This study employed bioinformatics to screen the feature genes related to efferocytosis in diabetic kidney disease(DKD) and explores traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) regulating these feature genes. The GSE96804 and GSE30528 datasets were integrated as the training set, and the intersection of differentially expressed genes and efferocytosis-related genes(ERGs) was identified as DKD-ERGs. Subsequently, correlation analysis, protein-protein interaction(PPI) network construction, enrichment analysis, and immune infiltration analysis were performed. Consensus clustering was conducted on DKD patients based on the expression levels of DKD-ERGs, and the expression levels, immune infiltration characteristics, and gene set variations between different subtypes were explored. Eight machine learning models were constructed and their prediction performance was evaluated. The best-performing model was evaluated by nomograms, calibration curves, and external datasets, followed by the identification of efferocytosis-related feature genes associated with DKD. Finally, potential TCMs that can regulate these feature genes were predicted. The results showed that the training set contained 640 differentially expressed genes, and after intersecting with ERGs, 12 DKD-ERGs were obtained, which demonstrated mutual regulation and immune modulation effects. Consensus clustering divided DKD into two subtypes, C1 and C2. The support vector machine(SVM) model had the best performance, predicting that growth arrest-specific protein 6(GAS6), S100 calcium-binding protein A9(S100A9), C-X3-C motif chemokine ligand 1(CX3CL1), 5'-nucleotidase(NT5E), and interleukin 33(IL33) were the feature genes of DKD. Potential TCMs with therapeutic effects included Astragali Radix, Trionycis Carapax, Sargassum, Rhei Radix et Rhizoma, Curcumae Radix, and Alismatis Rhizoma, which mainly function to clear heat, replenish deficiency, activate blood, resolve stasis, and promote urination and drain dampness. Molecular docking revealed that the key components of these TCMs, including β-sitosterol, quercetin, and sitosterol, exhibited good binding activity with the five target genes. These results indicated that efferocytosis played a crucial role in the development and progression of DKD. The feature genes closely related to both DKD and efferocytosis, such as GAS6, S100A9, CX3CL1, NT5E, and IL33, were identified. TCMs such as Astragali Radix, Trionycis Carapa, Sargassum, Rhei Radix et Rhizoma, Curcumae Radix, and Alismatis Rhizoma may provide a new therapeutic strategy for DKD by regulating efferocytosis.
Humans ; Computational Biology ; Diabetic Nephropathies/physiopathology* ; Protein Interaction Maps ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Phagocytosis/genetics* ; Efferocytosis

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a clinically rare, genetically and phenotypically heterogeneous condition characterized by chronic respiratory tract infections, male infertility, tympanitis, and laterality abnormalities. PCD is typically resulted from variants in genes encoding assembly or structural proteins that are indispensable for the movement of motile cilia. Here, we identified a novel nonsense mutation, c.466G>T, in cilia- and flagella-associated protein 300 ( CFAP300 ) resulting in a stop codon (p.Glu156*) through whole-exome sequencing (WES). The proband had a PCD phenotype with laterality defects and immotile sperm flagella displaying a combined loss of the inner dynein arm (IDA) and outer dynein arm (ODA). Bioinformatic programs predicted that the mutation is deleterious. Successful pregnancy was achieved through intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Our results expand the spectrum of CFAP300 variants in PCD and provide reproductive guidance for infertile couples suffering from PCD caused by them.
Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Pregnancy ; China ; Ciliary Motility Disorders/genetics* ; Codon, Nonsense ; East Asian People/genetics* ; Exome Sequencing ; Homozygote ; Infertility, Male/genetics* ; Kartagener Syndrome/genetics* ; Pedigree ; Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic ; Cytoskeletal Proteins/genetics*

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Shexiang Tongxin Dropping Pill (STDP) in treating stable angina patients with phlegm-heat and blood-stasis syndrome by exercise duration and metabolic equivalents. METHODS: This multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial enrolled stable angina patients with phlegm-heat and blood-stasis syndrome from 22 hospitals. They were randomized 1:1 to STDP (35 mg/pill, 6 pills per day) or placebo for 56 days. The primary outcome was the exercise duration and metabolic equivalents (METs) assessed by the standard Bruce exercise treadmill test after 56 days of treatment. The secondary outcomes included the total angina symptom score, Chinese medicine (CM) symptom scores, Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ) scores, changes in ST-T on electrocardiogram and adverse events (AEs). RESULTS: This trial enrolled 309 patients, including 155 and 154 in the STDP and placebo groups, respectively. STDP significantly prolonged exercise duration with an increase of 51.0 s, compared to a decrease of 12.0 s with placebo (change rate: -11.1% vs. 3.2%, P<0.01). The increase in METs was significantly greater in the STDP group than in the placebo group (change: -0.4 vs. 0.0, change rate: -5.0% vs. 0.0%, P<0.01). The improvement of total angina symptom scores (25.0% vs. 0.0%), CM symptom scores (38.7% vs. 11.8%), reduction of nitroglycerin consumption (100.0% vs. 11.3%), and all domains of SAQ, were significantly greater with STDP than placebo (all P<0.01). The changes in Q-T intervals at 28 and 56 days from baseline were similar between the two groups (both P>0.05). Twenty-five participants (16.3%) with STDP and 16 (10.5%) with placebo experienced AEs (P=0.131), with no serious AEs observed. CONCLUSION STDP could improve exercise tolerance in patients with stable angina and phlegm-heat and blood stasis syndrome, with a favorable safety profile. (Registration No. ChiCTR-IPR-15006020).
Humans ; Double-Blind Method ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/adverse effects* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Angina, Stable/physiopathology* ; Aged ; Syndrome ; Treatment Outcome ; Placebos ; Tablets

Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are the primary fibrogenic cells in the liver, and their activation plays a crucial role in the development and progression of hepatic fibrosis. Here, we report that retinoid X receptor-alpha (RXRα), a unique member of the nuclear receptor superfamily, is a key modulator of HSC activation and liver fibrosis. RXRα exerts its effects by modulating calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase β (CaMKKβ)-mediated activation of AMP-activated protein kinase-alpha (AMPKα). In addition, we demonstrate that K-80003, which binds RXRα by a unique mechanism, effectively suppresses HSC activation, proliferation, and migration, thereby inhibiting liver fibrosis in the CCl₄ and amylin liver NASH (AMLN) diet animal models. The effect is mediated by AMPKα activation, promoting mitophagy in HSCs. Mechanistically, K-80003 activates AMPKα by inducing RXRα to form condensates with CaMKKβ and AMPKα via a two-phase process. The formation of RXRα condensates is driven by its N-terminal intrinsic disorder region and requires phosphorylation by CaMKKβ. Our results reveal a crucial role of RXRα in liver fibrosis regulation through modulating mitochondrial activities in HSCs. Furthermore, they suggest that K-80003 and related RXRα modulators hold promise as therapeutic agents for fibrosis-related diseases.

Objective To compare the blood flow perfusion area in different retinal vascular plexuses between adults and children using swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography(SS-OCTA)and explore the correlation of the retinal blood flow perfusion area with spherical equivalent(SE)and axial length(AL).Methods A total of 112 partici-pants,including 58 children(116 eyes,aged 8-13 years)and 54 adults(108 eyes,aged 18-30 years),were recruited from Eye Hospital,Wenzhou Medical University from December 2020 to December 2024.Based on SE,these children and adults were further divided into the emmetropia(-0.50＜SE ≤+0.50 D),low myopia(-3.00＜SE≤-0.50 D),and moderate myopia(-6.00＜SE≤-3.00 D)groups.SS-OCTA was used to acquire the perfusion area data across retinal vascular layers.The inner vascular network of the retina was subdivided into the peripapillary radial vascular network,su-perficial vascular plexus(SVP),middle vascular plexus(MVP),and deep vascular plexus(DVP).The blood flow perfu-sion areas across retinal vascular layers were compared between adults and children.Pearson correlation analysis was per-formed to assess the correlation of the blood flow perfusion areas across retinal vascular layers with AL and SE in adults and children,respectively.Results SE was negatively correlated with AL in both adults and children(r=-0.781 and-0.667,respectively;both P＜0.001).The total inner retinal perfusion area was negatively correlated with AL in both adults and children(r=-0.239 and-0.299,respectively;both P＜0.05).In children,the perfusion area in the peripapil-lary radial vascular network,SVP,and DVP was negatively correlated with AL(r=-0.443,-0.315,and-0.220,respec-tively;all P＜0.05).In adults,the perfusion area in SVP,MVP,and DVP was negatively correlated with AL(r=-0.243,-0.230,and-0.364,respectively;all P＜0.05).Adults with low/moderate myopia exhibited a significantly larger perfu-sion area in the peripapillary radial vascular network compared with children with corresponding myopia levels,and the differences were statistically significant(both P＜0.001).Conclusion There were significant differences in the perfu-sion area of the peripapillary radial vascular network between adult and pediatric myopic patients.AL showed the strongest correlations with the perfusion area of the peripapillary radial vascular network in adults and the perfusion area of DVP in children,respectively,suggesting distinct effects of retinal vascular layers at different stages of ocular growth.

Objective:To explore the effect of preoperative visits based on lean management theory in the preoperative psychological state of patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass surgery.Methods:According to the coin toss method,72 patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass surgery admitted to the Cardiothoracic Surgery Department of Chenzhou First People's Hospital from May 2024 to August 2024 were randomly divided into control group and observation group,with 36 cases in each group.The control group was given routine preoperative visits,and the observation group was given preoperative visits based on lean management theory on the basis of the control group.The psychological state,information demand level,vital signs and satisfaction of the patients were compared between the two groups 1 day before operation and when entering the room.Results:After intervention,the scores of State Anxiety Scale(S-AI)and Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale(APAIS)were decreased in both groups,and the observation group were significantly lower than control group(P＜0.05).The vital signs(heart rate,systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure)in observation group were lower than control group(P＜0.05).After intervention,the satisfaction of patients in observation group was significantly increased(P＜0.05).Conclusion:The implementation of preoperative visit based on lean management theory can help improve the preoperative psychological state of patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass surgery,eliminate anxiety,provide patients with more targeted surgical information support for patients,stabilize patients 'vital signs,and improve patients' satisfaction.

Aim To investigate the role of FRMD4A in autophagy of placental trophoblast cells in preeclampsia(PE).Methods The placental tissues and clinical data of normal pregnancy and PE were obtained,and the histopathological changes were observed by HE staining.An in vitro model of hypoxia-induced HTR-8/SVneo trophoblast cells was established.The expres-sions of LC3B Ⅱ/Ⅰ and p62 in placental tissues and hypoxic cell models were analyzed by Western blot.The expression of FRMD4A was detected by qRT-PCR,Western blot and immunofluorescence,and the correlation between the expression level of FRMD4A and the clinical characteristics of the subjects was ana-lyzed by Pearson correlation analysis.Hypoxia induced trophoblast cells were transfected with si-FRMD4A,and the expression of LC3 B Ⅱ/Ⅰ and p62 was analyzed by Western blot.Results Compared with the normal group,the expression of LC3B Ⅱ/Ⅰ in PE placental tissues and hypoxia-induced trophoblast models was significantly upregulated,while the expression of p62 was significantly downregulated.Meanwhile,the ex-pression of FRMD4A increased significantly.Moreo-ver,its expression was positively correlated with the maternal systolic blood pressure,diastolic blood pres-sure,and platelet count,but negatively correlated with the neonatal weight(P＜0.01).In addition,hypoxia-induced trophoblast cells transfected with si-FRMD4A showed a significant decrease in LC3B Ⅱ/Ⅰ and an increase in p62 expression.Conclusions The expres-sion of FRMD4A is upregulated in PE placenta and hy-poxia-induced trophoblast cell model.Interfering with it can significantly hinder the autophagy process of trophoblast cells,suggesting that it may serve as a po-tential molecular target to participate in the pathologi-cal process of PE.

Objective:To explore the effect of esketamine on lung ischemia-reperfusion oxidative stress markers and pulmonary complications in patients undergoing radical surgery for lung cancer.Methods:A prospective randomized-controlled study was conducted. A total of 60 patients undergoing radical lung cancer surgery in Cangzhou People's Hospital from October 2023 to April 2024 were selected as the research objects. The patients were randomly divided into group E (30 cases) and group C (30 cases) according to the envelope drawing method. The patients in group E received an intravenous injection of esketamine at 0.5 mg/kg before skin incision, followed by continuous intravenous infusion until 30 minutes before the end of surgery. The patients in group C was administered an equivalent dose of 0.9% NaCl solution. The lung function, inflammatory factors, oxidative stress markers, and the incidence of complications were compared between the 2 groups at different time intervals [after anesthesia induction (T 1), 60 minutes after single-lung ventilation (T 2), 30 minutes after resuming bilateral lung ventilation (T 3), and 60 minutes after resuming bilateral lung ventilation (T 4)]. Results:The age of patients in both groups was (62±8) years. At T 2, T 3, and T 4, the oxygenation index (OI) of group E [(413±57), (387±52), (364±48) mmHg (1 mmHg = 0.133 kPa), respectively] was higher than that of group C [(377±52), (359±47), (333±42) mmHg, respectively]. The intrapulmonary shunt rate of group E [(26.9±3.3)%, (24.6±3.1)%, (13.3±2.2)%, respectively] was lower than that of group C[(33.5±4.3)%, (28.4±3.7)%, (16.2±2.7)%, respectively], and the differences were statistically significant ( t = 2.56, 2.16, 2.66, 6.29, 4.34, 4.32, respectively); the differences in the above indictors at T 1 between the 2 groups were not statistically significant (all P > 0.05), and there were statistically significant differences in the above indictors at T 1, T 2, T 3, T 4 between the 2 groups (all P < 0.001). At T 4, the levels of serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-6, and interleukin-8 in group E [(93±11) ng/ml, (14.9±1.7) pg/ml, (11.4±2.2) pg/ml, respectively] were lower than those in group C [(136±15) ng/ml, (19.9±2.8) pg/ml, (15.6±4.6) pg/ml, respectively], and the differences were statistically significant ( t = 12.89, 8.40, 4.61, all P < 0.001). At T 1, the differences in the levels of inflammatory factors of both groups were not statistically significant (all P > 0.05); and the levels of inflammatory factors at T 4 were lower than those at T 1 of both groups, and the differences were statistically significantly (all P < 0.001). At T 4, the level of superoxide dismutase in group E [(66±6) U/ml] was higher than that in group C [(56±5) U/ml]. The levels of myeloperoxidase, malondialdehyde and catalase in group E [(3.0±0.4) U/g, (4.01±0.26) mmol/ml, (44±5) U/ml, respectively] were lower than those in group C [(5.7±0.7) U/g, (4.91±0.52) mmol/ml, (56±6) U/ml, respectively],and the differences were statistically significant ( t = 6.43, 18.83, 8.48, 8.74, all P < 0.001). There were no statistically significant differences in the levels of oxidative stress indicators between the 2 groups at T 1, while there were statistically significant differences in the levels of oxidative stress indicators between the 2 groups at T 1 and T 4 (all P < 0.001). The incidence of complications in group E [6.7% (2/30)] was lower than that in group C [26.7% (8/30)], and the differences were statistically significant ( χ2 = 4.32, P = 0.038). Conclusions:Esketamine can alleviate lung ischemia-reperfusion injury, improve postoperative oxygenation function, and reduce the incidence of complications.

(rsFC)and their relationship with negative symptoms in schizophrenia patients with predominant negative symptoms(PNS).Methods Fifty-four schizophrenia patients with PNS and sixty-one healthy controls underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging(fMRI)scans.Data were collected on general demographic information,the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale(PANSS),the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms(SANS),and the Temporal Experience of Pleasure Scale(TEPS).Twelve striatal subregions were selected as regions of interest(ROIs)to analyze the rsFC between each ROI and whole-brain voxels.The rsFC values of areas with significant differences were extracted for Pearson correlation analysis with negative symptoms.Results Compared with healthy controls,schizophrenia patients with PNS exhibited decreased rsFC between the right dorsal caudal putamen(DCP)and right insula,left middle frontal gyrus(MFG),right median cingulate and paracingulate gyri(MCC);between the left DCP and right putamen,left insula,left MFG;between the right dorsal rostral putamen(DRP)and bilateral MFG,left insula,right MCC;between the left DRP and right insula,left rolandic operculum;between the right ventral rostral putamen(VRP)and bilateral putamen,left MFG,right MCC;between the left VRP and right insula,left putamen,bilateral MFG,right MCC,left inferior parietal gyrus,excluding supramarginal and angular gyri.Decreased rsFC was also observed between the left ventral caudate/nucleus accumbens(inferior)and right insula,left anterior cingulate cortex,supracallosal,bilateral precuneus(a threshold of P<0.001 in voxel-level with P<0.05 in cluster-lever,corrected for family-wise error,PFWE<0.05/12=0.004).No regions showed increased rsFC in schizophrenia patients with PNS relative to healthy controls.And no significant correlations were found between striatal rsFC and negative symptoms(PBonferroni>0.05).Conclusion Schizophrenia patients with PNS exhibited widespread cortical-striatal functional connectivity abnormalities,particularly reduced rsFC between the putamen and the MFG,MCC and insula.

Eleven sesquiterpenoids were isolated from the petroleum ether and ethyl acetate extracted fraction of 95% ethanol extract of fresh Centipeda minima by using modern chromatographic separation techniques such as silica gel, MCI, gel, and semi-preparative liquid chromatography. Their structures were identified using spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR) calculation as minimin A(1), brevilin A(2), minimolide L(3), minimolide A(4), minimolide B(5), arnicolide D(6), microhelenin C(7), 2β-hydroxyl-2,3-dihydrogen-6-O-angeloylplenolin(8), 11α,13-dihydroarnifolin(9),(1S,2R,5R,6S,7S,8S,10R)-6-hydroxy-2-ethoxy-4-oxopseudoguai-11(13)-en-12,8-olide(10), and pulchellin-2-O-isovalerate(11), among which compound 1 was a new compound, and compounds 9-11 were isolated from Centipeda for the first time. The evaluation results of in vitro anti-inflammatory activity showed that compounds 1-11 possessed significant anti-inflammatory activity, with IC_(50) values ranging from(0.13±0.03) to(13.11±0.17) μmol·L~(-1).
Sesquiterpenes/pharmacology* ; Animals ; Asteraceae/chemistry* ; Mice ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Molecular Structure ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Macrophages/immunology*