group. Concurrently， 100 age- and sex-matched students from Hangzhou were recruited as the control group. Assessments were conducted using Ottawa Self-injury Inventory（OSI） Function Subscale and Addiction Features Subscale， Adolescents Self-Harm Scale（ASHS）， and Mobile Phone Social Media Dependence Questionnaire. Multiple linear regression was used to analyze the factors influencing NSSI behaviors. ResultsThe research group had a total of 99 patients （99.00%） who completed the study， while the control group consisted of 97 （97.00%） adolescents who finished this research.The study group had statistically significantly higher total scores on the Mobile Phone Social Media Dependence Questionnaire， as well as higher scores on the conflict and withdrawal dimensions， compared with control group（t=-3.061， -2.874， -2.368， P<0.05 or 0.01）. The study group also scored significantly higher on the OSI Function Subscale for internal emotion regulation， social influence， external emotion regulation， and sensation-seeking factors， as well as on the OSI Addiction Features Subscale scores， compared to the control group（t=-22.249， -8.854， -17.968， -10.591， -20.157， P<0.01）. OSI Function Subscale scores were positively correlated with Mobile Phone Social Media Dependence Questionnaire scores （r=0.321， P<0.01）， and OSI Addiction Features Subscale scores were positively correlated with Mobile Phone Social Media Dependence Questionnaire scores （r=0.282， P<0.01）. ASHS scores were positively correlated with Mobile Phone Social Media Dependence Questionnaire scores （r=0.145， P<0.05）. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that compulsivity （β=0.416， P<0.01） and conflict （β=0.256， P<0.05） were significant predictors for adolescent NSSI behaviors. ConclusionAdolescent NSSI behaviors are associated with mobile phone social media dependence. The compulsivity and conflict dimension of mobile phone social media dependence are influencing factors for adolescent NSSI behaviors. The higher level of the compulsivity and conflict are associated with an increased risk of the NSSI behaviors in adolescents. ［Funde by Zhejiang Medical and Health Science and Technology Plan Project in 2022 （number， 2022KY704］

Polygonatum sibiricum， as a traditional Chinese medicine with both medicinal and edible properties， has attracted considerable attention due to its functions of nourishing Yin and moistening the lungs， tonifying the spleen and benefiting Qi， and nourishing the kidneys and filling essence. Recent studies have demonstrated that Polygonatum sibiricum plays a significant role in regulating the immune system， effectively enhancing and improving the morphology and function of immune organs， stimulating the proliferation and activation of immune cells， and regulating the secretion and release of immune factors， thereby enhancing the immune function of the body and improving various immune-related diseases. Although a large number of studies have explored the pharmacological effects and mechanisms of P. sibiricum， there has been no systematic review and summary of its immune regulatory activity and mechanisms. Therefore， this article comprehensively reviews the research achievements of P. sibiricum polysaccharides and saponins in the field of immune regulation in recent years， and further sorts out the immune regulatory mechanisms of P. sibiricum in multiple aspects： including increasing the organ index of the spleen and thymus， increasing the number and activity of tumor-suppressive bone marrow hematopoietic stem cells， improving intestinal flora imbalance， regulating the quantity and proportion of T lymphocyte subsets， increasing the level of immunoglobulin， promoting the proliferation of macrophages， enhancing the activity of natural killer cells， increasing the number of white blood cells， and promoting the maturation of dendritic cells， providing a solid theoretical basis and scientific evidence for the research and application of P. sibiricum， and promoting its development and application in traditional Chinese medicine immune enhancers and various functional products.

Protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5) acts as an oncogene in liver cancer, yet its roles and in-depth molecular mechanisms within the liver cancer immune microenvironment remain mostly undefined. Here, we demonstrated that disruption of tumor-intrinsic PRMT5 enhances CD8⁺ T-cell-mediated antitumor immunity both in vivo and in vitro. Further experiments verified that this effect is achieved through downregulation of the inhibitory immune checkpoint molecule, fibrinogen-like protein 1 (FGL1). Mechanistically, PRMT5 catalyzed symmetric dimethylation of transcription factor 12 (TCF12) at arginine 554 (R554), prompting the binding of TCF12 to FGL1 promoter region, which transcriptionally activated FGL1 in tumor cells. Methylation deficiency at TCF12-R554 residue downregulated FGL1 expression, which promoted CD8⁺ T-cell-mediated antitumor immunity. Notably, combining the PRMT5 methyltransferase inhibitor GSK591 with PD-L1 blockade efficiently inhibited liver cancer growth and improved overall survival in mice. Collectively, our findings reveal the immunosuppressive role and mechanism of PRMT5 in liver cancer and highlight that targeting PRMT5 could boost checkpoint immunotherapy efficacy.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the effects of exogenous trigger (hCG/GnRHa) versus endogenous LH surge in natural cycle IVF/ICSI (NC-IVF/ICSI) for patients with diminished ovarian reserve (DOR). METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 1,118 NC-IVF/ICSI cycles from two reproductive centers between 2013 and 2024. Propensity score matching (PSM) and multivariate logistic regression were used to adjust for confounding factors. The trigger-day hormone threshold was determined using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Outcome measures included oocyte retrieval rate, 2PN fertilization rate, clinical available embryo rate, high-quality embryo rate, fresh cycle clinical pregnancy rate (CPR), and live birth rate (LBR). RESULTS: After adjusting for confounders via PSM and logistic regression, the exogenous trigger group demonstrated significantly better outcomes across all the evaluated parameters (oocyte retrieval rate, 2PN fertilization rate, transferable embryo rate, high-quality embryo rate, fresh cycle CPR, and LBR) than the endogenous LH surge group (P<0.05). Age-stratified analysis revealed that for the entire cohort, exogenous triggering significantly increased the number of transferable embryos and high-quality embryos (P<0.001). In the 35-39 years old subgroup, exogenous triggering showed significant advantages in oocyte yield, high-quality embryo rate, CPR, and LBR (P<0.05) and resulted in the most pronounced improvement in LBR (OR=6.25, 95% CI: 1.34-29.23). ROC analysis established a decision-day LH threshold of 19.055 mIU/mL (AUC=0.945, specificity=93.3%) for precise stratification of the clinical pathways. CONCLUSIONS For DOR patients undergoing NC-IVF/ICSI, exogenous triggering comprehensively improves the treatment outcomes, particularly providing significant live birth benefits for women aged 35-40 years. An individualized protocol incorporating the LH threshold (19.055 mIU/mL) effectively enhances embryonic developmental potential and live birth rates.
Humans ; Female ; Ovarian Reserve ; Pregnancy ; Propensity Score ; Retrospective Studies ; Fertilization in Vitro ; Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic ; Chorionic Gonadotropin ; Pregnancy Rate ; Logistic Models ; Ovulation Induction/methods* ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone ; Adult ; Oocyte Retrieval

Purpose: This Phase II trial was objected to evaluate the efficacy and safety of adding fulvestrant to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with estrogen receptor (ER)+/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)– locally advanced breast cancer (LABC). Additionally, the study aimed to investigate the association of 16α-18F-fluoro-17β-fluoroestradiol (18F-FES) positron emission tomography (PET)–computed tomography (CT) and metabolites with efficacy. Materials and Methods: Fulvestrant and EC-T regimen were given to ER+/HER2– LABC patients before surgery. At baseline, patients received 18F-FES PET-CT scan, and plasma samples were taken for liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis. The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR). Secondary endpoints included total pathologic complete response (tpCR) and safety. Results: Among the 36 patients enrolled, the ORR was 86.1%, the tpCR rate was 8.3%. The incidence of grade ≥ 3 treatment-emergent adverse events was 22%. The decrease in ER value in sensitive patients was larger than that in non-sensitive patients, as was Ki-67 (p < 0.05). The maximum standardized uptake value, mean standardized uptake values, total lesion ER expression of 18F-FES PET-CT in sensitive patients were significantly higher than those in non-sensitive patients (p < 0.05). Moreover, these parameters were significantly correlated with Miller and Payne grade and the change in ER expression before and after treatment (p < 0.05). Thirteen differential expressed metabolites were identified, which were markedly enriched in 19 metabolic pathways. Conclusion This regimen demonstrated acceptable toxicity and encouraging antitumor efficacy. 18F-FES PET-CT might serve as a tool to predict the effectiveness of this therapy. Altered metabolites or metabolic pathways might be associated with treatment response.

Objective:To explore the value of lumbar volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) measured by quantitative computed tomography (QCT) in predicting coronary artery calcification (CAC).Methods:This retrospective, cross-sectional study included a total of 991 patients (504 male and 487 female) who underwent coronary artery CT angiography (CTA) and chest, abdomen, or lumbar spine CT examinations at Taihe County People′s Hospital from January 2023 to June 2024. Lumbar vBMD was measured by QCT. The coronary artery calcification score (CACS) was calculated using an artificial intelligence-assisted diagnostic system. Patients were categorized into a low calcification group (CACS≤100, 592 cases) and a moderate-to-severe calcification group (CACS>100, 399 cases). Independent-sample t-tests, Mann-Whitney U tests, or χ2 tests were employed to analyze the differences in clinical data and lumbar vBMD between the two groups. Binary logistic regression was employed to control confounding factors and analyze the correlation between lumbar vBMD and moderate-to-severe CAC. Multivariate binary logistic regression was used to identify independent predictors of moderate-to-severe CAC and construct a combined prediction model. The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to evaluate the efficacy of lumbar vBMD and the combined model in predicting moderate-to-severe CAC. The comparison of the area under the curve (AUC) was conducted using the DeLong test. Results:The age, incidence of diabetes, hypertension, and osteoporosis were significantly higher in the moderate-to-severe calcification group than in the low calcification group, while lumbar vBMD was significantly lower in the former group (all P<0.05). The body mass index, smoking history, and hyperlipidemia had no statistical differences between the two groups (all P>0.05). Following adjustment for potential confounding variables, the results of binary logistic regression analysis revealed that lumbar vBMD was not significantly associated with the presence of moderate-to-severe CAC in the overall study population or in male ( OR=0.998, 95% CI 0.993-1.003, P=0.379; OR=1.000, 95% CI 0.993-1.006, P=0.918). However, lumbar vBMD was a statistically significant predictor in females ( OR=0.992, 95% CI 0.985-0.999, P=0.032). Multivariate binary logistic regression analysis further demonstrated that age ( OR=1.048, 95% CI 1.019-1.077, P=0.001), hypertension ( OR=2.649, 95% CI 1.719-4.082, P<0.001), and lumbar vBMD ( OR=0.992, 95% CI 0.984-0.999, P=0.022) were independent predictors of moderate-to-severe CAC in women. The AUC of lumbar vBMD for predicting moderate-to-severe CAC in female patients was 0.684 (95% CI 0.641-0.725), and the AUC of the combined model was 0.746 (95% CI 0.705-0.784), with a statistically significant difference ( Z=3.26, P=0.001). Conclusions:Lumbar vBMD measured by QCT is an independent predictor of moderate-to-severe CAC in women and demonstrates moderate predictive value. The predictive performance can be enhanced by integrating age and hypertension into a combined predictive model.

OBJECTIVE This study aims to investigate the epidemiological characteristics and influencing factors of skin diseases among soldiers performing duties and working in tunnel environments,and to propose targeted pre-ventive and therapeutic measures.METHODS A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 537 soldiers from multi-ple sites within a military unit from Nov.2022 to Oct.2023.The survey collected data on general information,liv-ing habits,and details of current skin diseases,including types,symptoms,duration and treatment status.Logis-tic regression analysis was applied to identify risk factors for the skin diseases observed.RESULTS A total of 21 types of skin diseases were identified,with dermatophyte infections being the most prevalent(59.96％,322/537),followed by acne(26.82％,144/537).Further analysis revealed that the incidence of dermatophyte infec-tions was closely associated with the region where the soldiers were stationed[OR(95％CI)=1.694(1.062,2.693),P=0.032]and the frequency of sock washing[OR(95％CI)=1.734(1.023,2.988),P=0.043],but no significant correlation was found between the prevalence of dermatophyte infections and the frequency of washing feet[OR(95％CI)=1.520(0.836,2.824),P=0.175].CONCLUSIONS This study highlights the epidemiological char-acteristics and key risk factors for skin diseases among soldiers in tunnel environments.Targeted prevention strategies are proposed,providing valuable scientific evidence for the prevention and control of skin diseases in similar environments.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis ( Mtb) is the causative agent of tuberculosis in humans and animals. Mtb invades the host′s lungs via airborne transmission, infects macrophages and causes tuberculosis. In some cases, the infection can spread to other tissues and organs. Despite the availability of several drugs for the treatment of tuberculosis, the emergence of multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis has led to high morbidity and mortality rates worldwide. Therefore, there is an urgent need for researchers to develop new anti-tuberculosis drugs that can treat tuberculosis more efficiently. Recent studies have shown that the virulence factors of Mtb play a crucial role in its pathogenicity. These factors primarily include secreted proteins, transcription factors, proteases, stress response proteins, metabolism-associated proteins, and cell-surface components. By evading the host′s immune surveillance through mechanisms such as anti-oxidative stress, regulating nutrient synthesis and metabolism, and modulating host cells apoptosis, Mtb is able to achieve long-term survival and spread with in the host. Understanding the mechanisms of Mtb virulence factors can provide new directions for targeted tuberculosis therapy. Therefore, knowledge of these virulence factors is essential for the development of new vaccines and anti-tuberculosis drugs. In this review, we summarize the latest research progress in the virulence factors of Mtb to provide a reference for targeted treatment of tuberculosis.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between thoracic aortic calcification (TAC) and autonomic nervous system (ANS) function in patients receiving continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD).Methods:It was a cross-sectional study. The CAPD patients with dialysis duration >6 months between January and December 2022 were retrospectively enrolled. The baseline clinical data, heart rate variability (HRV) data such as standard deviation of all normal to normal intervals (SDNN), root mean square of successive differences between adjacent normal-to-normal intervals (RMSSD), high frequency (HF), very low frequency (VLF), low frequency (LF), LF/HF, acceleration capacity (AC) and deceleration capacity (DC), and skin sympathetic nerve activity (SKNA) were collected. TAC was defined as TAC score (TACS) >100 AU. The patients were divided into TACS >100 AU group and TACS≤100 AU group based on whether the thoracic aorta was calcified. The differences of those data between the two groups were compared. Logistic regression model was used to analyze the related factors of TAC. Spearman correlation analysis method was used to analyze the correlation between peripheral blood neuropeptide Y, ANS parameters, average amplitude SKNA (aSKNA) and TACS.　Cox regression model was used to analyze the risk factors of all-cause mortality in patients with CAPD.Results:The study included 106 CAPD patients with 50 males (47.2%), age of (46.04±11.10) years and dialysis duration of (41.55±30.52) months. TACS>100 AU group exhibited significantly lower heart rate ( t=2.015, P=0.046), DC ( t=2.131, P=0.035), LF/HF ( Z=3.332, P<0.001) and ln(LF/HF) ( t=3.326, P=0.001), and higher AC ( t=-2.392, P=0.019) than TACS≤100 AU group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis results showed that after adjusting for age and eosinophil count, lnVLF ( OR=0.66, 95% CI 0.45-0.98, P=0.038), lnLF ( OR=0.69, 95% CI 0.49-0.97, P=0.032), DC ( OR=0.79, 95% CI 0.64-0.99, P=0.039) and AC ( OR=1.32, 95% CI 1.04-1.68, P=0.021) were independently correlated with the risk of TAC. Spearman correlation analysis showed that neuropeptide Y level in peripheral blood was correlated with aSKNA ( r=0.23, P=0.017), lnSDNN ( r=-0.20, P=0.036) and TACS ( r=0.19, P=0.048). During the follow-up period of (25.8±4.2) months, 5 patients (4.72%) died, including 1 patient in the TACS≤100 AU group and 4 patients in the TACS>100 AU group. Compared with the survival group, the death group had higher TACS ( Z=-2.262, P=0.024) and lower LF/HF ( Z=-2.750, P=0.006). Cox regression analysis results showed that increased ln(LF/HF) was an independent influencing factor for all-cause mortality in CAPD patients ( HR=0.22, 95% CI 0.05-0.83, P=0.026). Conclusions:HRV parameters (lnVLF, lnLF, AC and DC) of CAPD patients are independently associated with TAC. The dysfunction of ANS in CAPD patients (especially the decreased vagus nerve activity) may promote TAC.