AIM: To investigate the application of deep optical coherence tomography(DRI-OCT)combined with IOL Master 500 in measuring choroidal thickness and axial length(AL)in pediatric myopic patients, and analyze the relationship between choroidal thickness and AL.METHODS: Prospective study. A total of 210 pediatric myopia patients(210 eyes)admitted between August 2021 and August 2024 were enrolled. Based on spherical equivalent(SE)measurements, they were categorized into a low myopia group(-3.00 D 0.05). Intraocular pressure, SE, AL, and choroidal thickness at different locations all showed significant differences(all P<0.001). Pearson correlation analysis revealed that AL negatively correlated with choroidal thickness(both P<0.001). The results of multiple linear regression analysis indicate that intraocular pressure, SE, and AL are factors influencing choroidal thickness(all P<0.001).CONCLUSION:DRI-OCT combined with IOL Master 500 is able to detect choroidal thickness and AL well, in addition, choroidal thickness closely correlated with intraocular pressure, SE and AL levels.

This study aimed to investigate the protective effects of Huangqi Guizhi Wuwu decoction (HGWD) against cerebral ischemic injury and the underlying mechanisms. A middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model was established in C57BL/6 mice to evaluate the effects of HGWD on neurobehavioral scores, cerebral infarction rate, brain water content, and oxidative stress and inflammatory markers. The mRNA and protein expression levels of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), and Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) in brain tissue were assessed. In addition, Nrf2 knockout mice were used to verify the role of Nrf2 in the protective effects of HGWD against MCAO-induced injury. Additionally, an oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R) model in primary neuronal cells was employed to further confirm the pharmacological effects of HGWD in vitro. The results showed that HGWD significantly ameliorated cerebral ischemic injury in MCAO mice, alleviated oxidative stress, suppressed the release of inflammatory factors, and markedly upregulated the expression of Nrf2, HO-1, and Bcl-2 while downregulating Bax expression, with consistent trends being observed at both mRNA and protein levels. The protective effects of HGWD were significantly attenuated in Nrf2 knockout mice, indicating the pivotal role of Nrf2 in HGWD-mediated protection against cerebral ischemic injury. In vitro experiments revealed that HGWD significantly increased neuronal cell viability, reduced lactate dehydrogenase(LDH) leakage, and decreased apoptosis in OGD/R-treated cells, accompanied by upregulation of Nrf2, HO-1, and Bcl-2 and downregulation of Bax. In conclusion, HGWD protects against cerebral ischemic injury by activating the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway to enhance antioxidant capacity and modulating the Bcl-2/Bax signaling pathway to inhibit apoptosis, thereby protecting brain cells from ischemic damage.

BACKGROUND:The quadriceps strength of patients with osteoporosis and sarcopenia is significantly reduced,which can further reduce the function of the knee joint,affect the function of the lower limbs and even lead to a decrease in whole-body coordination.It is speculated that a reasonable quadriceps training program and personalized guidance are beneficial to the recovery of knee joint function in patients with osteoporosis and sarcopenia.OBJECTIVE:To observe the effect of short-term moderate-intensity resistance rehabilitation training on the mass and function of the quadriceps and knee joint function in patients with osteoporosis and sarcopenia.METHODS:Using the integrated physical examination and rehabilitation model,375 patients with osteoporosis and sarcopenia were screened at the Health Management Center of Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center.They underwent 12 weeks of combined/comprehensive exercise rehabilitation based on resistance exercise,including quadriceps resistance isotonic and isometric contraction training twice a week(3-5 sets each time,10-15 minutes per set)and aerobic exercise/balance exercise two or three times a week(30 minutes each time).Assessments and data collection were performed before rehabilitation training,12 weeks after rehabilitation training,and at follow-up 12 weeks after stopping rehabilitation training,mainly including knee joint range of motion and proprioception,quadriceps muscle strength,and cross-sectional area(magnetic resonance imaging results),pain,knee joint function(Hospital for Special Surgery score)and walking function("up-and-go"time and 6 m pace test results)as well as the patient's psychological status assessment.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:All 375 patients completed 12 weeks of rehabilitation training and 12 weeks of follow-up without any adverse events.(1)Compared with before training,the patients' gait speed and knee range of motion increased significantly after 12 weeks of rehabilitation training(P＜0.01),the time of"stand-to-walk"decreased(P＜0.01),and the proprioception of the knee joint and the strength of the quadriceps femoris were significantly improved(P＜0.01);and at the follow-up visit 12 weeks after stopping training,the above indicators and functions of the patients were well maintained(P＞0.05).(2)Magnetic resonance imaging results showed that the effective cross-sectional area of the quadriceps femoris did not improve significantly after 12 weeks of rehabilitation training(P＞0.05);but the Hospital for Special Surgery score of knee joint function increased significantly(P＜0.01),and the visual analog pain scale score decreased significantly(P＜0.01),suggesting that this may be related to the improvement of quadriceps femoris quality by resistance rehabilitation training.(3)The results of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale score showed that the anxiety and depression scores of the patients continued to decrease,both at 12 weeks of rehabilitation training and at 12 weeks after stopping training(P＜0.01).It is suggested that resistance rehabilitation training of the quadriceps can help patients with osteoporosis and sarcopenia to restore quadriceps muscle strength,increase range of motion,improve proprioception and joint stability,thereby enhancing knee joint function,reducing pain,improving depression and anxiety,and to a certain extent promoting the coordinated recovery of the musculoskeletal system.

BACKGROUND:The quadriceps strength of patients with osteoporosis and sarcopenia is significantly reduced,which can further reduce the function of the knee joint,affect the function of the lower limbs and even lead to a decrease in whole-body coordination.It is speculated that a reasonable quadriceps training program and personalized guidance are beneficial to the recovery of knee joint function in patients with osteoporosis and sarcopenia.OBJECTIVE:To observe the effect of short-term moderate-intensity resistance rehabilitation training on the mass and function of the quadriceps and knee joint function in patients with osteoporosis and sarcopenia.METHODS:Using the integrated physical examination and rehabilitation model,375 patients with osteoporosis and sarcopenia were screened at the Health Management Center of Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center.They underwent 12 weeks of combined/comprehensive exercise rehabilitation based on resistance exercise,including quadriceps resistance isotonic and isometric contraction training twice a week(3-5 sets each time,10-15 minutes per set)and aerobic exercise/balance exercise two or three times a week(30 minutes each time).Assessments and data collection were performed before rehabilitation training,12 weeks after rehabilitation training,and at follow-up 12 weeks after stopping rehabilitation training,mainly including knee joint range of motion and proprioception,quadriceps muscle strength,and cross-sectional area(magnetic resonance imaging results),pain,knee joint function(Hospital for Special Surgery score)and walking function("up-and-go"time and 6 m pace test results)as well as the patient's psychological status assessment.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:All 375 patients completed 12 weeks of rehabilitation training and 12 weeks of follow-up without any adverse events.(1)Compared with before training,the patients' gait speed and knee range of motion increased significantly after 12 weeks of rehabilitation training(P＜0.01),the time of"stand-to-walk"decreased(P＜0.01),and the proprioception of the knee joint and the strength of the quadriceps femoris were significantly improved(P＜0.01);and at the follow-up visit 12 weeks after stopping training,the above indicators and functions of the patients were well maintained(P＞0.05).(2)Magnetic resonance imaging results showed that the effective cross-sectional area of the quadriceps femoris did not improve significantly after 12 weeks of rehabilitation training(P＞0.05);but the Hospital for Special Surgery score of knee joint function increased significantly(P＜0.01),and the visual analog pain scale score decreased significantly(P＜0.01),suggesting that this may be related to the improvement of quadriceps femoris quality by resistance rehabilitation training.(3)The results of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale score showed that the anxiety and depression scores of the patients continued to decrease,both at 12 weeks of rehabilitation training and at 12 weeks after stopping training(P＜0.01).It is suggested that resistance rehabilitation training of the quadriceps can help patients with osteoporosis and sarcopenia to restore quadriceps muscle strength,increase range of motion,improve proprioception and joint stability,thereby enhancing knee joint function,reducing pain,improving depression and anxiety,and to a certain extent promoting the coordinated recovery of the musculoskeletal system.

Objective: To address the challenges of systematically identifying herb pairs in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), we proposed HerbGL, a framework for predicting potential herb pairs that integrates network propagation and graph regularization. Methods: Based on the assumption that herbal actions induce subtle perturbations in biological systems, a framework named HerbGL was proposed. Random walk with restart (RWR) was first applied to the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network to reconstruct herb-specific perturbation effects and generate weighted subnetworks. Then, to quantify affinity between herb pairs, two network-proximity metrics, Closeness and PageRank, were computed from the weighted subnetworks to construct herb-pair affinity matrices. Finally, these matrices, together with known herb pairs (derived from co-occurrence analysis of TCM formulas with a threshold determined from the inflection point of the frequency distribution), were incorporated into a graph regularization model to predict potential herb pairs. Model performance was assessed through baseline comparison, ablation and robustness experiment under different ratios of positive and negative samples, using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC), the area under the precision-recall curve (AUPRC), accuracy, and precision as evaluation metrics. Furthermore, the predicted herb pairs were validated through both literature evidence and Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses. Results: The weighted subnetworks constructed by RWR provided a refined simulation of herb-specific perturbation effects, which formed the basis for subsequent affinity modeling and prediction. Analysis of herb pair co-occurrence frequencies revealed a marked change around 150, which was selected as the threshold to distinguish herb pairs from non-herb pairs. HerbGL exhibited superior predictive performance compared with baseline models (AUROC = 0.970 5, AUPRC = 0.955 5, accuracy = 0.726 6, precision = 0.970 6). Ablation results showed that removing the Closeness and PageRank metrics substantially degraded performance (AUROC = 0.819 1, AUPRC = 0.876 8), confirming their necessity. Robustness evaluation under an imbalanced positive-to-negative sample ratio of 1 : 5 yielded AUROC = 0.969 6 and AUPRC = 0.840 4, indicating stable predictive ability. Moreover, multiple case studies further validated the rationality of the predicted herb pairs, such as Fangfeng (Saposhnikoviae Radix) and Qingpi (Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium Viride) which are recorded in Liangpeng Huiji (《良朋汇集》, Collection of Excellent Recipes) Vol. 3: Fangfeng Shengma Tang (防风升麻汤). Additionally, pathway enrichment analysis of the Renshen (Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma) and Lianqiao (Forsythiae Fructus) pair further supported the biological plausibility of their compatibility. Conclusion HerbGL offers an effective and biologically informed framework for identifying herb pairs in TCM. Beyond improving herb pair prediction, the framework also provides data support for research on herb compounds and mechanisms, thereby supporting data-driven exploration of TCM compatibility.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the underlying pharmacological mechanisms and its potential effects of Chinese medicine herbal formula Sini Powder (SNP) on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: The active components of SNP and their in vivo distribution were identified using ultraperformance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Construction of component-target-disease networks, protein-protein interaction network, Gene Ontology function and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis, and molecular docking were employed to analyze the active components and anti-HCC mechanisms of SNP. Cell viability assay and wound healing assay were utilized to confirm the effect of SNP-containing serum (2.5%, 5.0%, 10%, 20%, and 40%), isoprenaline or propranolol (both 10, 100, and 1,000 µ mol/L) on proliferation and migration of HepG 2 or Huh7 cells. Meanwhile, the effect of isoprenaline or propranolol on the β 2 adrenergic receptor (ADRB2) mRNA expression on HepG2 cells were measured by real-time quantitative reverse transcription (RT-qPCR). Mice with subcutaneous tumors were either subjected to chronic restraint stress (CRS) followed by SNP administration (364 mg/mL) or directly treated with SNP (364 mg/mL). These two parallel experiments were performed to validate the effects of SNP on stress responses. Stress-related proteins and hormones were quantified using RT-qPCR, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and immunohistochemistry. Metagenomic sequencing was performed to confirm the influence of SNP on the gut microbiota in the tumor-bearing CRS mice. RESULTS: The distribution of the 12 active components of SNP was confirmed in various tissues and feces. Network pharmacology analysis confirmed the anti-HCC effects of the 5 active components. The potential anti-HCC mechanisms of SNP may involve the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase Src (SRC) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) pathways. SNP-containing serum inhibited the proliferation of HepG2 and Huh7 cells at concentrations of 2.5% and 5.0%, respectively, after 24 h of treatment. Furthermore, SNP suppressed tumor progression in tumor-bearing mice exposed to CRS. SNP treatment also downregulated the expressions of stress-related proteins and pro-inflammatory cytokines, primarily by modulating the gut microbiota. Specifically, the abundance of Alistipes and Prevotella, which belong to the phylum Bacteroidetes, increased in the SNP-treated group, whereas Lachnospira, in the phylum Firmicutes, decreased. CONCLUSION SNP can combat HCC by alleviating stress responses through the regulation of gut microbiota.
Animals ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome/drug effects* ; Liver Neoplasms/microbiology* ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/microbiology* ; Humans ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Powders ; Cell Proliferation/drug effects* ; Mice ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Hep G2 Cells ; Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-2/genetics* ; Stress, Physiological/drug effects* ; Cell Movement/drug effects* ; Male ; Protein Interaction Maps/drug effects* ; Cell Survival/drug effects* ; Proto-Oncogene Mas

Hearing loss is the most prevalent disabling disease. Cochlear implantation（CI） serves as the primary intervention for severe to profound hearing loss. This consensus systematically explores the value of genetic diagnosis in the pre-operative assessment and efficacy prognosis for CI. Drawing upon domestic and international research and clinical experience, it proposes an evidence-based medicine three-tiered prognostic classification system（Favorable, Marginal, Poor）. The consensus focuses on common hereditary non-syndromic hearing loss（such as that caused by mutations in genes like GJB2, SLC26A4, OTOF, LOXHD1） and syndromic hereditary hearing loss（such as Jervell & Lange-Nielsen syndrome and Waardenburg syndrome）, which are closely associated with congenital hearing loss, analyzing the impact of their pathological mechanisms on CI outcomes. The consensus provides recommendations based on multiple round of expert discussion and voting. It emphasizes that genetic diagnosis can optimize patient selection, predict prognosis, guide post-operative rehabilitation, offer stratified management strategies for patients with different genotypes, and advance the application of precision medicine in the field of CI.
Humans ; Cochlear Implantation ; Prognosis ; Hearing Loss/surgery* ; Consensus ; Connexin 26 ; Mutation ; Sulfate Transporters ; Connexins/genetics*

Targeting drug delivery systems mediated by nanoparticles has shown great potential in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. However, influences of different tumor progressions on the accumulation of nanoparticles, especially the ligand-modified active targeting nanoparticles are seldom exploited. In this work, the accumulation and penetration of RGD-modified gold nanoparticles (active AuNPs) with different sizes were investigated in orthotopic breast cancer with different tumor progressions. The results showed that the smallest active AuNPs had better accumulation and permeation effects in early tumor tissues with the relatively looser extracellular matrix, larger gaps, lower interstitial fluid pressure, and less receptor expression, which was due to size effects. However, the larger active AuNPs had better accumulation and penetration effects in late tumor tissues with highly expressed target receptors integrin α _v β ₃ because of the multivalent interactions between larger active nanoparticles and integrin α _v β ₃. In the midterm, tumor accumulation of active AuNPs was equally influenced by size effects and multivalent interactions. Therefore, RGD-modified nanoparticles with sizes of 7 and 90 nm accumulated more in tumors. This study will guide a rational design of active targeting nanoparticles for enhancing the diagnosis and treatment of tumors based on their progressions.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), the most prevalent chronic liver condition globally, lacks adequate and effective therapeutic remedies in clinical practice. Recent studies have increasingly highlighted the close connection between the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) and the progression of MASLD. This relationship is crucial for understanding the disease's underlying mechanism. As a sophisticated process, the UPS govern protein stability and function, maintaining protein homeostasis, thus influencing a multitude of elements and biological events of eukaryotic cells. It comprises four enzyme families, namely, ubiquitin-activating enzymes (E1), ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes (E2), ubiquitin-protein ligases (E3), and deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs). This review aims to delve into the array of pathways and therapeutic targets implicated in the ubiquitination within the pathogenesis of MASLD. Therefore, this review unveils the role of ubiquitination in MASLD while spotlighting potential therapeutic targets within the context of this disease.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) remains a refractory subtype of breast cancer due to its resistance to various therapeutic strategies. In this study, we introduce a "brake-release and accelerator-pressing" approach to engineer a microneedle patch embedded with copper-doped Prussian blue nanoparticles (Cu-PB) and the ferroptosis inducer sorafenib (SRF) for raised chemodynamic (CDT)/photothermal (PTT) combination therapy against TNBC. Upon transdermal insertion, the dissolving microneedles swiftly disintegrate and facilitate the release of SRF. Under gentle external light exposure, copper ions (Cu²⁺) and iron ions (Fe³⁺) were liberated from Cu-PB. The direct chelation of Cu²⁺ and the indirect suppression by SRF, collectively attenuate glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) enzymatic function, destabilizing the cellular redox equilibrium (referred to as the "brake-release" strategy). The release of Cu²⁺ and Fe³⁺ ions instigates a Fenton/Fenton-like reaction within tumor cells, further yielding hydroxyl radicals and elevating reactive oxygen species (ROS) concentrations (referred to as the "accelerator-pressing" strategy). This overwhelming ROS accumulation, coupled with the impaired clearance of resultant lipid peroxides (LPO), ultimately triggers a robust ferroptosis cell death response. In summary, this study presents an innovative combinatorial therapeutic strategy based on dual-ferroptosis induction for TNBC, implying a promising therapeutic platform for developing ferroptosis-centered treatments for this aggressive breast cancer subtype.