This study investigated the potential pathogenicity and genetic characteristics of ST314 Salmonella Kentucky(S.Ken-tucky)isolates from a broiler slaughterhouse.Antimicrobial susceptibility testing and whole-genome sequencing(WGS)were used to determine antimicrobial resistance,virulence factors,and the presence of antimicrobial resistance genes(ARGs)and mobile genetic elements(MGEs)among the isolates.The three multidrug resistant(MDR)isolates exhibited high resistance to multiple antimicrobial agents.The F4-2S strain exhibited resistance to 14 drugs across seven categories,whereas the F4T strain showed resistance to 13 drugs in the same number of categories.In contrast,the Y23 strain was resistant to nine drugs in six categories.Notably,F4-2S dem-onstrated high homology with F4T:both possessed 13 ARGs distributed across nine categories,in addition to a wide range of virulence factors,including secretion systems and effector proteins.The presence of IncR and IncX1 plasmids significantly enhanced both the antimicrobial resistance and pathogenicity of the isolates.The genome map of Y23 revealed a chromosome alongside two plasmids.The chromosome containedonly one resistance gene but several virulence factors,including the type III secretion system(T3SS),which is crucial for bacterial invasion.The plasmid pY23-1 contained eight types of 19 ARGs.Comparative analysis indicated that pY23-1 ex-hibited high homology with pZ1323SSL0055 and pSAL-045,all of which contained multiple ARGs,thus suggesting critical roles of these genes in the evolution of bacterial resistance.In conclusion,ST314 S.Kentucky demonstrated a complex mechanism of resis-tance coupled with significant pathogenic potential.The ARGs and MGEs in the plasmid contributed to the emergence and dissemina-tion of antimicrobial resistance.The multiple virulence factors present in the chromosome may be key factors driving the increasing virulence of ST314 S.Kentucky.

Objective:To investigate the temporal and spatial distribution characteristics of fluoride in drinking water in rural areas of Shaanxi Province.Methods:From April 2019 to September 2023, rural drinking water monitoring sites were set up in all 108 agriculture-related counties (cities and districts) in Shaanxi Province. The ex-factory water and tap water were collected annually in dry season and wet season for water fluoride determination and water fluoride exceeding standard evaluation, and the exceedance rates of water fluoride were compared according to different years, regions, water period types, water sample types, water source types, and water treatment methods.Results:A total of 31 221 water samples were collected in Shaanxi Province from 2019 to 2023, and the median water fluoride was 0.370 mg/L, ranging from 0.001 to 6.220 mg/L. The exceedance rates of water fluoride in each year were 5.93% (370/6 236), 3.21% (200/6 232), 3.05% (191/6 260), 3.64% (228/6 256), and 2.36% (147/6 237), respectively. The differences between different years were statistically significant (χ 2 = 132.31, P < 0.001). The exceedance rates of water fluoride in Guanzhong, Northern Shaanxi, and Southern Shaanxi were 5.10% (563/11 044), 5.93% (376/6 339), and 1.42% (197/13 838), respectively, with statistically significant differences between different regions (χ 2 = 355.76, P < 0.001). The exceedance rates of water fluoride during the dry season and wet season were 3.68% (574/15 615) and 3.60% (562/15 606), respectively, with no statistically significant difference between the two water periods (χ 2 = 0.12, P = 0.724). The fluoride exceedance rates of ex-factory water and tap water were 3.15% (442/14 024) and 4.04% (694/17 197), respectively. The fluoride exceedance rate of tap water was higher than that of ex-factory water, and the difference was statistically significant (χ 2 = 17.21, P < 0.001). The fluoride exceedance rates of surface water and groundwater were 0.37% (39/10 588) and 5.32% (1 097/20 633), respectively. The fluoride exceedance rate of groundwater was higher than that of surface water, and the difference was statistically significant (χ 2 = 488.68, P < 0.001). The fluoride exceedance rates of conventional treatment, sedimentation and filtration, disinfection only, and untreated water samples were 1.21% (111/9 174), 2.82% (130/4 604), 3.56% (309/8 686), and 6.69% (586/8 757), respectively. There was a statistically significant difference between different water treatment methods (χ 2 = 396.04, P < 0.001). Conclusions:The fluoride exceedance rate of drinking water in rural areas of Shaanxi Province has decreased from 2019 to 2023, and the exceedance water samples are mainly concentrated in Northern Shaanxi and Guanzhong regions. There are differences in the fluoride exceedance rate of water samples in different years, regions, water sample types, water source types, and water treatment methods.

Objective:To investigate the clinical distribution and diagnostic value of anti-total phospholipid-antibodies(aTPL) patients with in antiphospholipid syndrome(APS).Methods:We collected the clinical data and laboratory test results of patients diagnosed with APS, systemic lupus erythematosus, Sj?gren′s syndrome, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, mixed connective tissue disease, and adult Still′s disease in Peking University People′s Hospital from February 2009 to October 2017. A total of 335 cases were studied, of which 163 were APS patients, 122 were disease control(DC) and 50 were health control(HC). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was used to measure aTPL, anti-cardiolipin antibody (aCL), and anti-beta-2-glycoprotein Ⅰ antibody (aβ 2GPⅠ). The Chi-square test was used to compare the differences between groups. Results:The prevalence of aTPL in APS, DC and HC were 39.9%, 3.3%and 2.0% respectively. The sensitivity and specificity were 39.9%, 97.1%. The proportion of thrombosis[75.4%(49/65) vs. 51.0%(50/98), χ2=9.73, P=0.002] and arterial thrombosis[49.2%(32/65) vs. 25.5%(25/98), χ2=9.67, P=0.002] was significantly higher in the aTPL positive group than that of the negative group. In aTPL positive group, the positive rate of aCL[84.6%(55/65) vs.29.6%(29/98), χ2=47.37, P<0.001], aβ 2GPⅠ[83.1%(54/65) vs.37.8%(37/98), χ2=32.55, P<0.001] and LA[61.5%(40/65) vs. 42.9%(42/98), χ2=5.46, P=0.020] was significantly higher than that of negative group.The area under ROC curve (95% CI) of aTPL [0.694(0.636, 0.751)] was slightly higher than that of aCL [0.668(0.610, 0.726)], but lower than that of aβ 2GPⅠ [0.746(0.694, 0.799)]. Conclusion:aTPL exhibits a strong correlation with thrombosis in patients with APS, particularly arterial thrombosis, and demonstrates high specificity, which can assist in the diagnosis of seronegative APS.

Objective:To explore the level of triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index and its effect and clinical value in predicting breast cancer.Methods:A retrospective case-control study was conducted. A total of 700 patients with breast tumors who underwent surgical treatment in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region People's Hospital from July 2021 to June 2024 were selected, and finally 625 patients were included, including 388 patients with benign breast tumors and 237 patients with breast cancer, and all lesions were determined to be benign or malignant by pathology after surgery. Triglyceride and blood glucose data were collected to calculate the TyG index. The correlation between TyG index and occurrence of breast cancer was analyzed by univariate and multivariate binary logistic regression models. With postoperative pathological diagnosis as the gold standard, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the efficacy of TyG index in distinguishing breast cancer from benign breast tumors.Results:The age of patients in the breast cancer group and the benign breast tumor group was (57±12) years old and (42±12) years old, respectively. There were statistically significant differences in the distributions of patients between the two groups in terms of nationality, marital status, height, body mass, body mass index (BMI), cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglyceride, blood glucose levels, and color ultrasound Breast Imaging Report and Data System (BI-RADS) classification (all P < 0.05), and there was no statistically significant difference in the level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol between the two groups ( P > 0.05); the TyG index in the breast cancer group was higher than that in the benign breast tumor group (8.6±0.6 vs. 8.4±0.6), and the difference was statistically significant ( P <0.001). Logistic regression analysis showed that in the model with only the TyG index as a variable, the risk of breast cancer increased with the increase of TyG index [ OR = 1.97, 95% CI: 1.48-2.63, P < 0.001, Hosmer-Lemeshow (HL) test P = 0.077]; in the model with 6 variables including TyG index, nationality, marriage, height, body mass and BMI, the risk of breast cancer increased with the increase of TyG index ( OR = 1.47, 95% CI: 1.08-2.00, P = 0.015, HL test P = 0.832); however, after adding age and BI-RADS classification variables, although the TyG index was still an independent influencing factor for the occurrence of breast cancer ( OR = 0.58, 95% CI: 0.35-0.96, P = 0.033, HL test P = 0.165), the rise of TyG index was an independent protective factor for the occurrence of breast cancer; in the two variable models including TyG index and BI-RADS classification, the TyG index was not an independent influencing factor for the occurrence of breast cancer ( OR = 1.10, 95% CI: 0.72-1.70, P = 0.659), suggesting that the TyG index may not be able to assist in the diagnosis of breast cancer by ultrasound. ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve to distinguish breast cancer and benign breast tumor according to the TyG index was 0.623, the optimal critical value of the TyG index was 8.51, the corresponding sensitivity was 59.5%, and the specificity was 62.4%. Conclusions:The TyG index of breast cancer patients is higher than that of benign breast tumor patients. Breast tumor patients with elevated TyG index have an increased risk of breast cancer, which may be a potential non-invasive biomarker of breast cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the therapeutic efficacy of cinnamaldehyde (CA) on systemic Candida albicans infection in mice and to provide supportive data for the development of novel antifungal drugs. METHODS: Ninety BALB/c mice were randomly divided into 3 groups according to a random number table: CA treatment group, fluconazole (positive control) group, and Tween saline (negative control) group, with 30 mice in each group. Initially, all groups of mice received consecutive intraperitoneal injections of cyclophosphamide at 200 mg/kg for 2 days, followed by intraperitoneal injection of 0.25 mL C. albicans fungal suspension (concentration of 1.0 × 10⁷ CFU/mL) on the 4th day, to establish an immunosuppressed systemic Candida albicans infection animal model. Subsequently, the mice were orally administered CA, fluconazole and Tween saline, at 240, 240 mg/kg and 0.25 mL/kg respectively for 14 days. After a 48-h discontinuation of treatment, the liver, small intestine, and kidney tissues of mice were collected for fungal direct microscopic examination, culture, and histopathological examination. Additionally, renal tissues from each group of mice were collected for (1,3)- β -D-glucan detection. The survival status of mice in all groups was monitored for 14 days of drug administration. RESULTS: The CA group exhibited a fungal clearance rate of C. albicans above 86.7% (26/30), significantly higher than the fluconazole group (60.0%, 18/30, P<0.01) and the Tween saline group (30.0%, 9/30, P<0.01). Furthermore, histopathological examination in the CA group revealed the disappearance of inflammatory cells and near-normal restoration of tissue structure. The (1,3)-β-D-glucan detection value in the CA group (860.55 ± 126.73 pg/mL) was significantly lower than that in the fluconazole group (1985.13 ± 203.56 pg/mL, P<0.01) and the Tween saline group (5910.20 ± 320.56 pg/mL, P<0.01). The mouse survival rate reached 90.0% (27/30), higher than the fluconazole group (60.0%, 18/30) and the Tween saline group (30.0%, 9/30), with a significant difference between the two groups (both P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS CA treatment exhibited significant therapeutic efficacy in mice with systemic C. albicans infection. Therefore, CA holds potential as a novel antifungal agent for targeted treatment of C. albicans infection.
Animals ; Acrolein/pharmacology* ; Candida albicans/physiology* ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Candidiasis/pathology* ; Antifungal Agents/therapeutic use* ; Mice ; Fluconazole/therapeutic use* ; Kidney/drug effects* ; Female

Eightly-four novel thioheterocyclic nucleoside derivatives were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for antitumor activity in vitro and in vivo. Most of the compounds inhibited the growth of HCT116 and HeLa cancer cells in vitro, among them 33a and 36b exhibited potent activity against HCT116 cells (IC₅₀ = 0.27 and 0.49 μmol/L, respectively). Both compounds 33a and 36b inhibited cell metastasis, arrested the cell cycle in the G₂/M phase, and induced apoptosis in vitro. Mechanistic studies revealed that 33a and 36b increased ROS levels, led to DNA damage, ER stress, and mitochondrial dysfunction, and inhibited autophagy in HCT116 cells. Biological information analysis, RNA-sequencing, Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA), drug affinity responsive target stability (DARTS) assay, cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA), and SPR experiments identified that compounds 33a and 36b showed antitumor activity by suppressing the c-MYC pathway. c-MYC silencing assays indicated that c-MYC proteins participated in 33a-mediated anticancer activities in HCT116 cells. More importantly, compound 33a presented favorable pharmacokinetic properties in mice (T _1/2 = 6.8 h) and showed significant antitumor efficacy in vivo without obvious toxicity, showing promising potential for further clinical development.

BACKGROUND: Acupuncture has shown potential therapeutic benefits for individuals with simple obesity. However, some researchers argue that some of the effectiveness of acupuncture may be due to the placebo response. OBJECTIVE: To understand the placebo response of acupuncture treatment in simple obesity, a systematic review and meta-analysis was designed based on the comparison between sham acupuncture before and after treatment. SEARCH STRATEGY: Eight databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Database, China Biology Medicine Database, and Chinese Scientific Journals Database) were searched from inception to August 1, 2023. The MeSH search terms comprised obesity and acupuncture. INCLUSION CRITERIA: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) using sham or placebo acupuncture as a control in treating obesity were enrolled. DATA EXTRACTION AND ANALYSIS: Two researchers independently extracted data, and the results were cross-checked after completion. Each RCT's detailed sham/placebo acupuncture treatment protocol was assessed according to the SHam Acupuncture REporting guidelines. The revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system were used to determine the risk of bias and quality of evidence, respectively. Body mass index (BMI) was defined as the primary outcome. Anthropometric parameters and laboratory test parameters related to obesity were defined as secondary outcomes. We used standardized mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence interval (CI) to calculate treatment effects of outcomes. RESULTS: Fifteen RCTs with a total of 1250 patients were included. The BMI significantly decreased after treatment in the sham acupuncture group compared to baseline (SMD 0.37, 95% CI 0.09-0.66; I² = 81%, random model; P < 0.01). Treatment duration (P = 0.02) and other interventions significantly impacted the placebo response rate (P = 0.00). CONCLUSION The placebo response of sham acupuncture was strong in the RCTs for simple obesity, and the effect sizes differed between various outcomes. The treatment duration and other interventions emerged as potential influencing factors for the placebo response of sham acupuncture. Please cite this article as: Liu KJ, Jiao RM, Ji J, Yao WW, Han CR, Zhao XY, Zhao JJ. Placebo response in sham acupuncture therapy trials for simple obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(3): 264-273.
Humans ; Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; Obesity/therapy* ; Placebo Effect ; Placebos ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic

OBJECTIVE: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major health concern in northwest China; however, the impact of particulate matter (PM) exposure during sand-dust storms (SDS) remains poorly understood. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the association between PM exposure on SDS days and COPD hospitalization risk in arid regions. METHODS: Data on daily COPD hospitalizations were collected from 323 hospitals from 2018 to 2022, along with the corresponding air pollutant and meteorological data for each city in Gansu Province. Employing a space-time-stratified case-crossover design and conditional Poisson regression, we analyzed 265,379 COPD hospitalizations. RESULTS: PM exposure during SDS days significantly increased COPD hospitalization risk [relative risk ( RR) for PM _2.5, lag 3:1.028, 95% confidence interval ( CI): 1.021-1.034], particularly among men and the elderly, and during the cold season. The burden of PM exposure on COPD hospitalization was substantially high in Northwest China, especially in the arid and semi-arid regions. CONCLUSION Our findings revealed a positive correlation between PM exposure during SDS episodes and elevated hospitalization rates for COPD in arid and semi-arid zones in China. This highlights the urgency of developing region-specific public health strategies to address adverse respiratory outcomes associated with SDS-related air quality deterioration.
Humans ; China/epidemiology* ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/chemically induced* ; Particulate Matter/analysis* ; Hospitalization/statistics & numerical data* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Air Pollutants/analysis* ; Environmental Exposure/adverse effects* ; Spatio-Temporal Analysis ; Adult ; Sand ; Air Pollution

Metabolic diseases characterized by an imbalance in energy homeostasis represent a significant global health challenge. Individuals with metabolic diseases often suffer from complications related to disorders in lipid metabolism, such as obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Understanding core genes involved in lipid metabolism can advance strategies for the prevention and treatment of these conditions. Stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 (SCD1) is a key enzyme in lipid metabolism that converts saturated fatty acids into monounsaturated fatty acids. SCD1 plays a crucial regulatory role in numerous physiological and pathological processes, including energy homeostasis, glycolipid metabolism, autophagy, and inflammation. Abnormal transcription and epigenetic activation of Scd1 contribute to abnormal lipid accumulation by regulating multiple signaling axes, thereby promoting the development of obesity, NAFLD, diabetes, and cancer. This review comprehensively summarizes the key role of SCD1 as a metabolic hub gene in various (patho)physiological contexts. Further it explores potential translational avenues, focusing on the development of novel SCD1 inhibitors across interdisciplinary fields, aiming to provide new insights and approaches for targeting SCD1 in the prevention and treatment of metabolic diseases.
Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase/metabolism* ; Humans ; Metabolic Diseases/physiopathology* ; Lipid Metabolism/physiology* ; Animals ; Obesity/enzymology* ; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Cardiac fibrosis(CF) is a cardiac pathological process characterized by excessive deposition of extracellular matrix(ECM). When the heart is damaged by adverse stimuli, cardiac fibroblasts are activated and secrete a large amount of ECM, leading to changes in cardiac fibrosis, myocardial stiffness, and cardiac function declines and accelerating the development of heart failure. There is a close relationship between heart yin deficiency and cardiac fibrosis, which have similar pathogenic mechanisms. Heart Yin deficiency, characterized by insufficient Yin fluids, causes the heart to lose its nourishing function, which acts as the initiating factor for myocardial dystrophy. The deficiency of body fluids leads to stagnation of blood flow, resulting in blood stasis and water retention. Blood stasis and water retention accumulate in the heart, which aligns with the pathological manifestation of excessive deposition of ECM, as a tangible pathogenic factor. This is an inevitable stage of the disease process. The lingering of blood stasis combined with water retention eventually leads to the generation of heat and toxins, triggering inflammatory responses similar to heat toxins, which continuously stimulate the heart and cause the ultimate outcome of CF. Considering the syndrome of heart Yin deficiency, traditional Chinese medicine capable of nourishing Yin, activating blood, and promoting urination can reduce myocardial cell apoptosis, inhibit fibroblast activation, and lower the inflammation level, showing significant advantages in combating CF.
Humans ; Fibrosis/drug therapy* ; Animals ; Yin Deficiency/metabolism* ; Myocardium/metabolism* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use*