Objectives: . Idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL) is a significant cause of hearing loss. Intratympanic steroid injection (ITSI) is commonly used as an initial or salvage treatment; however, the lack of a standardized treatment protocol has resulted in variability in clinical practice. In addition, no efficient prediction model currently exists to support personalized management. Therefore, this study aimed to develop tailored management strategies for ISSNHL using a machine-learning model. Methods: . This retrospective multicenter cohort study was conducted between January 2015 and December 2020, with data analysis performed between January 2021 and March 2024. Patients were selected based on the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision criteria for ISSNHL, along with relevant medication and procedure codes. Patients with pure-tone audiogram results not meeting ISSNHL criteria, better initial hearing in the affected ear, an identifiable etiology, no post-treatment audiogram, or delayed treatment (>6 weeks) were excluded. We included 770 patients diagnosed with ISSNHL who received ITSI. The primary outcome was the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for prediction performance. Recovery status was determined using the last pure-tone audiogram. Modeling was conducted on the Quanta for Medical Care AI platform using five machine-learning algorithms and a nested cross-validation framework, in which feature selection and hyperparameter tuning were performed in the inner folds and model performance was evaluated in the outer folds. Results: . A random forest classifier outperformed the other models in predicting hearing outcomes, achieving an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.788. Time to ITSI was the most influential treatment-related factor, with ITSI administered within 10 days of hearing loss being associated with better outcomes. This model can be used to provide personalized prognostic estimates under different treatment protocols. Conclusion . The machine-learning-based prediction model facilitates personalized treatment strategies and timely treatment adjustments for ISSNHL, thereby optimizing the likelihood of complete recovery.

Aberrant expression of Colgalt1 is closely associated with tumorigenesis and tumor progres-sion;however,the mechanism by which it regulates macrophages to influence tumor development remains poorly understood.This study aimed to establish a macrophage-specific Colgalt1 gene knockout mouse model to delve into the mechanisms through which Colgalt1 modulates macrophage function and subse-quently affects the occurrence and progression of tumor-related diseases.Initially,Colgalt1flox+mice were generated using gene editing techniques,followed by crossing with Lyz2-Cre+mice,which exhibit tissue-specific expression in the myeloid lineage(including monocytes and mature macrophages).Through this strategy,mice with the genotype Colgalt1-/-Lyz2-Cre+were successfully obtained,achieving conditional knockout of the Colgalt1 gene in macrophages.Colgalt1flox/flox Lyz2-Cre-mice were used as control.PCR and agarose gel electrophoresis were employed to identify the Flox and Cre genotypes of the knockout mice.RT-qPCR and Western Blot techniques were utilized to detect the expression levels of Colgalt1 in BMDMs from knockout mice at both the mRNA and protein levels,respectively.Western Blot results re-vealed a significant downregulation of Colgaltl expression in BMDMs from knockout mice compared to controls(P＜0.01).RT-qPCR results demonstrated a significant reduction in Colgalt1 mRNA levels in BMDMs from knockout mice compared to contro1s(P＜0.001),while no significant differences in Col-galt1 mRNA expression were observed in liver,lung,or spleen tissues between the two groups.Addition-ally,immunohistochemistry was employed to detect Colgalt1 expression in liver-specific macrophages,re-vealing an absence of Colgalt l-positive staining in liver macrophages from knockout mice.HE staining was used to observe cellular morphology in liver tissues from both groups of mice,showing no significant differences in cellular morphology or obvious pathological changes in tissues and organs.Moreover,the o-verall survival of the mice was not affected.Finally,RT-qPCR was used to assess the expression of mac-rophage-related inflammatory factors in BMDMs from both groups of mice.The results indicated that com-pared to controls,knockout mice exhibited downregulated expression of TNF-α(P＜0.05)and signifi-cantly upregulated expression of IL-10(P＜0.01),Arginase1(P＜0.001),and CD206(P＜0.001)in BMDMs,suggesting an anti-inflammatory trend and M2 polarization of macrophages following Colgalt 1 knockout.In summary,this study successfully established a macrophage-specific Colgalt1 gene knockout mouse model,providing a more reliable experimental animal model for in-depth exploration of the specific roles of Colgalt1 in macrophage functional regulation and the pathogenesis of tumor-related diseases.This model holds promise for identifying novel therapeutic targets and strategies for tumors and other diseases.

Aberrant expression of Colgalt1 is closely associated with tumorigenesis and tumor progres-sion;however,the mechanism by which it regulates macrophages to influence tumor development remains poorly understood.This study aimed to establish a macrophage-specific Colgalt1 gene knockout mouse model to delve into the mechanisms through which Colgalt1 modulates macrophage function and subse-quently affects the occurrence and progression of tumor-related diseases.Initially,Colgalt1flox+mice were generated using gene editing techniques,followed by crossing with Lyz2-Cre+mice,which exhibit tissue-specific expression in the myeloid lineage(including monocytes and mature macrophages).Through this strategy,mice with the genotype Colgalt1-/-Lyz2-Cre+were successfully obtained,achieving conditional knockout of the Colgalt1 gene in macrophages.Colgalt1flox/flox Lyz2-Cre-mice were used as control.PCR and agarose gel electrophoresis were employed to identify the Flox and Cre genotypes of the knockout mice.RT-qPCR and Western Blot techniques were utilized to detect the expression levels of Colgalt1 in BMDMs from knockout mice at both the mRNA and protein levels,respectively.Western Blot results re-vealed a significant downregulation of Colgaltl expression in BMDMs from knockout mice compared to controls(P＜0.01).RT-qPCR results demonstrated a significant reduction in Colgalt1 mRNA levels in BMDMs from knockout mice compared to contro1s(P＜0.001),while no significant differences in Col-galt1 mRNA expression were observed in liver,lung,or spleen tissues between the two groups.Addition-ally,immunohistochemistry was employed to detect Colgalt1 expression in liver-specific macrophages,re-vealing an absence of Colgalt l-positive staining in liver macrophages from knockout mice.HE staining was used to observe cellular morphology in liver tissues from both groups of mice,showing no significant differences in cellular morphology or obvious pathological changes in tissues and organs.Moreover,the o-verall survival of the mice was not affected.Finally,RT-qPCR was used to assess the expression of mac-rophage-related inflammatory factors in BMDMs from both groups of mice.The results indicated that com-pared to controls,knockout mice exhibited downregulated expression of TNF-α(P＜0.05)and signifi-cantly upregulated expression of IL-10(P＜0.01),Arginase1(P＜0.001),and CD206(P＜0.001)in BMDMs,suggesting an anti-inflammatory trend and M2 polarization of macrophages following Colgalt 1 knockout.In summary,this study successfully established a macrophage-specific Colgalt1 gene knockout mouse model,providing a more reliable experimental animal model for in-depth exploration of the specific roles of Colgalt1 in macrophage functional regulation and the pathogenesis of tumor-related diseases.This model holds promise for identifying novel therapeutic targets and strategies for tumors and other diseases.

Objective To explore the effect of modified Buzhong Yiqi decoction(MBZYQ)on thyroid function in rats with Hashimoto's thyroiditis(HT)by regulating the Toll-like receptor 2(TLR2)/myeloid differentiation factor 88(MyD88)/nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB)signaling pathway.Methods The HT rat model was constructed.The successfully modeled rats were divided into the HT group,L-MBZYQ,M-MBZYQ,H-MBZYQ(intragastric administration of 11.35,22.70,and 45.40 g/kg MBZYQ granules,respectively),and the MBZYQ+Pam3CSK4 group(intragastric administration of 45.40 g/kg MBZYQ granules+intraperitoneal injection of 20 μg TLR2 agonist Pam3CSK4),with 10 rats in each group.Another 10 normally raised rats were selected as the control group.The pathological changes of thyroid tissues and the apoptosis of thyroid tissue cells in each group were observed by HE staining and TUNEL staining respectively.The expressions of serum thyroglobulin antibody(TGAb),thyroid peroxidase antibody(TPOAb),free triiodothyronine(FT3),free thyroxine(FT4),thyroid stimulating hormone(TSH),interleukin-17(IL-17),and interleukin-10(IL-10)were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Western blot was used to detect the protein expression of TLR2,MyD88 and NF-κB in thyroid tissues.Results The pathological damage of thyroid tissues in the L-MBZYQ,M-MBZYQ and H-MBZYQ groups was alleviated.The apoptosis rate of cells,the expressions of TGAb,TPOAb,TSH,IL-17,TLR2,MyD88 and NF-κB were lower than those in the HT group,while the expressions of FT3,FT4 and IL-10 were higher than those in the HT group.Moreover,the degree of decrease or increase in the M-MBZYQ and H-MBZYQ groups was greater than that in the L-MBZYQ group,and the changes in the H-MBZYQ group were greater than those in the M-MBZYQ group(P<0.05).The pathological damage of thyroid tissue in the MBZYQ+Pam3CSK4 group was further aggravated.The apoptosis rate of cells,the expressions of TGAb,TPOAb,TSH,IL-17,TLR2,MyD88 and NF-κB were higher than those in the H-MBZYQ group,while the expressions of FT3,FT4 and IL-10 were lower than those in the H-MBZYQ group(P<0.05).Conclusion MBZYQ can protect the thyroid function of HT rats,and its mechanism of action may be achieved by inhibiting the TLR2/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway.

With the rapid development of generative artificial intelligence(GAI)technologies,their widespread application in academic research and writing is continuously expanding the boundaries of sci-entific inquiry.However,this trend has also raised a series of ethical and regulatory challenges,inclu-ding issues related to authorship,content authenticity,citation accuracy,and accountability.In light of the growing involvement of AI in generating academic content,establishing an open,controllable,and trustworthy ethical governance framework has become a key task for safeguarding research integrity and maintaining trust within the academic community.This expert consensus outlines ethical requirements across key stages of AI-assisted academic writing-including topic selection,data management,citation practices,and authorship attribution.It aims to clarify the boundaries and ethical obligations surrounding AI use in academic writing,ensuring that technological tools enhance efficiency without compromising in-tegrity.The goal is to provide guidance and institutional support for building a responsible and sustainable research ecosystem.

Objective To explore the effect of modified Buzhong Yiqi decoction(MBZYQ)on thyroid function in rats with Hashimoto's thyroiditis(HT)by regulating the Toll-like receptor 2(TLR2)/myeloid differentiation factor 88(MyD88)/nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB)signaling pathway.Methods The HT rat model was constructed.The successfully modeled rats were divided into the HT group,L-MBZYQ,M-MBZYQ,H-MBZYQ(intragastric administration of 11.35,22.70,and 45.40 g/kg MBZYQ granules,respectively),and the MBZYQ+Pam3CSK4 group(intragastric administration of 45.40 g/kg MBZYQ granules+intraperitoneal injection of 20 μg TLR2 agonist Pam3CSK4),with 10 rats in each group.Another 10 normally raised rats were selected as the control group.The pathological changes of thyroid tissues and the apoptosis of thyroid tissue cells in each group were observed by HE staining and TUNEL staining respectively.The expressions of serum thyroglobulin antibody(TGAb),thyroid peroxidase antibody(TPOAb),free triiodothyronine(FT3),free thyroxine(FT4),thyroid stimulating hormone(TSH),interleukin-17(IL-17),and interleukin-10(IL-10)were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Western blot was used to detect the protein expression of TLR2,MyD88 and NF-κB in thyroid tissues.Results The pathological damage of thyroid tissues in the L-MBZYQ,M-MBZYQ and H-MBZYQ groups was alleviated.The apoptosis rate of cells,the expressions of TGAb,TPOAb,TSH,IL-17,TLR2,MyD88 and NF-κB were lower than those in the HT group,while the expressions of FT3,FT4 and IL-10 were higher than those in the HT group.Moreover,the degree of decrease or increase in the M-MBZYQ and H-MBZYQ groups was greater than that in the L-MBZYQ group,and the changes in the H-MBZYQ group were greater than those in the M-MBZYQ group(P<0.05).The pathological damage of thyroid tissue in the MBZYQ+Pam3CSK4 group was further aggravated.The apoptosis rate of cells,the expressions of TGAb,TPOAb,TSH,IL-17,TLR2,MyD88 and NF-κB were higher than those in the H-MBZYQ group,while the expressions of FT3,FT4 and IL-10 were lower than those in the H-MBZYQ group(P<0.05).Conclusion MBZYQ can protect the thyroid function of HT rats,and its mechanism of action may be achieved by inhibiting the TLR2/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Glutamine provides carbon and nitrogen to support the proliferation of cancer cells. However, the precise reason why cancer cells are particularly dependent on glutamine remains unclear. In this study, we report that glutamine modulates the tumor suppressor F-box and WD repeat domain-containing 7 (FBW7) to promote cancer cell proliferation and survival. Specifically, lysine 604 (K604) in the sixth of the 7 substrate-recruiting WD repeats of FBW7 undergoes glutaminylation (Gln-K604) by glutaminyl tRNA synthetase. Gln-K604 inhibits SCFFBW7-mediated degradation of c-Myc and Mcl-1, enhances glutamine utilization, and stimulates nucleotide and DNA biosynthesis through the activation of c-Myc. Additionally, Gln-K604 promotes resistance to apoptosis by activating Mcl-1. In contrast, SIRT1 deglutaminylates Gln-K604, thereby reversing its effects. Cancer cells lacking Gln-K604 exhibit overexpression of c-Myc and Mcl-1 and display resistance to chemotherapy-induced apoptosis. Silencing both c-MYC and MCL-1 in these cells sensitizes them to chemotherapy. These findings indicate that the glutamine-mediated signal via Gln-K604 is a key driver of cancer progression and suggest potential strategies for targeted cancer therapies based on varying Gln-K604 status.
Glutamine/metabolism* ; Myeloid Cell Leukemia Sequence 1 Protein/genetics* ; Humans ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc/genetics* ; Cell Proliferation ; Signal Transduction ; Neoplasms/pathology* ; F-Box-WD Repeat-Containing Protein 7/genetics* ; Cell Survival ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Apoptosis

With the rapid development of generative artificial intelligence(GAI)technologies,their widespread application in academic research and writing is continuously expanding the boundaries of sci-entific inquiry.However,this trend has also raised a series of ethical and regulatory challenges,inclu-ding issues related to authorship,content authenticity,citation accuracy,and accountability.In light of the growing involvement of AI in generating academic content,establishing an open,controllable,and trustworthy ethical governance framework has become a key task for safeguarding research integrity and maintaining trust within the academic community.This expert consensus outlines ethical requirements across key stages of AI-assisted academic writing-including topic selection,data management,citation practices,and authorship attribution.It aims to clarify the boundaries and ethical obligations surrounding AI use in academic writing,ensuring that technological tools enhance efficiency without compromising in-tegrity.The goal is to provide guidance and institutional support for building a responsible and sustainable research ecosystem.

BACKGROUND: The protective effect of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on cardiac ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury has been widely reported. Dental pulp-derived mesenchymal stem cells (DP-MSCs) have therapeutic effects on various diseases, including diabetes and cirrhosis. This study aimed to determine the therapeutic effects of DP-MSCs on I/R injury and elucidate the underlying mechanism. METHODS: Myocardial I/R injury model mice were treated with DP-MSCs or a miR-19a-3p mimic. The infarct volume, fibrotic area, pyroptosis, inflammation level, and cardiac function were measured. Cardiomyocytes exposed to hypoxia-reoxygenation were transfected with the miR-19a-3p mimic, miR-19a-3p inhibitor, or negative control. Pyroptosis and protein expression in the interferon regulatory factor 8/mitogen-activated protein kinase (IRF-8/MAPK) pathway were measured. RESULTS: DP-MSCs protected cardiac function in cardiac I/R-injured mice and inhibited cardiomyocyte pyroptosis. The upregulation of miR-19a-3p protected cardiac function, inhibited cardiomyocyte pyroptosis, and inhibited IRF-8/MAPK signaling in cardiac I/R-injured mice. DP-MSCs inhibited cardiomyocyte pyroptosis and the IRF-8/MAPK signaling by upregulating the miR-19a-3p levels in cardiomyocytes injured by I/R. CONCLUSION DP-MSCs protected cardiac function by inhibiting cardiomyocyte pyroptosis through miR-19a-3p under I/R conditions.
Animals ; MicroRNAs/metabolism* ; Pyroptosis/genetics* ; Mesenchymal Stem Cells/metabolism* ; Myocytes, Cardiac/cytology* ; Mice ; Male ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Dental Pulp/cytology* ; Myocardial Reperfusion Injury/therapy* ; MAP Kinase Signaling System/physiology*