Diabetic kidney disease （DKD） is one of the most common microvascular complications of diabetes. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） plays a unique role in improving clinical symptoms， reducing proteinuria， and delaying the initiation of dialysis. Over time， scholars have held diverse views on the etiology， pathogenesis， and treatment strategies of DKD. This paper systematically reviews the etiology and pathogenesis， syndrome differentiation and treatment， and medication rules of DKD， aiming to provide a reference for clinical practice. Regarding etiology， DKD is closely related to insufficient innate endowment， improper diet， emotional disorders， overexertion， and prolonged diabetes. Its pathogenesis evolves dynamically. Specifically， early stage is characterized by Yin deficiency with dryness-heat and subtle discharge. Middle stage involves both Qi and Yin deficiency with dampness and blood stasis. Late stage presents Yin and Yang deficiency with intrinsic turbidity toxins. Blood stasis and sugar toxicity are the core pathological factors， persisting throughout the disease course and accelerating renal collateral damage and fibrosis. In terms of diagnosis and treatment， contemporary scholars advocate stage-specific treatment， emphasize the integration of prevention and therapy， recommend whole-course management， and support comprehensive TCM and Western medicine approaches. Analysis of medication rules shows that treatment consistently addresses the core principle of deficiency at the root and excess at the surface， strengthens the body while dispelling pathogenic factors， emphasizes promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis， consolidates the kidney and astringes essence， clears Fu-organs and eliminates turbidity and toxins， invigorates the spleen， replenishes Qi， protects the stomach， and advocates treatment based on pathogenic wind. Further refinement of the academic thoughts of classical TCM masters and research into innovative pathogenesis theories and clinically effective prescriptions are needed to enhance TCM's ability to prevent and treat major clinical diseases， including DKD.

Stent migration is one of the common complications following transcatheter valve implantation. This study aims to design a "drum-shaped" balloon-expandable aortic valve stent to address this issue and conduct a mechanical analysis. The implantation process of the stent was evaluated using a method that combines numerical simulation and in vitro experiments. Furthermore, the fatigue process of the stent under pulsatile cyclic loading was simulated, and its fatigue performance was assessed using a Goodman diagram. The process of the stent migrating toward the left ventricular side was simulated, and the force-displacement curve of the stent was extracted to evaluate its anti- migration performance. The results showed that all five stent models could be crimped into a 14F sheath and enabled uniform expansion of the native valve leaflets. The stress in each stent was below the ultimate stress, so no fatigue fracture occurred. As the cell height ratio decreased, the contact area fraction between the stent and the aortic root gradually decreased. However, the mean contact force and the maximum anti-migration force first decreased and then increased. Specifically, model S5 had the smallest contact area fraction but the largest mean contact force and maximum anti-migration force, reaching approximately 0.16 MPa and 10.73 N, respectively. The designed stent achieves a "drum-shaped" change after expansion and has good anti-migration performance.
Stents ; Prosthesis Design ; Heart Valve Prosthesis ; Humans ; Aortic Valve/surgery* ; Stress, Mechanical ; Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement/instrumentation*

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the changes in blood levels of calcium and bone metabolism biochemical markers in patients with primary osteoporosis receiving treatment with denosumab. METHODS: Seventy-three patients with primary osteoporosis treated in our Department between December, 2021 and December 2023 were enrolled. All the patients were treated with calcium supplements, vitamin D and calcitriol in addition to regular denosumab treatment every 6 months. Blood calcium, parathyroid hormone (PTH), osteocalcin (OC), type I procollagen amino-terminal propeptide (PINP), and type I collagen carboxy-terminal telopeptide β special sequence (β‑CTX) data before and at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after the first treatment were collected from each patient. RESULTS: Three months after the first denosumab treatment, the bone turnover markers (BTMs) OC, PINP, and β-CTX were significantly decreased compared to their baseline levels by 39.5% (P<0.001), 56.2% (P<0.001), and 81.8% (P<0.001), respectively. At 6, 9, and 12 months of treatment, OC, PINP, and β-CTX remained significantly lower than their baseline levels (P<0.001). Blood calcium level was decreased (P<0.05) and PTH level increased (P<0.05) significantly in these patients at months of denosumab treatment, but their levels were comparable to the baseline levels at 6, 9, and 12 months of the treatment (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS Denosumab can suppress BTMs and has a good therapeutic effect in patients with primary osteoporosis, but reduction of blood calcium and elevation of PTH levels can occur during the first 3 months in spite of calcium supplementation. Blood calcium and PTH levels can recover the baseline levels as the treatment extended, suggesting the importance of monitoring blood calcium and PTH levels during denosumab treatment.
Humans ; Denosumab/therapeutic use* ; Calcium/blood* ; Parathyroid Hormone/blood* ; Biomarkers/blood* ; Osteoporosis/blood* ; Osteocalcin/blood* ; Procollagen/blood* ; Female ; Collagen Type I/blood* ; Peptide Fragments/blood* ; Bone Density Conservation Agents/therapeutic use* ; Bone and Bones/metabolism* ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Vitamin D ; Peptides/blood* ; Aged

Glucose transporters (GLUTs) are pivotal membrane proteins that facilitate the passive transport of glucose into cells. However, their aberrant overexpression is closely linked to the Warburg effect and chemotherapy resistance of tumors. GLUTs are complex multi-pass transmembrane proteins that require detergents for extraction from the cell membrane during preparation. The persistent presence of detergents in the sample can disrupt lipid-protein interactions, potentially leading to conformational distortion and functional losses of GLUTs, severely hindering the research into their structures and transport mechanisms. To eliminate detergent interference and preserve its authentic conformation, this study employs nanodisc technology and utilizes the self-assembly of the membrane scaffold protein MSP1E3D1 and phospholipids to produce a biomimetic membrane environment, thereby overcoming the limitations of conventional methods. The C-terminal His10-tagged GLUT1 was heterologously expressed in the insect cell Sf9/Bac-to-Bac system, and the GLUT1-nanodisc complex was obtained after detergent solubilization, affinity chromatography purification via anti-His antibody resin, and self-assembly. The successfully reconstituted nanodisc complex was further purified by Ni-NTA affinity chromatography. Nanodisc reconstitution produced monodisperse GLUT1 particles that retained native secondary structure, as confirmed by far-UV circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy and dynamic light scattering (DLS). Unlike conventional detergent micelles, which lack a true lipid bilayer, distort transmembrane-helix topology, and occlude ligand-binding sites, the nanodisc platform embeds GLUT1 in a phospholipid bilayer that preserves its authentic conformation while eliminating detergent interference. The resulting GLUT1-nanodisc complex is therefore a superior scaffold for high-resolution cryo-EM structural analysis, permitting detailed interrogation of the transporter's conformational cycle, its interactions with partner proteins, and downstream structure-guided, high-throughput drug screening.
Nanostructures/chemistry* ; Glucose Transporter Type 1/biosynthesis* ; Humans ; Animals ; Phospholipids/chemistry* ; Detergents/chemistry*

Objective To investigate the expression and prognostic value of heat shock protein B7(HSPB7)in gastric cancer.Methods Immunohistochemistry SP was used to detect HSPB7 and p53 protein expression in 73 cases of gastric cancer and adjacent normal tissues,and their relationships with clinicopatho-logical parameters were analyzed.Spearman's rank correlation analysis was performed to analyze their correla-tion.Kaplan-Meier survival curves and Log-rank tests were used for survival analysis,and a Cox proportional hazards model was applied to analyze prognostic factors.qPCR was used to determine HSPB7 mRNA expres-sion in 22 cases of gastric cancer and normal gastric tissues,and differences between cancer and normal tissues were analyzed.Data from The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA)database were used to further analyze HSPB7 mRNA expression differences between gastric cancer and normal tissues and their relationship with clinico-pathological parameters.Results HSPB7 was mainly localized in the cytoplasm,and its expression in gastric cancer tissues was significantly lower than that in adjacent normal tissues(P<0.05),and its expression in gastric cancer tissues was related to TNM stage,tumor invasion depth,differentiation degree and lymph node metastasis(P<0.05).The expression of p53 in gastric cancer was significantly higher than that in adjacent normal tissues(P<0.05),and the expression in gastric cancer tissues was correlated with TNM stage,tumor invasion depth and differentiation degree(P<0.05).Spearman rank correlation analysis showed that the ex-pressions of HSPB7 and p53 were negatively correlated in gastric cancer(r=-0.351,P=0.002).The 5-year survival rate of patients in the positive group was significantly higher than that in the negative group(χ2=10.611,P<0.001).Compared with gastric cancer tissues,the mRNA expression level of HSPB7 in adjacent normal tissues was significantly higher(t=-6.180,P<0.001).The results of bioinformatics analysis showed that the mRNA expression of HSPB7 in normal gastric samples was significantly higher than that in gastric cancer samples(P<0.001),and it was related to age,pathological stage and T stage(P<0.05).Conclusion HSPB7 protein is expressed at low levels in gastric cancer tissues,and it is closely related to the clinicopathological pa-rameters and prognosis of gastric cancer patients,which may be used as a predictive index of gastric cancer malignancy.In gastric cancer tissues,they may have antagonistic effects in tumor progression,and their related signaling pathways need to be further explored.

Objective To investigate the effects of dapagliflozin on the risk of malignant ventricular arrhythmia(MVA)during hospitalization in patients with acute myocardial infarction(AMI).Methods A retrospective study was conducted to select patients with AMI who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI)in the department of cardiology of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University between January 2018 and November 2023.Clinical datas collected during hospitalization included demographics(gender,age),baseline vital signs(systolic blood pressure,diastolic blood pressure,heart rate),comorbidities(hypertension,diabetes mellitus),body mass index(BMI),smoking,alcohol consumption,ST segment elevation myocardial infarction(STEMI),Killip class≥3,laboratory parameters[white blood cell count(WBC),neutrophil percentage(NEU%),serum creatinine(SCr)],procedural data(number of coronary stents implanted,culprit vessels being the left main coronary artery,left anterior descending artery,right coronary artery,left circumflex artery and intraoperative hypotension),medications[angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor/angiotensinⅡreceptor blocker(ACEI/ARB),β-blockers,aspirin,ticagrelor,clopidogrel,platelet glycoproteinⅡb/Ⅲa receptor antagonists,Statin],and electrocardiogram characteristics[the number of cases frequent ventricular premature contractions(premature beats)and the number of cases of sinus rhythm].The study endpoint was the occurrence of MVA during hospitalization among enrolled patients.Patients were categorized into the MVA group and the non-MVA group based on the occurrence of MVA during their hospital stay.Differences in clinical characteristics between the two groups were compared.Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analyses were employed to evaluate the impact of dapagliflozin use on the risk of MVA in patients with AMI.Results A total of 2 893 eligible AMI patients were enrolled and 145 patients(5.01%)experienced MVA during hospitalization.Compared with the MVA group,the proportion of patients taking dapagliflozin was higher in the non-MVA group[13.2%(363/2 748)vs.6.2%(9/145),P=0.014],the proportion of males was higher[74.3%(2 042/2 748)vs.66.9%(97/145),P=0.048],the age was younger(years:64.82±13.91 vs.69.78±14.07,P<0.001),the heart rate at admission was slower(beats/min:80.09±15.72 vs.84.31±20.92,P=0.002),the proportion of patients with Killip grade≥3 was lower[11.5%(317/2 748)vs.38.6%(56/145),P<0.001],the proportion of smoking patients was higher[48.0%(1 319/2 748)vs.33.8%(49/145),P<0.05],SCr level was lower(μmol/L:84.73±58.52 vs.102.87±59.47,P<0.001),and the proportion of patients taking ACEI/ARB and β-blockers was higher[64.9%(1 783/2 748)vs.49.0%(71/145),65.1%(1 788/2 748)vs.53.8%(78/145),both P<0.05],the rate of frequent premature ventricular beats was lower[1.0%(28/2 748)vs.11.7%(17/145),P<0.05],and the proportion of patients with intraoperative hypotension was lower[3.2%(86/2 748)vs.10.6%(15/145),P<0.05].After adjusting numerous confounding factors,multifactorial Logistic regression analysis showed that dapagliflozin may significantly reduced the risk of MVA in patients with AMI after PCI[odds ratio(OR)=0.417,95%confidence interval(95%CI)was 0.200-0.880,P=0.022].Subgroup analysis suggested that there were 1 042 AMI patients with diabetes mellitus,of whom 348 took dapagliflozin,and 8 patients(2.30%)had MVA.The risk of MVA was reduced in patients taking dapagliflozin(Log-Rank:χ2=11.983,P=0.001).Conclusion The use of dapagliflozin significantly reduced the risk of MVA during hospitalization in patients with AMI.

Objective:To explore the role of glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4)-dependent ferroptosis in diclofenac-induced kidney injury.Methods:Human kidney tubular epithelial cells (HK-2 cells) were cultured and then divided into 3 groups: control group, diclofenac group, and iron death inhibitor ferrostatin-1 (Fer-1) group. The same amount of 1% Fer-1 (final concentration 10 μmol/L) and phosphate buffered saline was respectively added to cells in the Fer-1 group and the other 2 groups. After 48 hours of culture, diclofenac 200 μmol/L was added to cells in the diclofenac group and the Fer-1 group. The cell viability of each group was detected by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8). The cell cycle, apoptosis and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were detected by flow cytometry. The levels of intracellular iron ion, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), malondialdehyde (MDA) and GPX4 were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The expression level of GPX4 was detected by Western blotting method.Results:Compared with the control group, the cell viability and G1 phase cell percentage of the diclofenac group were significantly lower, and compared with the diclofenac group, those were significantly higher (all P<0.05). The apoptosis rate of diclofenac group was significantly higher than that of the control group ( P<0.05), but there was no significant difference in apoptosis rate between Fer-1 group and diclofenac group ( P>0.05). Compared with the control group, the intracellular ROS, iron content, LDH, and MDA levels were significantly higherin the diclofenac group, while the expression level of GPX4 was lower (all P<0.05). However, the ROS, iron content, LDH, and MDA levels in the Fer-1 group were lower than those in the diclofenac group, while GPX4 expression was higher than that in the diclofenac group (all P<0.05). Conclusion:Diclofenac can induce ferroptosis in HK-2 cells and inhibiting the ferroptosis can alleviate cell injury, suggesting that GPX4-dependent ferroptosis may be involved in kidney injury induced by diclofenac.

Objective To investigate the effects of dapagliflozin on the risk of malignant ventricular arrhythmia(MVA)during hospitalization in patients with acute myocardial infarction(AMI).Methods A retrospective study was conducted to select patients with AMI who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI)in the department of cardiology of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University between January 2018 and November 2023.Clinical datas collected during hospitalization included demographics(gender,age),baseline vital signs(systolic blood pressure,diastolic blood pressure,heart rate),comorbidities(hypertension,diabetes mellitus),body mass index(BMI),smoking,alcohol consumption,ST segment elevation myocardial infarction(STEMI),Killip class≥3,laboratory parameters[white blood cell count(WBC),neutrophil percentage(NEU%),serum creatinine(SCr)],procedural data(number of coronary stents implanted,culprit vessels being the left main coronary artery,left anterior descending artery,right coronary artery,left circumflex artery and intraoperative hypotension),medications[angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor/angiotensinⅡreceptor blocker(ACEI/ARB),β-blockers,aspirin,ticagrelor,clopidogrel,platelet glycoproteinⅡb/Ⅲa receptor antagonists,Statin],and electrocardiogram characteristics[the number of cases frequent ventricular premature contractions(premature beats)and the number of cases of sinus rhythm].The study endpoint was the occurrence of MVA during hospitalization among enrolled patients.Patients were categorized into the MVA group and the non-MVA group based on the occurrence of MVA during their hospital stay.Differences in clinical characteristics between the two groups were compared.Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analyses were employed to evaluate the impact of dapagliflozin use on the risk of MVA in patients with AMI.Results A total of 2 893 eligible AMI patients were enrolled and 145 patients(5.01%)experienced MVA during hospitalization.Compared with the MVA group,the proportion of patients taking dapagliflozin was higher in the non-MVA group[13.2%(363/2 748)vs.6.2%(9/145),P=0.014],the proportion of males was higher[74.3%(2 042/2 748)vs.66.9%(97/145),P=0.048],the age was younger(years:64.82±13.91 vs.69.78±14.07,P<0.001),the heart rate at admission was slower(beats/min:80.09±15.72 vs.84.31±20.92,P=0.002),the proportion of patients with Killip grade≥3 was lower[11.5%(317/2 748)vs.38.6%(56/145),P<0.001],the proportion of smoking patients was higher[48.0%(1 319/2 748)vs.33.8%(49/145),P<0.05],SCr level was lower(μmol/L:84.73±58.52 vs.102.87±59.47,P<0.001),and the proportion of patients taking ACEI/ARB and β-blockers was higher[64.9%(1 783/2 748)vs.49.0%(71/145),65.1%(1 788/2 748)vs.53.8%(78/145),both P<0.05],the rate of frequent premature ventricular beats was lower[1.0%(28/2 748)vs.11.7%(17/145),P<0.05],and the proportion of patients with intraoperative hypotension was lower[3.2%(86/2 748)vs.10.6%(15/145),P<0.05].After adjusting numerous confounding factors,multifactorial Logistic regression analysis showed that dapagliflozin may significantly reduced the risk of MVA in patients with AMI after PCI[odds ratio(OR)=0.417,95%confidence interval(95%CI)was 0.200-0.880,P=0.022].Subgroup analysis suggested that there were 1 042 AMI patients with diabetes mellitus,of whom 348 took dapagliflozin,and 8 patients(2.30%)had MVA.The risk of MVA was reduced in patients taking dapagliflozin(Log-Rank:χ2=11.983,P=0.001).Conclusion The use of dapagliflozin significantly reduced the risk of MVA during hospitalization in patients with AMI.

Objective:To explore the role of glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4)-dependent ferroptosis in diclofenac-induced kidney injury.Methods:Human kidney tubular epithelial cells (HK-2 cells) were cultured and then divided into 3 groups: control group, diclofenac group, and iron death inhibitor ferrostatin-1 (Fer-1) group. The same amount of 1% Fer-1 (final concentration 10 μmol/L) and phosphate buffered saline was respectively added to cells in the Fer-1 group and the other 2 groups. After 48 hours of culture, diclofenac 200 μmol/L was added to cells in the diclofenac group and the Fer-1 group. The cell viability of each group was detected by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8). The cell cycle, apoptosis and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were detected by flow cytometry. The levels of intracellular iron ion, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), malondialdehyde (MDA) and GPX4 were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The expression level of GPX4 was detected by Western blotting method.Results:Compared with the control group, the cell viability and G1 phase cell percentage of the diclofenac group were significantly lower, and compared with the diclofenac group, those were significantly higher (all P<0.05). The apoptosis rate of diclofenac group was significantly higher than that of the control group ( P<0.05), but there was no significant difference in apoptosis rate between Fer-1 group and diclofenac group ( P>0.05). Compared with the control group, the intracellular ROS, iron content, LDH, and MDA levels were significantly higherin the diclofenac group, while the expression level of GPX4 was lower (all P<0.05). However, the ROS, iron content, LDH, and MDA levels in the Fer-1 group were lower than those in the diclofenac group, while GPX4 expression was higher than that in the diclofenac group (all P<0.05). Conclusion:Diclofenac can induce ferroptosis in HK-2 cells and inhibiting the ferroptosis can alleviate cell injury, suggesting that GPX4-dependent ferroptosis may be involved in kidney injury induced by diclofenac.