OBJECTIVE: To detect and analyze the expression and clinical significance of long non-coding RNA tyrosine kinase non-catalytic region adaptor protein 1-antisense RNA1 (NCK1-AS1) in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). METHODS: 89 AML patients and 23 healthy controls were included from the People's Hospital Affiliated to Jiangsu University. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was used to detect the expression levels of NCK1-AS1 and NCK1 in bone marrow samples. The relationship between the expression of NCK1-AS1 and the clinical characteristics of patients were analyzed, as well as the correlation between NCK1-AS1 and NCK1. RESULTS: The expression level of NCK1-AS1 in all AML, non-M3 AML and cytogenetically normal AML (CN-AML) patients was significantly higher than that in the control group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05, P < 0.01, respectively). In non-M3 AML, patients with high NCK1-AS1 expression had a significantly lower hemoglobin level than those with low NCK1-AS1 expression (P =0.036), furthermore, NCK1-AS1 ^high patients had shorter overall survival than NCK1-AS1^low patients (P =0.0378). Multivariate analysis showed that NCK1-AS1 expression was an independent adverse factor in patients with non-M3 AML ( HR =2.392, 95% CI :1.089-5.255, P =0.030). In addition, NCK1 expression was also significantly upregulated in all AML, non-M3 AML and CN-AML patients compared with controls (P < 0.01, P < 0.01, P < 0.001, respectively). There was a certain correlation between NCK1-AS1 and NCK1 expression (r =0.37, P =0.0058). CONCLUSION High expression of NCK1-AS1 in AML indicates poor prognosis of AML patients.
Humans ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/genetics* ; RNA, Long Noncoding/genetics* ; Oncogene Proteins/genetics* ; Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing/genetics* ; Prognosis ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Case-Control Studies ; Clinical Relevance

OBJECTIVE: Prunella vulgaris L. has long been used for liver protection according to traditional Chinese medicine theory and has been proven by modern pharmacological research to have multiple potential liver-protective effects. However, its effects on non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) are currently uncertain. Our study explores the effects of P. vulgaris polysaccharides on NASH and intestinal homeostasis. METHODS: An aqueous extract of the dried fruit spikes of P. vulgaris was precipitated in an 85% ethanol solution (PVE85) to extract crude polysaccharides from the herb. A choline-deficient, L-amino acid-defined, high-fat diet (CDAHFD) was administrated to male C57BL/6 mice to establish a NASH animal model. After 4 weeks, the PVE85 group was orally administered PVE85 (200 mg/[kg·d]), while the control group and CDAHFD group were orally administered vehicle for 6 weeks. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis, Western blotting, immunohistochemistry and other methods were used to assess the impact of PVE85 on the liver in mice with NASH. 16S rRNA gene amplicon analysis was employed to evaluate the gut microbiota abundance and diversity in each group to examine alterations at various taxonomic levels. RESULTS: PVE85 significantly reversed the course of NASH in mice. mRNA levels of inflammatory mediators associated with NASH and protein expression of hepatic nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat and pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) were significantly reduced after PVE85 treatment. Moreover, PVE85 attenuated the thickening and cross-linking of collagen fibres and inhibited the expression of fibrosis-related mRNAs in the livers of NASH mice. Intriguingly, PVE85 restored changes in the gut microbiota and improved intestinal barrier dysfunction induced by NASH by increasing the abundance of Actinobacteria and reducing the abundance of Proteobacteria at the phylum level. PVE85 had significant activity in reducing the relative abundance of Clostridiaceae at the family levels. PVE85 markedly enhanced the abundance of some beneficial micro-organisms at various taxonomic levels as well. Additionally, the physicochemical environment of the intestine was effectively improved, involving an increase in the density of intestinal villi, normalization of the intestinal pH, and improvement of intestinal permeability. CONCLUSION PVE85 can reduce hepatic lipid overaccumulation, inflammation, and fibrosis in an animal model of CDAHFD-induced NASH and improve the intestinal microbial composition and intestinal structure. Please cite this article as: Zhu MJ, Song YJ, Rao PL, Gu WY, Xu Y, Xu HX. Therapeutic role of Prunella vulgaris L. polysaccharides in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and gut dysbiosis. J Integr Med. 2025; 2025; 23(3): 297-308.
Animals ; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease/drug therapy* ; Male ; Dysbiosis/drug therapy* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome/drug effects* ; Polysaccharides/therapeutic use* ; Prunella/chemistry* ; Mice ; Liver/metabolism* ; Plant Extracts/therapeutic use* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Diet, High-Fat

Objective To explore the effect of targeted silencing wild-type p53-induced phosphatase 1(Wip1)on paclitaxel(PTX)chemosensitivity of ovarian cancer cell line A2780.Methods The ovarian cancer cell lines A2780 served as the research object,the stable cell line Wip1-sgRNA with low expression of Wip1 was constructed by infecting cell line A2780 with lentivirus(Wip1-sgRNA group),while the control cell line was NC-sgRNA(NC-sgRNA group).The cells were treated with PTX at appropriate time and divided into the Wip1-sgRNA+PTX group and NC-sgRNA+PTX group.The CCK8 method was used to detect the cell proliferation ability,the flow cytometry was used to detect the cell apoptosis,and the Transwell invasion assay was used to detect the cell invasion ability.Results Compared with the NC-sgRNA group,the expression lev-els of Wip1 mRNA and protein in the Wip1-sgRNA group were significantly down-regulated(P＜0.001).Un-der the condition of PTX gradient treatment for the same time,the cell survival rate of the Wip1-sgRNA group was significantly lower than that of the NC-sgRNA group(P＜0.001).The half maximal inhibitory concentration(IC50)of PTX in cells of the Wip1-sgRNA group at 48 h was significantly lower than that of the NC-sgRNA group(P＜0.001).Compared with the NC-sgRNA group,the proliferation ability of the Wip1-sgRNA group was significantly weakened(P＜0.001),the rate of cellular apoptosis was significantly in-creased(P＜0.001),and the number of transmenbrane cells was significantly decreased(P＜0.001).After PTX treatment,the proliferation ability was weakened compared with corresponding control groups,the rate of cellular apoptosis was significantly increased,and the number of transmenbrane cells was significantly de-creased;additionally,compared with the NC-sgRNA+PTX group,the cellular proliferation ability of the Wip1-sgRNA+PTX group was significantly weakened(P＜0.001),the rate of cellular apoptosis was signifi-cantly increased(P＜0.001),and the number of transmenbrane cells was significantly decreased(P＜0.001).Conclusion Wip1 gene silencing could increase the chemosensitivity of human ovarian cancer cell lines A2780 to PTX.

Objective:To construct an estimating equation to accurately reflect the aging phenomenon of the glomerular filtration rate(GFR).Methods:Healthy subjects receiving physical examinations at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University between January 2017 and April 2018 were included in the study, and the aging phenomenon of renal function indicators such as serum creatinine(Scr)was used as the reference standard to evaluate the accuracy of four Scr-based GFR equations during GFR aging, including the full age spectrum(FAS)equation, the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration(CKD-EPI)equation, the Osaka equation and the Xiangya equation.Results:Of 37 636 individuals receiving physical examinations, 6 534 met the criteria specified in this study.Scr, serum urea nitrogen, serum uric acid, and serum albumin showed a significant aging phenomenon( H=191.640, 196.693, 83.271, 414.585, P<0.001 for all).The GFR estimated by the four equations all decreased with aging, but the starting point and rate of decline were significantly different.The GFR aging phenomenon estimated by the FAS equation was closer to the trend of renal function indicators. Conclusions:The FAS equation may be more applicable to healthy people to understand the aging phenomenon of GFR.

Objective:To investigate the effect and mechanism of isorhynchophylline (IRN) on angiotensin Ⅱ(Ang Ⅱ)-induced cardiac hypertrophy.Methods:H9c2 cells were co-cultured with Ang Ⅱ and different concentrations of IRN (0, 5, 10, 25, 50 μmol/L). The cell surface area and mRNA levels of cardiac hypertrophy markers atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and β-myosin heavy chain (β-MHC) were detected to elucidate the effect of IRN on myocardial hypertrophy and the most effective concentration. H9c2 cells were co-cultured with Ang Ⅱ and IRN (25 μmol/L) at different times (0, 6, 12, 24 h) to elucidate the most effective time of inhibition. The phosphorylation levels of the signaling pathway were detected, and the effects of IRN and Akt inhibitor MK2206 on the phosphorylation levels of the signaling pathway were further explored to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.Results:Compared with the control group, the surface area of H9c2 cells, and the mRNA expression of myocardial hypertrophy markers ANP, BNP and β-MHC were significantly increased (all P<0.05). Pretreated with different concentrations of IRN (5, 10, 25, 50 μmol/L) could inhibit the increase in cell surface area induced by AngⅡ (all P<0.05), especially at the concentration of 25 μmol/ L ( P<0.01). IRN could time-dependently inhibit AngⅡ-induced activation of ANP, BNP, β-MHC mRNA (all P<0.05). AngⅡ caused increased phosphorylation levels of Akt, GSK3β, mTOR and FOXO3a. IRN could block AngⅡ-induced phosphorylation of the Akt signaling pathway. Conclusion:IRN attenuates AngⅡ-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy by inhibiting the Akt signaling pathway.

Sepsis is a potentially fatal condition characterized by the failure of one or more organs due to a disordered host response to infection. The development of sepsis is closely linked to immune dysfunction. As a result, immunotherapy has gained traction as a promising approach to sepsis treatment, as it holds the potential to reverse immunosuppression and restore immune balance, thereby improving the prognosis of septic patients. However, due to the highly heterogeneous nature of sepsis, it is crucial to carefully select the appropriate patient population for immunotherapy. This review summarizes the current and evolved treatments for sepsis-induced immunosuppression to enhance clinicians' understanding and practical application of immunotherapy in the management of sepsis.

Objective:To investigate the occurrence rate and distribution pattern of three-rooted mandibular molars in children using CBCT.Methods:CBCT images of 206 children aged 4-11 years were retrospectively analyzed.The root numbers of the bilateral man-dibular first and second deciduous molars,and the permanent mandibular first molars were recorded.A chi-square test was used to de-tect the gender and side difference.Spearman correlation test was used to analyze the relation between the bilateral homologous teeth and the mandibular first and second deciduous molars on each side.Results:The occurrence rate of three-rooted mandibular first and second deciduous molars and mandibular permanent first molars was 10.9％(19/175),25.1％(46/183)and 28.4％(57/201)for individuals,respectively(x2=18.543,P＜0.01),and 8.7％(32/366),19.0％(73/384)and 23.6％(95/402)for teeth(x2=30.692,P＜0.01),re-spectively.Gender difference was not detected for each tooth type(all P＞0.05),while side differences were detected in mandibular sec-ond deciduous molars and the frequency of three-rooted molar on the right and left side was 23.7％and 14.2％(P＜0.05),respectively.The concurrence rate of bilateral three-rooted mandibular deciduous first and second molars and mandibular permanent first molars was 57.9％(11/19),47.8％(22/46)and 66.7％(38/57),respectively,and the rho was 0.710,0.597 and 0.745,respectively(all P＜0.01);between the three-rooted deciduous first and second molars on the left side,rho=0.188(P＜0.05)and on the right side,rho=0.304(P＜0.01).Conclusion:The occurrence rate of three-rooted mandibular molars in children increases in the following sequence:first deciduous molars＜second deciduous molars＜first permanent molars.They frequently occur bilaterally and exhibit a moderate to high degree of correlation.However,the correlation was very weak between the mandibular deciduous first and second molars.

Objective: The aging demographic landscape worldwide portends a heightened prevalence of neurodegenerative disorders. Foremost among these is Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the foremost cause of dementia in older adults. The shortage of efficacious therapies and early diagnostic indicators underscores the imperative to identify non-invasive biomarkers for early detection and disease monitoring. Recently, blood metabolites have emerged as promising candidates for AD biomarkers. Methods: Leveraging nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy on plasma specimens, we conducted a cross-sectional study encompassing 35 AD patients and 35 age-matched healthy controls. Cognitive function was evaluated using the mini-mental state examination in all participants, followed by peripheral blood sample collection. We utilized univariate and multivariate analyses to perform targeted lipidomic profiling via NMR spectroscopy. Results: Our study revealed significant differences in the expression profiles of low-density lipoprotein-associated subfractions in females and high-density lipoprotein-associated subfractions in males between AD patients and healthy controls (all p<0.05). However, there was no significant metabolite overlap between males and females. Furthermore, receiver operating characteristic curve analysis demonstrated that the combination of lipid metabolites had good diagnostic values (all area under the curve>0.70; p<0.05). Conclusion Our findings suggest that the blood plasma samples using NMR hold promise in distinguishing between AD patients and healthy controls, with significant clinical implications for advancing AD diagnostic methodologies.

Objective: The aging demographic landscape worldwide portends a heightened prevalence of neurodegenerative disorders. Foremost among these is Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the foremost cause of dementia in older adults. The shortage of efficacious therapies and early diagnostic indicators underscores the imperative to identify non-invasive biomarkers for early detection and disease monitoring. Recently, blood metabolites have emerged as promising candidates for AD biomarkers. Methods: Leveraging nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy on plasma specimens, we conducted a cross-sectional study encompassing 35 AD patients and 35 age-matched healthy controls. Cognitive function was evaluated using the mini-mental state examination in all participants, followed by peripheral blood sample collection. We utilized univariate and multivariate analyses to perform targeted lipidomic profiling via NMR spectroscopy. Results: Our study revealed significant differences in the expression profiles of low-density lipoprotein-associated subfractions in females and high-density lipoprotein-associated subfractions in males between AD patients and healthy controls (all p<0.05). However, there was no significant metabolite overlap between males and females. Furthermore, receiver operating characteristic curve analysis demonstrated that the combination of lipid metabolites had good diagnostic values (all area under the curve>0.70; p<0.05). Conclusion Our findings suggest that the blood plasma samples using NMR hold promise in distinguishing between AD patients and healthy controls, with significant clinical implications for advancing AD diagnostic methodologies.