Objective To study the correlation between Periostin, interleukin-33 (IL-33), and chronic cough after thoracoscopic lobectomy in patients with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) combined with lung cancer. Methods A total of 102 lung cancer and coronary heart disease patients at Tianjin Chest Hospital from January 2022 to January 2024 were prospectively enrolled, and they were divided into a chronic cough group (n=42) and a non-chronic cough group (n=60) based on whether chronic cough occurred after surgery. Serum levels of Periostin and IL-33 were measured on the 1st, 7th, and 14th days post-lobectomy. The Pearson method was employed to analyze the correlation between Periostin and IL-33 levels and the severity of cough. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify factors influencing the occurrence of chronic cough. Additionally, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was utilized to assess the potential value of serum Periostin and IL-33 levels in predicting postoperative chronic cough. Results In patients with chronic cough, the peripheral blood Periostin and IL-33 levels measured on days 7 and 14 were significantly higher than those in patients with non-chronic cough, and the interactions between the two groups and at different time points were significant (P<0.001). The degree of cough was positively correlated with the levels of Periostin and IL-33 on days 7 and 14 (P<0.05), but had no significant correlation with the levels on day 1 (P>0.05). In patients with lung cancer, after thoracoscopic lobectomy, Periostin [OR=1.619, 95%CI (1.295, 2.025)] and IL-33 [OR=1.831, 95%CI (1.216, 2.758)] on day 7 and Periostin [OR=1.952, 95%CI (1.306, 2.918)] and IL-33 [OR=1.742, 95%CI (1.166, 2.603)] on day 14 were identified as risk factors for chronic cough. ROC curve analysis showed that the sensitivity of Periostin on day 7 was 69.05%, the specificity was 71.67%, and the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.756 [95%CI (0.616, 0.893)]. The sensitivity of Periostin on day 14 increased to 71.43% and the specificity was 76.67%, AUC was 0.762 [95%CI (0.633, 0.898)]. At the same time, the critical value of IL-33 on day 7 was 45.03 pg/mL, the sensitivity and specificity were both 83.33%, the AUC was 0.884 [95%CI (0.789, 0.980)], and the critical value of IL-33 on day 14 was 56.01 pg/mL, the sensitivity was 85.71%, the specificity was 80.00%, and the AUC was 0.899 [95%CI (0.799, 0.999)]. Joint logistic regression analysis of Periostin and IL-33 levels on days 7 and 14 showed showed that the sensitivity was 95.24%, the specificity was 95.00%, and the AUC reached 0.993 [95%CI (0.979, 1.000)]. Conclusion Periostin and IL-33 levels, measured at various time points, are abnormally elevated following thoracoscopic lobectomy in patients with combined CABG and lung cancer. These levels significantly correlate with cough severity. Given their predictive potential for chronic cough, these markers are deemed valuable biomarkers.

ObjectiveTo explore the vascular endothelial injury in male mice caused by exposure to polystyrene microplastics （PS-MPs） and the intervention effect of luteolin on vascular remodeling. Additionally， to investigate the mechanism through the oxidative system and metabolomics. MethodsThirty-two C57BL/6 mice （6-8 weeks old） were randomly divided into the saline group （saline group）， the 0.1 mg/kg PS-MPs exposure group （0.1PS-MPs group）， the 1 mg/kg PS-MPs exposure group （1PS-MPs group）， and the 1 mg/kg PS-MPs + luteolin treatment group （1PS-MPs + Lut group）， with 8 mice in each group. After 8 weeks of intervention， the body weight， blood pressure， aortic organ coefficient， and aortic histopathological changes of mice in each group were detected； the total cholesterol （TC）， triglyceride （TG）， and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C） lipid metabolism-related indicators in the aorta of mice were detected； the reactive oxygen species （ROS）， glutathione （GSH）， and malondialdehyde （MDA） oxidative stress-related indicators were detected； the endothelin （ET-1）， nitric oxide （NO）， vascular endothelial growth factor A （VEGF-A）， vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 （VCAM-1/CD106）， and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 （ICAM-1/CD54） endothelial function-related indicators and serum metabolomics were detected. ResultsCompared to the saline group， exposure to PS-MPs resulted in pathological thickening of the mouse aorta， increased aortic organ coefficient， and elevated blood pressure. Lipid metabolism-related indicators， including TC and TG， were elevated， while HDL-C was reduced， indicating lipid metabolism disorder in mice. Oxidative stress markers such as ROS and MDA increased， whereas GSH decreased， demonstrating oxidative damage. Vascular endothelial inflammation and injury markers， including ET-1， VEGF-A， VCAM-1， and ICAM-1， were upregulated， while the vasodilatory substance NO was downregulated， confirming endothelial injury. Furthermore， serum metabolomics results revealed that PS-MPs exposure induced endothelial damage by disrupting metabolic pathways such as the citrate cycle. Compared to the PS-MPs group， luteolin significantly reversed these effects， attenuating oxidative stress and lipid metabolism disorders， and effectively repairing endothelial injury. ConclusionPS-MPs induce vascular toxicity through oxidative stress and lipid metabolism. Luteolin effectively alleviates endothelial damage and vascular remodeling.

Objective:To preliminarily explore therapeutic effects and possible molecular mechanisms of sinomenine on atopic dermatitis (AD) -like mouse models.Methods:Thirty female BALB/c mice (6 - 8 weeks old) were randomly divided into 5 groups: blank control group, model group, positive control group, topical sinomenine group, and oral sinomenine group. Except for the blank control group, all groups were subjected to repeated topical stimulation with 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) on the dorsal skin to establish an AD-like mouse model. After modeling, no special treatment was given to the blank control group, the positive control group was topically treated with 100 μg of 0.1% mometasone furoate cream twice daily on the lesions, the topical sinomenine group was topically treated with 100 μl of 10 mg/ml sinomenine solution twice daily on the lesions, and the oral sinomenine group was gavaged with sinomenine solution at a dose of 100 mg·kg -1·d -1 (100 μl per dose, twice daily) . Treatments lasted for 14 days. Twelve hours after the final treatment, the severity of skin lesions in each group was assessed. Blood samples were collected via enucleation, and serum levels of interleukin (IL) -1β, IL-6, and immunoglobulin E (IgE) were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) . Histopathological changes in dorsal skin lesions were observed, and immunohistochemical study was performed to detect the expression levels of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and nuclear factor (NF) -κB p65 in skin tissues, expressed as the percentage of the immunopositive area. One-way analysis of variance was used for multiple group comparisons, while Tukey′s test or the Games-Howell test was applied for post-hoc comparisons between groups. Results:Compared with the blank control group, the model group exhibited epidermal hyperkeratosis with parakeratosis, thickening of the spinous layer, spongiosis, significant inflammatory cell infiltration, and prominent angiogenesis. In contrast, the positive control group, topical sinomenine group, and oral sinomenine group showed reduced spinous layer thicknesses, decreased inflammatory cell infiltration, and less pronounced angiogenesis compared to the model group. In the blank control group, model group, positive control group, topical sinomenine group, and oral sinomenine group, the severity scores of skin lesions were 0, 8.83 ± 0.75, 4.33 ± 1.08, 2.58 ± 0.49, 2.83 ± 0.93 respectively, the serum levels of IL-1β were 52.58 ± 1.72, 168.40 ± 7.23, 57.07 ± 6.39, 85.74 ± 4.15, 100.30 ± 11.55 pg/ml respectively, IL-6 levels were 86.88 ± 4.60, 215.00 ± 5.02, 79.34 ± 4.91, 127.20 ± 1.06, 149.00 ± 6.21 pg/ml respectively, IgE levels were 2 159.00 ± 176.00, 3 493.00 ± 89.61, 2 294.00 ± 158.10, 2 550.00 ± 214.70, 2 814.00 ± 119.70 μg/ml respectively, the expression levels of p38 MAPK in skin tissues were 3.03% ± 3.38%, 12.95% ± 6.89%, 2.14% ± 1.28%, 5.28% ± 3.71%, 3.85% ± 2.26% respectively, and NF-κB p65 expression levels were 0.61% ± 0.49%, 18.92% ± 6.96%, 3.77% ± 1.90%, 5.66% ± 2.28%, 6.25% ± 3.14% respectively; the differences in all the above parameters were statistically significant among groups (all P < 0.05) . Compared with the blank control group, the model group had significantly increased skin lesion severity scores, serum IL-1β, IL-6, and IgE levels, as well as elevated expression of p38 MAPK and NF-κB p65 in skin tissues (all P < 0.01) . Compared with the model group, the positive control group, topical sinomenine group, and oral sinomenine group showed significantly reduced skin lesion severity scores, decreased serum IL-1β, IL-6, and IgE levels, and lower expression of p38 MAPK and NF-κB p65 in skin tissues (all P < 0.05) . Compared with the positive control group, the topical and oral sinomenine groups exhibited further reductions in skin lesion severity scores (both P < 0.05) . Additionally, the topical sinomenine group showed significantly lower serum levels of IL-1β and IL-6 compared with the oral sinomenine group (both P < 0.05) . Conclusion:Sinomenine solution could obviously alleviate the severity of skin lesions in AD-like mouse models, likely by down-regulating the expression of IL-1β, IL-6 and IgE, inhibiting the MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway, and thus reducing the degree of inflammation.

This study was aimed at identifying the pathogenic bacteria responsible for the death of a young tiger at the Fujian Meihua Mountain South China Tiger Breeding Research Institute.Tissue samples from the lungs,liver,and intestines of the deceased tiger were collected,and the bacteria were cultured inasterile environment.The bacterial strains were characterized according to their morphological and molecular biological properties,including assessment of virulence genes and antibiotic resistance genes,mouse lethality tests,and antibiotic susceptibility evaluations.A predominant bacterial strain isolated from the liver of the deceased tiger was identified as enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli(ETEC)strain Tiger22513F.Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene revealed that the Tiger22513F strain exhibited close genetic similarity to the reference strain ETEC(MF919609.1),with 99.9%nucleotide similarity,and resided on the same evolutionary branch.The Tiger22513F strain contained 11 antibiotic resistance genes(tetA,sul1,sul3,cmlA,floR,blaTEM,blaSHV,blaCMY-2,qnrA,qnrS,and qnrD)along with five virulence genes(VT1,fyuA,tsh,iucD,and ST).Mouse lethality tests indicated significant pathogenicity toward mice,affecting primarily the lungs,liver,and intestines.Antibiotic susceptibility testing demonstrated that this strain exhibited resistance to various classes of beta-lactam antibiotics,as well as quinolones and aminoglycosides.This investigation successfully isolated a multi-drug resistant enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli strain with pronounced pathogenicity from the liver of a deceased tiger;thus providing valuable scientific insights for clinical diagnosis,as well as prevention and control measures,against ETEC infections in South China tigers.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the key target molecules and potential mechanisms of oridonin against non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: The target molecules of oridonin were retrieved from SEA, STITCH, SuperPred and TargetPred databases; target genes associated with the treatment of NSCLC were retrieved from GeneCards, DisGeNET and TTD databases. Then, the overlapping target molecules between the drug and the disease were identified. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) was constructed using the STRING database according to overlapping targets, and Cytoscape was used to screen for key targets. Molecular docking verification were performed using AutoDockTools and PyMOL software. Using the DAVID database, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis were conducted. The impact of oridonin on the proliferation and apoptosis of NSCLC cells was assessed using cell counting kit-8, cell proliferation EdU image kit, and Annexin V-FITC/PI apoptosis kit respectively. Moreover, real-time quantitative PCR and Western blot were used to verify the potential mechanisms. RESULTS: Fifty-six target molecules and 12 key target molecules of oridonin involved in NSCLC treatment were identified, including tumor protein 53 (TP53), Caspase-3, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 8 (MAPK8), and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). Molecular docking showed that oridonin and its key target molecules bind spontaneously. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses revealed cancer, apoptosis, phosphoinositide-3 kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt), and other signaling pathways. In vitro experiments showed that oridonin inhibited the proliferation, induced apoptosis, downregulated the expression of Bcl-2 and Akt, and upregulated the expression of Caspase-3. CONCLUSION Oridonin can act on multiple targets and pathways to exert its inhibitory effects on NSCLC, and its mechanism may be related to upregulating the expression of Caspase-3 and downregulating the expressions of Akt and Bcl-2.
Diterpenes, Kaurane/chemistry* ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/pathology* ; Humans ; Network Pharmacology ; Lung Neoplasms/pathology* ; Cell Proliferation/drug effects* ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; Protein Interaction Maps/drug effects* ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic/drug effects* ; Reproducibility of Results ; Gene Ontology

Effective annotation of in vivo drug metabolites using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) remains a formidable challenge. Herein, a metabolic reaction-based molecular networking (MRMN) strategy is introduced, which enables the "one-pot" discovery of prototype drugs and their metabolites. MRMN constructs networks by matching metabolic reactions and evaluating MS² spectral similarity, incorporating innovations and improvements in feature degradation of MS² spectra, exclusion of endogenous interference, and recognition of redundant nodes. A minimum 75% correlation between structural similarity and MS² similarity of neighboring metabolites was ensured, mitigating false negatives due to spectral feature degradation. At least 79% of nodes, 49% of edges, and 97% of subnetworks were reduced by an exclusion strategy of endogenous ions compared to the Global Natural Products Social Molecular Networking (GNPS) platform. Furthermore, an approach of redundant ions identification was refined, achieving a 10%-40% recognition rate across different samples. The effectiveness of MRMN was validated through a single compound, plant extract, and mixtures of multiple plant extracts. Notably, MRMN is freely accessible online at https://yaolab.network, broadening its applications.

Cemental tear is a rare and indetectable condition unless obvious clinical signs present with the involvement of surrounding periodontal and periapical tissues. Due to its clinical manifestations similar to common dental issues, such as vertical root fracture, primary endodontic diseases, and periodontal diseases, as well as the low awareness of cemental tear for clinicians, misdiagnosis often occurs. The critical principle for cemental tear treatment is to remove torn fragments, and overlooking fragments leads to futile therapy, which could deteriorate the conditions of the affected teeth. Therefore, accurate diagnosis and subsequent appropriate interventions are vital for managing cemental tear. Novel diagnostic tools, including cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), microscopes, and enamel matrix derivatives, have improved early detection and management, enhancing tooth retention. The implementation of standardized diagnostic criteria and treatment protocols, combined with improved clinical awareness among dental professionals, serves to mitigate risks of diagnostic errors and suboptimal therapeutic interventions. This expert consensus reviewed the epidemiology, pathogenesis, potential predisposing factors, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of cemental tear, aiming to provide a clinical guideline and facilitate clinicians to have a better understanding of cemental tear.
Humans ; Dental Cementum/injuries* ; Consensus ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Cone-Beam Computed Tomography ; Tooth Fractures/therapy*

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of the"dynamic and static combination"approach in the treatment of Hepple Ⅰ-Ⅲ type osteochondral lesions of the talus(OLT),utilizing external ankle shaking,pulling,and poking manipulations in conjunction with ankle brace fixation.Methods A total of 82 patients diagnosed with OLT,who sought treatment at four hospitals between June 2022 and December 2023,were included in the study.Both the experimental and control groups received ankle immobilization using braces through-out the treatment period.The control group was administered Voltaren Emulgel topically twice daily(morning and evening),with each treatment course lasting 30 days,for a total of one course.The experimental group received additional therapeutic intervention involving shaking,pulling,and poking manipulations,conducted twice weekly,with the same duration and number of treatment courses as the control group.Follow-up assessments were scheduled at 2 weeks,4 weeks,and 2 months post-treatment.Outcome measures included the pain rating index(PRI),visual analogue scale(VAS)for pain intensity,current pain intensity(PPI),American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society(AOFAS)ankle and hindfoot scores,proprioceptive function,and the size of OLT.Results During the longitudinal assessment conducted at 2-week,4-week,and follow-up intervals,the experimental group exhibited superior clinical outcomes compared to the control group,with statistically significant decreases in PRI,PPI,and AOFAS scores(all P＜0.05).VAS scores showed progressive improvement over time,with significant intergroup differences observed at both the 4-week and follow-up assessments(P＜0.05).Biomechanical analysis performed post-intervention indicated improved kinematic repositioning accuracy in the experimental group,as reflected by significantly reduced active-passive error angles(P＜0.05).Importantly,measurements of OLT area revealed notable therapeutic effects in the experimental group(P＜0.05),whereas no statistically significant changes were observed in the control group throughout the study period(all P＞0.05).Conclusions Under the guidance of the"dynamic and static combination"concept,the integration of shaking,pulling,and poking manipu-lation with conventional Western medicine-based conservative treatment for OLT demonstrates more pronounced advantages in alleviating pain,improving ankle joint function,restoring proprioception,facilitating lesion recovery,and enhancing overall quality of life.

Background and purpose:Intracellular deubiquitylating enzymes,such as ubiquitin-specific peptidase 2(USP2),play a pivotal role in regulating protein degradation and cellular homeostasis by modulating protein ubiquitin deconjugation,which have been implicated in the proliferation and survival of multiple myeloma(MM)cells.Targeting the inhibition of USP2 activity in MM cells might modulate their biological behavior.This study aimed to investigate regulatory effects of the leukotriene receptor antagonist montelukast sodium on USP2 in MM cells and its subsequent biological effects.Methods:An in vitro deubiquitination reaction system was established using purified USP2 protein and its substrate,the glutathione S-transferase(GST)tagged ubiquitin A-52 residue ribosomal protein fusion product(UbA52),known as GST-UbA52 protein.This system was used to characterize inhibitory effects of montelukast sodium on USP2 deubiquitinase activity.The MM cell lines MM1.S and H929 were used as in vitro models.Cellular thermal shift assay(CETSA)was subsequently employed to test interaction mode between montelukast sodium and USP2 in MM cells.Western blot assay was applied to detect expression levels of USP2 and its targeting regulators,including cell cycle supervisors cyclin D1(CCND1)and cyclin A1(CCNA1),classical signaling transducer KRAS and glucose regulated protein 78kD(GRP78),as well as apoptotic molecule C/EBP-homologous protein(CHOP)in MM1.S and H929 cells before and after the treatment with different concentrations of montelukast sodium.MM cells with either overexpression(H929-OE,MM1.S-OE)or knockdown(H929-LE,MM1.S-LE)of USP2 were generated using a lentiviral vector.Cell counting kit-8(CCK-8)and flow cytometry were utilized to detect the proliferation and apoptotic rates of H929-OE,MM1.S-OE,H929-LE and MM1.S-LE cells treated with montelukast sodium.Results:Montelukast sodium was found to inhibit USP2 mediated degradation of GST-UbA52 protein in a concentration-dependent manner,with a half inhibitory concentration(IC50)of 3.814 μmol/L.Additionally,montelukast sodium significantly enhanced the thermal stability of USP2 at temperatures of 49.1,53.2 and 56.4℃.It was also shown that montelukast sodium could down-regulate expressions of CCND1,CCNA1 and KRAS,while increase levels of GRP78 and CHOP in MM1.S and H929 cells.Furthermore,after treating with 40 μmol/L montelukast sodium for 24 h,the proliferation inhibition and apoptotic rate of H929-OE cells reached to(37.68±1.10)%and(18.99±0.26)%,while the proliferation inhibition and apoptotic rate of MM1.S-OE cells reached to(24.48±0.49)%and(33.29±0.75)%,which were significantly lower than those in H929 and MM1.S cells[H929:(57.19±1.93)%and(45.65±0.24)%;MM1.S:(50.04±0.53)%and(40.25±0.91)%;P＜0.05,n=3].Conversely,the proliferation inhibition and apoptotic rates of H929-LE and MM1.S-LE cells were significantly higher[H929-LE-1#:(80.70±1.60)%and(89.08±0.49)%;H929-LE-2#:(75.30±3.80)%and(82.41±1.07)%;MM1.S-LE-1#:(70.64±0.84)%and(67.63±0.21)%;MM1.S-LE-2#:(68.47±1.32)%and(85.90±0.18)%;P＜0.05,n=3].Conclusion:Montelukast sodium can target ubiquitin proteasome regulator USP2 and inhibit its deubiquitylating activity,which may modulate USP2 directing protein and trigger endoplasmic reticulum stress to induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in MM cells.

This study was aimed at establishing a method of ultra-fast quantitative PCR for Brucella detection.We used an exogenous recombinant plasmid as the internal reference and targeted the T4SS secretion system,an important Brucella viru-lence factor,to design specific primers and probes.The sensitivity,specificity,and repeatability of this method were evaluated,and a standard curve was constructed.The coincidence rate of detection findings with this method versus quantitative PCR was determined.This method markedly decreased the detection time to only 10 minutes.The standard curve demonstrated a good linear relationship(Y=-3.410 7x+38.357,R2=0.998 5)with a low minimum detection limit of 10 copies/μL.The method exhibited good specificity and did not specifically amplify several common clinical bacteria other than Brucella.The de-tection of three concentrations of positive plasmids yielded coefficients of variation(CVs)of 0.20％to 0.91％,thus demonstra-ting the method's excellent repeatability.Furthermore,140 clinical samples were analyzed concurrently with the fluorescence PCR method,which yielded a 100％compliance rate and consistent results.Our findings indicated that the Brucella ultra-fast quantitative PCR was ultrafast;had high sensitivity,high specificity,and good specificity;and can be used for the clinical de-tection of Brucella and emergency investigation of epidemics.Therefore,this method is valuable for the early diagnosis of Bru-cella.