OBJECTIVES: As early as the Apollo 11 mission, astronauts experienced ocular, skin, and upper airway irritation after lunar dust (LD) was brought into the return cabin, drawing attention to its potential biological toxicity. However, the biological effects of LD exposure through the digestive system remain poorly understood. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of digestive exposure to lunar dust simulant (LDS) on gut microbiota and on the intestine, liver, kidney, lung, and bone in mice. METHODS: Eight-week-old female C57BL/6J mice were used. LDS was used as a substitute for lunar dust, and Shaanxi loess was used as Earth dust (ED). Mice were randomly divided into a phosphate buffered saline (PBS) group, an ED group (500 mg/kg), and a LDS group (500 mg/kg), with assessments at days 7, 14, and 28. Mice were gavaged once every 3 days, with body weight recorded before each gavage. At sacrifice, fecal samples were analyzed by 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) sequencing; inflammatory cytokine expression [interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α)] in intestinal, liver, and lung tissues was measured by real-time reverse transcription PCR (real-time RT-PCR); hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining was performed on lung, liver, and intestinal tissues; Periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining was used to assess the integrity of the intestinal mucus barrier, and immunohistochemical staining was performed to evaluate the expression of mucin-2 (MUC2). Serum biochemical tests assessed hepatic and renal function. Femoral bone mass was analyzed by micro-computed tomography (micro-CT); osteoblasts and osteoclasts were assessed by osteocalcin (OCN) and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining. Bone marrow immune cell subsets were analyzed by flow cytometry. RESULTS: At day 10, weight gain was slowed in ED and LDS groups. At days 22 and 28, body weight in both ED and LDS groups was significantly lower than controls (both P<0.05). LDS exposure increased microbial species richness and diversity at day 7. Compared with the PBS and ED groups, mice in the LDS group showed increased relative abundance of Deferribacterota, Desulfobacterota, and Campylobacterota, and decreased Firmicutes, with increased Helicobacter typhlonius and reduced Lactobacillus johnsonii and Lactobacillusmurinus. HE and PAS staining of the colon showed that mucosal structural disruption and goblet cell loss were more severe in the LDS group. In addition, immunohistochemistry revealed a significant downregulation of MUC2 expression in this group (P<0.05). No obvious pathological alterations were observed in liver HE staining among the 3 groups, and none of the groups exhibited notable hepatic or renal dysfunction. HE staining of the lungs in the ED and LDS groups showed increased perivascular inflammatory cell infiltration (both P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS LDS exposure via the digestive route induces gut dysbiosis, intestinal barrier disruption, pulmonary inflammation, bone loss, and bone marrow immune imbalance. These findings indicate that LD exposure poses potential health risks during future lunar missions. Targeted restoration of beneficial gut microbiota may represent a promising strategy to mitigate LD-related health hazards.
Animals ; Dust ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Dysbiosis/etiology* ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome/drug effects* ; Moon ; Liver/metabolism* ; Digestive System/microbiology* ; Lung/metabolism* ; Kidney

OBJECTIVES: Due to prolonged exposure to cosmic radiation and meteorite impacts, lunar surface dust forms nanoscale angular particles with strong electrostatic adsorption properties. These dust particles pose potential inhalation risks, yet their pulmonary toxicological mechanisms remain unclear. Given the need for dust exposure protection in future lunar base construction and resource development, this study established an acute exposure model using lunar soil simulant (LSS) and used Earth soil (ES; Loess from Shaanxi, China) as a comparison to investigate lung injury mechanisms. METHODS: C57BL/6 mice were randomly assigned to 3 groups: Phosphate buffered saline (PBS), LSS, and ES, with 5 to 7 mice per group. Mice in the LSS and ES groups received a single intratracheal instillation to induce acute inhalation exposure. Body weight was monitored for 28 days. Mice were euthanized at days 3, 7, 14, and 28 post-exposure, and peripheral blood, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and lung tissues were collected. Immune cell subsets in BALF were analyzed using flow cytometry. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining assessed lung structure and inflammation; periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining evaluated airway mucus secretion; Masson staining examined collagen deposition. Real-time reverse transcription PCR (real-time RT-PCR) was used to measure the mRNA expression of inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α) and epithelial barrier genes (Occludin, Cadherin-1, and Zo-1). Lung tissues at day 7 were subjected to transcriptomic sequencing, followed by immune infiltration and pathway enrichment analyses to determine immunoregulatory mechanisms. RESULTS: Body weight in the ES group progressively declined after day 18 (all P<0.05), while the LSS group showed no significant changes compared with the control group. HE staining showed both LSS and ES induced inflammatory cell infiltration around airways and vasculature, which persisted for 28 days but gradually lessened over time. PAS staining revealed marked mucus hypersecretion in the LSS group at day 3, followed by gradual recovery; no significant mucus changes were observed in the ES group. Masson staining indicated no obvious pulmonary fibrosis in either group within 28 days. Real-time RT-PCR demonstrated significant upregulation of IL-1β and TNF-α in both LSS and ES groups, peaking on day 7, accompanied by downregulation of epithelial barrier genes (Occludin, Cadherin-1, and Zo-1)(all P<0.05). Transcriptomic analysis showed that both LSS and ES activated chemokine-related pathways and enriched leukocyte migration and neutrophil recruitment pathways. Further validation revealed upregulation of CXCL2 and MMP12 in the LSS group, whereas CXCL3 and MMP12 were predominantly elevated in the ES group. CONCLUSIONS Both LSS and ES can induce sustained lung injury and neutrophil infiltration in mice, though the underlying molecular mechanisms differ. Compared with ES, exposure to LSS additionally triggers a transient eosinophilic response, suggesting that lunar dust particles possess stronger immunostimulatory potential and higher biological toxicity.
Animals ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Soil ; Lung Injury/etiology* ; Dust ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid ; Moon ; Lung/pathology* ; Inhalation Exposure/adverse effects* ; Male

Objective:To evaluate the impact of bladder volume on dosimetric parameters of clinical target volume (CTV) and organs at risk (OAR) of intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT) for localized prostate cancer during the treatment planning and daily treatment.Methods:Clinical data of 25 patients with localized prostate cancer admitted to Ruijin Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine from November 2021 to June 2022 and enrolled in the "Proton Therapy System" (SAPT-PS-01) registered clinical trial were retrospectively analyzed. All patients were male and the median age was 72 years old. A total of 30 sets of IMPT plans were obtained. Based on the planning CT (30 sets) and weekly verification CT during treatment (172 sets), bladder volume, CTV and OAR dose parameters were collected. Spearman correlation analysis was used to evaluate the correlation between bladder volume in CT and the dosimetric parameters of CTV and OAR during IMPT plans, and Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test was adopted to compare the dosimetric parameters of CTV and OAR among different bladder volume change groups.Results:The V 95% of CTV1 and CTV2 were both 100.0%±0.0% in IMPT plans. Bladder volume was significantly negatively correlated with D mean, V 70 Gy(RBE), V 60 Gy(RBE), V 50 Gy(RBE), V 40 Gy(RBE) of the bladder ( P<0.001, 0.003, <0.001, <0.001,<0.001), and D mean, V 50 Gy(RBE) of the small intestine (both P<0.001). During treatment, bladder D mean, V 70 Gy(RBE), V 60 Gy(RBE), V 50 Gy(RBE), V 40 Gy(RBE)( P<0.001, 0.001, <0.001, <0.001, <0.001), rectal D mean, V 50 Gy(RBE), V 40 Gy(RBE) (all P<0.001), small intestine D mean, V 50 Gy (RBE) (both P<0.001) of patients with bladder volume increase >20% compared to baseline were significantly decreased compared to those in IMPT plans. But CTV1 V 100%, and CTV2 V 95% were significantly decreased too( P=0.029, 0.020). In the bladder volume decreased>20% patients, the D mean, V 70 Gy(RBE), V 60 Gy(RBE), V 50 Gy(RBE), V 40 Gy(RBE) of the bladder were significantly increased compared to those in IMPT plans (all P<0.001). However, a bladder volume reduction of ≤20% and increase of ≤20% from baseline had no significant impact on CTV and OAR dosimetric parameters during treatment. Conclusions:For patients with localized prostate cancer undergoing proton therapy, a certain bladder volume should be ensured during planning CT scans. During the daily treatment, the bladder volume should be maintained between 80%-120% of the baseline level to ensure CTV coverage and good dose sparing to OAR.

Objective:To study the clinical characteristics and classification of gastric neuroendocrine neoplasm(NEN) and prognostic factors of mixed adenoneuroendocrine carcinoma (MANEC) and gastric neuroendocrine carcinoma(NEC).Methods:A total of 148 gastric NENs were divided into type Ⅰ, type Ⅱ and type Ⅲ based on the classification of European Neuroendocrine Tumor Society (ENETS). Kaplan-Meier test and Cox regression model were used in univariate and multivariate survival analysis in 108 cases with pathological G3 gastric NEN.Results:In this study, the percentages of type Ⅰ, type Ⅱ and type Ⅲ were 25.0%(37), 3.4%(5) and 71.6%(106) respectively. Among type Ⅰ patients, 28(75.7%) lesions were located in gastric fundus or body, 29(78.4%) had bumps. Lymph node involvement was found in 4 (10.8%) patients. Twenty-six (70.3%) patients received endoscopic treatment and 11 (29.7%) with surgery. All 5 type Ⅱ patients presented lesions in gastric fundus or body, including 4 with ulcers, who were all treated by endoscope. Three type Ⅱ patients had gastrinoma, and 2 combined with multiple endocrine neoplasmⅠ. In type Ⅲ patients, 56(52.8%) showed ulcerative lesions. The majority of patients (102, 96.2%) had a single lesion, 94(88.7%) with lymph node or other organ metastasis. In this study, no deaths were reported in gastric NEN with a pathological grade of G1 or G2. The mortality rate was 38.9%(42/108) in patients with G3 NEN. Survival analysis suggested that age, metastasis of tumor were associated with poor prognosis ( P=0.041, 0.025). Conclusions:Patients with gastric NEN have heterogenous clinical presentations according to gender, age, endoscopic features, infiltration and metastasis, and pathological grade. Aging and metastasis are negative prognostic factors of G3 gastric NEN.

Blepharophimosis ; diagnosis ; genetics ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pedigree ; Phenotype ; Skin Abnormalities ; diagnosis ; genetics ; Urogenital Abnormalities