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 analyze the change characteristics of creatinine level in the early stage of patients with diquat (DQ) poisoning, and to explore the early risk factors and the value of prognosis.Methods:A retrospective analysis was carried out on patients with DQ admitted to the the first affiliated hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2020 to June 2022. The DQ patients were divided into death group and the survival group according to the 28 days survival status after posioning. The basic data and serum indexes and blood gas analysis of the patients on day 1 (D1), day 3 (D3) and day 5 (D5) were collected. The difference of clinical features between the two groups was analyzed, the variables were screened by multiple logistic regression analysis, and the predictive value of the variables was evaluated by drawing receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC curve).Results:A total of 88 patients were included, including 40 patients in the survival group and 48 patients in the death group. The toxic dose in death group was significantly higher than that in survival group [100(40.00, 120.00) mL vs. 50.00(20.00, 90.00) mL, P=0.003]. The higher the toxic dose, the higher the fatality rate. All 4 patients with oral doses greater than 200 mL died. Compared with the survival group, the levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (D3, D5), creatinine (CR) (D3, D5), blood amylase (AMY) (D5) and oxygen partial pressure (PaO 2) (D5) in the death group were significantly higher than those in the survival group (all P<0.05). Multiple Logistic regression analysis showed that CR (D3) and AMY(D5) were independent risk factors for death after poisoning, and PaO 2(D5) was independent protective factor. ROC curve showed that the areas under ROC curve of CR (D3), AMY (D5) and PaO 2 (D5) were 0.814, 0.741 and 0.702, respectively. Conclusion:The higher the oral dose, the higher the death rate. After admission, CR(D3), AMY (D5) and PaO 2 (D5) were independent factors influencing the prognosis of DQ poisoning. In particular, CR (D3) is more effective in predicting death after poisoning.

Objective To investigate the relationship between the expression of long non-coding RNA C-terminal binding protein 1 antisense RNA2(LncRNA CTBP1-AS2)and microRNA-140-5p(miR-140-5p)levels in nasopharyngeal carcinoma tissues and the radiotherapeutic effect and prognosis.Methods A total of 222 nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients diagnosed in Nantong Cancer Hospital from March 2018 to March 2020 were collected as the nasopharyngeal carcinoma group.The clinical data of these patients were recorded,the radiotherapeutic effect and prognosis were evaluated,and they were grouped into the survival group(n=194)and the death group(n=28).Meanwhile,another 219 patients with nasopharyngeal inflammation were collected as the control group.Correlation between LncRNA CTBP1-AS2 and miR-140-5p expression levels in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients was calculated using Pearson correlation analysis.Kaplan-Meier survival curve was applied to analyze the relationship between the expression levels of LncRNA CTBP1-AS2 and miR-140-5p in nasopharyngeal carcinoma tissue and prognosis.Multivariate analysis was conducted on the prognosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients using Cox proportional risk regression model.Results The expression level of LncRNA CTBP1-AS2 in the tissues of patients in nasopharyngeal carcinoma group(2.25±0.46)was higher than that in the control group(1.02±0.22),while the expression level of miR-140-5p(0.67±0.19)was lower than that in the control group(1.01±0.23),and the differences were statistically significant(t=35.742,16.934,all P<0.001).There was a negative correlation between LncRNA CTBP1-AS2 and miR-140-5p expression levels in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients(r=-0.624,P<0.001).The total effective rate(74.11%)and 3-year survival rate(77.68%)of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients with high expression of LncRNA CTBP1-AS2 after radiotherapy were lower than those with low expression(93.64%,97.27%),and the differences were statistically significant(χ2=15.578,19.331,all P<0.001).The total effective rate(93.58%)and 3-year survival rate(96.33%)of patients with high expression of miR-140-5p after radiotherapy were higher than those of patients with low expression(74.34%,78.76%),and the differences were statistically significant(χ2=15.119,15.538,all P<0.001).The magnetic resonance amide proton transfer(APT)value(2.10±0.26),the proportion of patients with radiotherapy failure(85.71%),high expression of LncRNA CTBP1-AS2(89.29%),and low expression of miR-140-5p(85.71%)in the death group were higher than those in the survival group(1.82±0.31,6.19%,44.85%,45.88%),and the differences were statistically significant(t/χ2=4.551,108.127,19.331,15.538,all P<0.001).The level of LncRNA CTBP1-AS2 was a risk factor for mortality within 3 years in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients(HR=2.762,95%CI:1.510～5.051,P=0.001),while the level of miR-140-5p was a protective factor for mortality within 3 years in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients(HR=0.817,95%CI:0.718～0.930,P=0.002).Conclusion LncRNA CTBP1-AS2 was highly expressed,while miR-140-5p was lowly expressed in nasopharyngeal carcinoma tissue,indicating the two may be closely related to the radiotherapeutic effect and prognosis.

Objective:The study retrospectively analyzed the etiology, clinical manifestations, emergency treatment and etiological treatment of a large sample of cases with hypercalcemic crisis.Methods:The clincial data of patients with hypercalcaemia cirisis who were administered in First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital from January 2009 to July 2022 were analyzed, inculding the general data, clinical manifestations, etiology, photographic examination, emergency treatment, etiological treatment, serological examination before and after treatment, pathological immunohistochemical findings and prognosis.Results:A total of 143 hypercalcaemia crisis patients(84 males and 59 females) with a mean age of 53.51±16.60 were enrolled. The most common disease was hyperparathyroidism(62/143), followed by solid malignancy(57/143) and multiple myeloma(12/143). Patients presented with digestive system symptoms at 76.91%, followed by neurological symptoms at 63.60%, urinary system symptoms at 58.76%, musculoskeletal symptoms at 55.23%, and cardiovascular system symptoms at 32.91%. After emergency calcium-lowering treatment, the remission rate of hypercalcemic crisis in 143 patients was 100%(143/143), and after etiological treatment, the remission rate of hypercalcemia was 85.31%(122/143).Conclusion:Early identification, emergency treatment and etiology treatment of hypercalcaemia crisis are essential. Effective treament with comprehensive calcium reduction can quickly relieve clinical symptoms and create opportunities for treatment for the cause. Targeted etiological interventions can lead to the correction or long-term remission of hypercalcemia.

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 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.

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 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.