OBJECTIVE To investigate the neuroprotective effect and mechanism of eleutheroside B （ELB） on Parkinson’s disease （PD） model mice by regulating the IκB kinase β （IKKβ）/nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB） signaling pathway. METHODS Fifty mice were randomly divided into normal control group， model group， positive control group （selegiline hydrochloride， 10 mg/kg）， and ELB low-dose and high-dose groups （80， 160 mg/kg）， with 10 mice in each group. Each group was given relevant medicine or normal saline intragastrically for 14 consecutive days. Starting from the 10th day of administration， the model group and all administration groups were intraperitoneally injected with 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1，2，3，6-tetrahydropyridine （MPTP） 30 mg/kg， for five consecutive days to establish the chronic PD model. After the last administration for 24 h， six mice were randomly selected from each group to test their behavioral abilities； detect the levels of interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， IL-10， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） in brain tissue and their mRNA expressions were measured， and positive expression of tyrosine hydroxylase （TH）， protein expressions of TH， α -synuclein （ α -syn）， ionized calcium-binding adaptor molecule 1 （Iba-1）， as well as phosphorylation levels of IKKβ and NF-κB p65 proteins in the brain tissue were detected. The ultrastructure of neurons in substantia nigra was observed. RESULTS Compared with the model group， rotarod endurance time and climbing score of each administration group （except for the ELB low-dose group） were increased significantly （ P ＜0.05）， while the levels and mRNA expressions of IL-1β， TNF-α， α -syn， and Iba-1， as well as phosphorylation levels of IKKβ and NF-κB p65 proteins in brain tissue were decreased significantly （except for TNF-α in the ELB low-dose group）. Conversely， the level and mRNA expression of IL-10 （except for the ELB low-dose group）， TH positive expression and protein expressions were significantly increased （ P ＜0.05）. Typical neurodegenerative pathological changes， such as neuronal karyopyknosis， mitochondrial swelling and vacuolization， and endoplasmic reticulum dilation， all showed varying degrees of improvement. CONCLUSIONS ELB may exert neuroprotective effects by inhibiting the activation of the IKKβ/NF-κB signaling pathway， alleviating inflammatory responses， reducing abnormal α -syn aggregation and neuronal loss， and further improving motor dysfunction in PD mice.

Objective To explore macrophage subpopulations in ischemic stroke (IS) by using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data analysis and High-Dimensional Weighted Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis (hdWGCNA). Methods Based on single-cell sequencing data, transcriptomic information for different cell types was obtained, and macrophages were selected for subpopulation identification. hdWGCNA, cell-cell communication, and pseudotime trajectory analysis were used to explore the characteristics of macrophage subpopulations following IS. Key genes related to IS were identified using microarray data and validated for diagnostic potential through Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) was conducted to investigate the potential functions of these genes. Results The scRNA-seq data analysis revealed significant changes in macrophage subpopulation composition after IS. A specific macrophage subpopulation enriched in the stroke group was identified and designated as MCAO-specific macrophages (MSM). Pseudotime trajectory analysis indicated that MSM cells were in an intermediate stage of macrophage differentiation. Cell-cell communication analysis uncovered complex interactions between MSM cells and other cells, with the CCL6-CCR1 signaling axis potentially playing a crucial role in neuroinflammation. Two gene modules associated with MSM were identified via hdWGCNA, significantly enriched in pathways related to NOD-like receptors and antigen processing. By integrating differentially expressed MSM genes with conventional transcriptomic data, three IS-related hub genes were identified: Arg1, CLEC4D, and CLEC4E. Conclusion This study reveals the characteristics and functions of macrophage subpopulations following IS and identifies three hub genes with potential diagnostic value, providing novel insights into the pathological mechanisms of IS.
Macrophages/metabolism* ; Computational Biology/methods* ; Single-Cell Analysis/methods* ; Transcriptome ; Ischemic Stroke/metabolism* ; Animals ; Gene Regulatory Networks ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Humans ; Male

The innate immune sensor NLRP3 inflammasome overactivation is involved in the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis. PGAM5 is a mitochondrial phosphatase involved in NLRP3 inflammasome activation in macrophages. However, the role of PGAM5 in ulcerative colitis and the mechanisms underlying PGAM5 regulating NLRP3 activity remain unknown. Here, we show that PGAM5 deficiency ameliorates dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis in mice via suppressing NLRP3 inflammasome activation. By combining APEX2-based proximity labeling focused on PGAM5 with quantitative proteomics, we identify NEK7 as the new binding partner of PGAM5 to promote NLRP3 inflammasome assembly and activation in a PGAM5 phosphatase activity-independent manner upon inflammasome induction. Interfering with PGAM5-NEK7 interaction by punicalagin inhibits the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in macrophages and ameliorates DSS-induced colitis in mice. Altogether, our data demonstrate the PGAM5-NEK7 interaction in macrophages for NLRP3 inflammasome activation and further provide a promising therapeutic strategy for ulcerative colitis by blocking the PGAM5-NEK7 interaction.

Objective:To evaluate the prognostic value of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose(FDG)positron emission tomography(PET)/com-puted tomography(CT)(18F-FDG PET/CT)metabolic parameters combined with clinical characteristics in treated patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC).Methods:The clinical data of 75 patients(65 males and 10 females,age of 63.41±7.75 years)with pathologically confirmed ESCC in * Hospital from January 2015 to November 2021 were retrospectively analyzed.All pa-tients underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT examination after treatment.The relevant parameters of 18F-FDG PET/CT were determined:whole body SUVmax(SUVmaxwb);SUVmean and metabolic tumor volume(MTV)were measured with 40％SUVmax as the critical value,and whole body MTV(MTVwb)and whole body total lesion glycolysis(TLGwb)were calculated.Kaplan-Meier survival curves and Cox proportional hazards model were used to evaluate the relationship between PET parameters and overall survival(OS).Results:Fifty-two(69.3％)patients died.PET-positive patients exhibited a 6.029-fold increased risk of death compared with PET-negative patients(P<0.001),with the median survival time of 22.3 months and 43.2 months,respectively.PET-positive patients were catego-rized based on median parameters of PET:SUVmaxwb=11.09,MTVwb=27.07 cm3,and TLGwb=162.34 g.Kaplan-Meier survival curves and log-rank tests revealed the correlations of pathological classification,M stage,post-PET anti-tumor treatment,MTVwb,and TLGwb with OS.M stage emerged as an independent predictor for OS(hazard ratio=5.698,95％CI=1.791-18.123,P=0.003).Patients positive for both PET imaging and serology had a 6.112-fold higher death risk compared with those negative for PET imaging(P<0.001).Conclusion:18F-FDG PET/CT volume metabolism parameters are significant prognostic predictors for treated patients with ESCC,and patients positive for PET imaging and tumor markers are associated with a poor prognosis.

Objective:To investigate the therapeutic effect and safety of recombinant human thrombopoietin (rhTPO) combined with low-dose eltrombopag in the treatment of persistent thrombocytopenia after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT).Methods:A retrospective case series study was conducted. The retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 20 patients diagnosed with post-allo-HSCT thrombocytopenia at Blood Diseases Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from January 2018 to June 2021. All patients didn't meet the platelet implantation criteria [without the platelet count (Plt) ≥20×10 9/L for a consecutive period of 7 days and discontinuation of platelet transfusion] after transplantation, and they received subcutaneous injections of rhTPO (15 000 U) once daily and oral administration of eltrombopag (50 mg) once. Treatment efficacy was defined as maintaining Plt≥20×10 9/L for a consecutive period of 7 days after treatment and discontinuation of platelet transfusion; treatment inefficacy was defined as Plt<20×10 9/L after treatment or continuation of platelet transfusion. The therapeutic effect of rhTPO combined with low-dose eltrombopag was analyzed; the adverse reactions were evaluated; the clinical characteristics were compared between the effective treatment group and ineffective treatment group; the overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier method between the effective treatment group and ineffective treatment group. Results:Among the 20 patients, 9 were diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), 5 with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), 4 with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), and 2 with severe aplastic anemia (SAA); 10 cases were primary failure of platelet recovery (PFPR), and 10 cases were secondary failure of platelet recovery (SFPR). The median time [ M ( Q1, Q3)] from transplantation to initiation of treatment was 79 days (50 days, 89 days), and the median duration of treatment was 19.5 days (15 days, 30 days). Of the total cohort, treatment was effective in 13 cases (65.0%, 8 cases of PFPR, 5 cases of SFPR), while 7 patients (35.0%) showed no response to treatment. The median time to achieve the therapeutic response among responders was 10 days (7 days, 19 days). During the combination treatment, 5 patients experienced elevated transaminase levels exceeding more than 2.5 times the upper limit of normal or bilirubin levels surpassing twice that limit. No instances of adverse reaction-related arterial thrombosis, myelofibrosis, or primary disease relapse occurred within this patient cohort. Megakaryocyte counts in the effective treatment group before combination treatment were higher than that in the ineffective treatment group, and the difference was statistically significant [14 (10, 20) vs. 2.5 (2, 4); Z = -2.33, P = 0.017]; Notably, no statistically significant differences were identified when comparing the compositions of gender, type of underlying diseases, human leukocyte antigen matching degree, blood type of donor and recipient, conditioning regimen use of antithymocyte globulin, quantity of CD34 + cells transfused, type of thrombocytopenia, acute graft-versus-host disease, fungal or bacterial infections, and viral infections between the two groups (all P > 0.05). The 1-year OS rates for the effective and ineffective treatment groups were 100.0% and 42.9%, respectively, and the difference in OS between the two groups was statistically significant ( P = 0.001). The 1-year DFS rates for the effective and ineffective treatment groups were 92.3% and 28.6%, respectively, and the difference in DFS between the two groups was statistically significant ( P = 0.003). Conclusions:The combination of rhTPO and low-dose eltrombopag has demonstrated certain therapeutic efficacy and good safety in the treatment of persistent thrombocytopenia after allo-HSCT.

AIM:To investigate the effect of ankyrin repeat domain 49(ANKRD49)on epithelial-mesenchy-mal transition(EMT)in NCI-H1299 cells,and to explore its mechanism.METHODS:The ANKRD49 was over-ex-pressed in NCI-H1299 cells.The morphological changes of ANKRD49-overpressing NCI-H1299 cells were observed under microscope.The mRNA and protein expression levels of EMT-related markers[E-cadherin,transforming growth factor-β1(TGF-β1),vimentin and α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA)]and EMT-related transcription factors(Snail1,Slug,Twist and ZEB1)were detected by RT-qPCR Western blot.Immunofluorescence staining was performed to observe the localiza-tion and expression of E-cadherin and vimentin in ANKRD49-overexpressing cells or control cells.Immunohistochemical method was performed to examine the levels of E-cadherin,α-SMA,Snail,Slug and ZEB1 in lung tissues of nude mice in-oculated with ANKRD49-overexpressing H1299 cells or control cells.RESULTS:Compared with the control group,the ANKRD49 overexpressing cells showed mesenchymal cell morphology(fusiform and less tight connections).RT-qPCR and Western blot results showed that the mRNA and protein levels of mesenchymal markers vimentin and α-SMA in ANKRD49 overexpressing cells were significantly higher than those in cells of control group,while the mRNA and protein levels of epithelial marker E-cadherin were lower than those in cells of control group.Compared with control group,the im-munofluorescence intensity of E-cadherin of H1299 cells decreased in after ANKRD49 overexpression,while that of vimen-tin increased significantly.Snail,Slug and ZEB1 expression were significantly elevated in ANKRD49 overexpressing cells compared with control group.The levels of E-cadherin in lung tissues of nude mice inoculated with ANKRD49-overexpressing H1299 cells declined,while the levels of α-SMA,Snail,Slug and ZEB1 increased compared with those in control mice.CONCLUSION:ANKRD49 promoted EMT of NCI-H1299 cells by increasing the expression of Snail1,Slug and ZEB1 and consequent downreguation of E-cadherin and upregulation of vimentin and α-SMA.

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of pneumococcal meningitis(PM),and drug sensitivity of Streptococcus pneumoniae(SP)isolates in Chinese children.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical information,laboratory data,and microbiological data of 160 hospitalized children under 15 years old with PM from January 2019 to December 2020 in 33 tertiary hospitals across the country.Results Among the 160 children with PM,there were 103 males and 57 females.The age ranged from 15 days to 15 years,with 109 cases(68.1% )aged 3 months to under 3 years.SP strains were isolated from 95 cases(59.4% )in cerebrospinal fluid cultures and from 57 cases(35.6% )in blood cultures.The positive rates of SP detection by cerebrospinal fluid metagenomic next-generation sequencing and cerebrospinal fluid SP antigen testing were 40% (35/87)and 27% (21/78),respectively.Fifty-five cases(34.4% )had one or more risk factors for purulent meningitis,113 cases(70.6% )had one or more extra-cranial infectious foci,and 18 cases(11.3% )had underlying diseases.The most common clinical symptoms were fever(147 cases,91.9% ),followed by lethargy(98 cases,61.3% )and vomiting(61 cases,38.1% ).Sixty-nine cases(43.1% )experienced intracranial complications during hospitalization,with subdural effusion and/or empyema being the most common complication[43 cases(26.9% )],followed by hydrocephalus in 24 cases(15.0% ),brain abscess in 23 cases(14.4% ),and cerebral hemorrhage in 8 cases(5.0% ).Subdural effusion and/or empyema and hydrocephalus mainly occurred in children under 1 year old,with rates of 91% (39/43)and 83% (20/24),respectively.SP strains exhibited complete sensitivity to vancomycin(100% ,75/75),linezolid(100% ,56/56),and meropenem(100% ,6/6).High sensitivity rates were also observed for levofloxacin(81% ,22/27),moxifloxacin(82% ,14/17),rifampicin(96% ,25/26),and chloramphenicol(91% ,21/23).However,low sensitivity rates were found for penicillin(16% ,11/68)and clindamycin(6% ,1/17),and SP strains were completely resistant to erythromycin(100% ,31/31).The rates of discharge with cure and improvement were 22.5% (36/160)and 66.2% (106/160),respectively,while 18 cases(11.3% )had adverse outcomes.Conclusions Pediatric PM is more common in children aged 3 months to under 3 years.Intracranial complications are more frequently observed in children under 1 year old.Fever is the most common clinical manifestation of PM,and subdural effusion/emphysema and hydrocephalus are the most frequent complications.Non-culture detection methods for cerebrospinal fluid can improve pathogen detection rates.Adverse outcomes can be noted in more than 10% of PM cases.SP strains are high sensitivity to vancomycin,linezolid,meropenem,levofloxacin,moxifloxacin,rifampicin,and chloramphenicol.[Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics,2024,26(2):131-138]

Objective:To investigate the muscle MRI features of the lower extremities and correlations between MRI fatty degeneration total scores and other clinical features in limb girdle muscular dystrophy type R1 (LGMDR1) patients.Methods:Clinical data of 8 patients with LGMDR1 diagnosed by genetic examination in Department of Neurology, He'nan Provincial People's Hospital&People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University from May 2016 to November 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Disease severity was evaluated by Gardner-Medwin and Walton (GM-W) scale. Pathological staining results of the lower limb muscles were observed; the fatty infiltration and edema of the muscles were observed by MRI T1WI and short-tau inversion recovery (STIR) sequences. Lower limb muscles were scored using Mercuri's scale. Spearman rank correlation was used to analyze the correlations of MRI fatty degeneration total scores of the lower extremities with age, age of onset, disease duration, GM-W scale scores and creatinine kinase (CK) level.Results:Of the 8 patients with LGMDR1, 7 had decreased muscle strength in the proximal lower extremity, including 4 with decreased muscle strength in the distal lower extremity at the same time. Muscular dystrophy-like pathological changes of skeletal muscles were noted. All 8 LGMDR1 patients showed different degrees of fatty infiltration in the lower extremities: at the thigh level, the adductor magnus, biceps femoris long head, semimembranes, semitendinosus and adductor longus were the most severely fatty degeneration muscles (mean scores>4), with relatively sparing of the sartorius and rectus femoris; regarding the calves, gastrocnemius medial head was the mostly involved, followed by soleus, with relative sparing of the tibialis posterior and anterior compartment. Edema-like changes (mild) were observed in 7 patients; the muscles that most frequently and relatively severely displayed edema-like changes were the gastrocnemius lateral head and quadriceps. The fatty degeneration total scores of the lower extremities were positively correlated with GM-W scale scores ( r=0.872, P=0.005) and negatively correlated with CK level ( r=-0.929, P=0.001), but not significantly correlated with age, age of onset or disease duration ( r=0.635, P=0.091; r=0.571, P=0.139; r=0.551, P=0.157). Conclusion:The lower limb muscles with severe fatty infiltration are less prone to show edema-like changes; fatty degeneration can be used to evaluate LGMDR1 progress; involvement pattern of muscle MRI of the lower extremities is helpful in diagnosing and differentially diagnosing LGMDR1.

Objective:To explore the clinical value of cardiac MR (CMR) compression sensing (CS) ultrafast cine sequence in evaluating left and right ventricular systolic function by comparing with traditional segmented acquisition cine sequence (Seg).Methods:Twenty-seven patients with various heart disease were prospectively included. Seg, breath holding CS (bhCS) and free breathing CS (fbCS) covering the left and right ventricles using multi slices in short axis were performed in random order. Friedman test was used to evaluate the overall image quality (grade 1-5 score), blood pool myocardial signal ratio (BMC) and edge sharpness under different methods. Biventricular end diastolic volume (EDV), end systolic volume (ESV), stroke volume (SV), ejection fraction (EF) and left ventricular myocardial mass (Mass) were measured for all three methods. The agreements of the functional measurements between bhCS and Seg (gold standard), and between fbCS and Seg were analyzed by Bland-Altman, and the correlation test was performed.Results:Twenty-four patients with diagnostic images(overall image quality score≥2) for all three methods were included in further analysis. The total imaging time of Seg, bhCS and fbCS decreased successively[375.0 (332.0, 405.6) vs. 50.0 (47.8, 53.7) vs. 20.0 (17.8, 23.7) s, χ 2=48.00, P<0.001]. The overall image quality of fbCS was slightly lower than that of Seg ( Z=-2.67, P=0.023), and there was no difference between Seg and bhCS ( Z=-1.44, P=0.447), bhCS and fbCS ( Z=1.23, P=0.660). There were no differences in edge sharpness (χ 2=1.08, P=0.582) and BMC (χ 2=0.58, P=0.747) for three methods. Bland-Altman polts showed good agreement for biventricular functional measurements between bhCS and Seg, and between fbCS and Seg. All functional measurements of bhCS and fbCS were highly correlated with that of seg ( r>0.96, P<0.001). Conclusions:Compared with traditional sequences, CS ultrafast cine sequences can save scanning time and provide similar image quality. No matter whether breath holding or not, the cardiac functional results of CS sequence and traditional cine sequence have good agreement and high correlation.