ObjectiveTo investigate the role of DEAD-box helicase 3 X-linked （DDX3X） in immune-mediated liver injury （ILI）， and to clarify its mechanism by regulating endoplasmic reticulum stress （ERS）-dependent apoptotic pathway and its association with the clinical progression of hepatitis B. MethodsMice were given injection of concanavalin A （ConA） via the caudal vein to establish a model of ILI， PBS （control group） and different concentrations of ConA were injected into the tail vein of hepatocyte-specific DDX3X-knockout mice （DDX3X^ΔHep and DDX3X-flox mice （DDX3X^fl/fl）， respectively.. The log-rank survival analysis， measurement of the serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase （AST） and alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， and HE staining of liver tissue were performed to assess liver injury， and qRT-PCR and Western Blot were used to measure the mRNA and protein expression levels of glucose-regulated protein 78 （GRP78）， CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein homologous protein （CHOP）， and DDX3X in liver tissue. Intraperitoneal injection of 4-phenylbutyric acid （4-PBA， 100 mg/kg） was performed to inhibit ERS. Serum samples （n=30） and liver tissue samples （n=6） were collected from healthy controls， chronic hepatitis B （CHB） patients， and hepatitis B virus-associated liver failure （HBV-LF） patients； ELISA was used to measure the serum level of DDX3X， and qRT-PCR/Western Blot was used to analyze the expression of targets in liver tissue. A one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison of continuous data between multiple groups， and the least significant difference t-test was used for further comparison between two groups. ResultsCompared with the control group of mice， the expression of DDX3X in the liver of mice induced by ConA was significantly increased after liver injury （P<0.05）， and hepatocyte-specific DDX3X knockout increased the 72-hour survival rate of mice by 55% （compared with 20% in the DDX3X^fl/fl group）， with significant reductions in the serum levels of ALT and AST （P<0.000 1） and the expression levels of the ERS markers GRP78 and CHOP （P<0.05）. After ERS was inhibited by 4-PBA， there was alleviation of liver injury （with reductions in ALT and AST， P <0.001） and a reduction in DDX3X expression （P<0.01）. The analysis of clinical samples showed that the mRNA and protein expression levels of liver DDX3X in CHB patients and HBV-LF patients were significantly higher than those in healthy controls （all P<0.01）， and there was a significant increase in the serum level of DDX3X in HBV-LF patients （P<0.000 1）. ConclusionDDX3X exacerbates ILI by regulating the ERS-dependent apoptotic pathway （GRP78/CHOP）， and its expression is associated with the progression of hepatitis B. Therefore， it can be used as a potential therapeutic target.

Objective To develop a simple method for producing mice adipose stem cells with highly efficient adipogenic differentiation capability.Methods Subcutaneous adipose tissue was extracted from wild-type mice.By strictly controlling the digestion time of collagenase,we compared the number of adipose stem cells and their adipogenic differentiation ability obtained for different digestion times.Further,flow cytometry was used to clarify the differences in mesenchymal cells and vascular components at different digestion times.Results The adipose stem cells obtained after 40 minutes of digestion by collagenase exhibited over 90%adipogenic differentiation ability in vitro,while those obtained after 60 minutes of digestion only showed 20%adipogenic differentiation ability.The main reason for this discrepancy was the presence of a portion of vascular-related cells in the latter.Conclusion By controlling the digestion time of collagenase in adipose tissue,we have established an efficient method for preparing adipose stem cells with high adipogenic differentiation potential.The obtained adipose stem cells exhibit over 90%adipogenic differentiation ability in vitro.

Objective:To compare and analyze the inpatient case grouping results of the medical insurance payment DRG grouping based on CHS-DRG (the medical insurance grouping) and the medical quality performance evaluation DRG grouping (the performance grouping), providing references for hospitals to carry out DRG application practice.Methods:Hospitalized cases were selected from a tertiary hospital in Yunnan Province that completed medical insurance settlement in December 2023. Their medical record homepage data were upload to the medical insurance grouping and the performance grouping respectively. Two DRG grouping results were obtained. The grouping weights, surgical operation grouping, and ambiguous group cases were compared and analyzed.Results:3 053 cases were included. The DRG weight of medical insurance payment was positively correlated with the DRG weight of performance evaluation ( rs=0.57, P<0.001), and the DRG weight of performance evaluation was generally higher than that of medical insurance payment ( Z=-25.49, P<0.001); Compared with the medical insurance grouping, the performance grouping generated fewer surgical groups and more operational and internal medicine groups (χ 2=7.01, P=0.030). The consistency of surgical operation grouping between the two groupings was high ( K=0.78, P<0.001), but the surgical operation groups of 111 patients were inconsistent. The medical insurance grouping generated 104 ambiguous cases, while the performance grouping generated no ambiguous cases. Conclusions:There was a certain difference in the grouping results between the two DRG grouping. Medical institutions should coordinate the handling of differences in grouping weights, surgical operation grouping, and ambiguity groups among different DRG grouping, strengthen the review and quality control of medical record front pages, and achieve collaborative win-win outcomes for different management goals.

Objective To develop a simple method for producing mice adipose stem cells with highly efficient adipogenic differentiation capability.Methods Subcutaneous adipose tissue was extracted from wild-type mice.By strictly controlling the digestion time of collagenase,we compared the number of adipose stem cells and their adipogenic differentiation ability obtained for different digestion times.Further,flow cytometry was used to clarify the differences in mesenchymal cells and vascular components at different digestion times.Results The adipose stem cells obtained after 40 minutes of digestion by collagenase exhibited over 90%adipogenic differentiation ability in vitro,while those obtained after 60 minutes of digestion only showed 20%adipogenic differentiation ability.The main reason for this discrepancy was the presence of a portion of vascular-related cells in the latter.Conclusion By controlling the digestion time of collagenase in adipose tissue,we have established an efficient method for preparing adipose stem cells with high adipogenic differentiation potential.The obtained adipose stem cells exhibit over 90%adipogenic differentiation ability in vitro.

Objective:To investigate the differences in clinical outcomes of septic children with varying serum zinc levels,and to analyze the relationship between reduced serum zinc levels and organ dysfunction as well as 28-day mortality in septic children.Methods:This study conducted a retrospective analysis of clinical data from pediatric patients diagnosed with sepsis or septic shock in the Department of critical care medicine of the children's Hospital of Soochow University between January 2017 and December 2022.Clinical characteristics,organ dysfunction,and prognosis were compared between two groups:children with low serum zinc levels and those with normal zinc levels.Results:The serum zinc level of septic children within 24 hours of admission was 9.60(5.52,13.80)μmol/L,with 50.54%(94/186)of the children exhibiting low serum zinc levels(<10.07 μmol/L).Compared to the normal serum zinc group,the low serum zinc group had a significantly lower Pediatric Critical Illness Score(PCIS)[(78.71±9.35)vs.(85.12±8.51),P=0.005]and higher 28-day mortality(46.80%vs.14.13%,P<0.001).The low serum zinc group also had a higher proportion of invasive mechanical ventilation(64.89%vs.47.82%,P=0.019),renal replacement therapy(15.59%vs.3.26%,P=0.003),and use of vasoactive drugs(56.38%vs.30.43%,P<0.001).The rate of underlying conditions in the low serum zinc group was significantly higher than that in the normal serum zinc group(57.44%vs.36.95%,P=0.005).Additionally,the low serum zinc group had a higher incidence of disseminated intravascular coagulation(DIC),respiratory failure,acute kidney injury,shock,and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome(MODS)compared to the normal serum zinc group(P<0.05).Serum zinc levels had predictive value for 28-day mortality in septic children(AUC=0.813;95%CI:0.725～0.902;P<0.001).A serum zinc level of less than 6.950 μmol/L predicted the death of septic children with a sensitivity of 0.618 and a specificity of 0.902.Conclusion:Sepsis in children is commonly associated with low serum zinc levels,especially in those with underlying conditions such as hematologic and oncologic disorders.Sepsis patients hypozincemia with a higher incidence of DIC,respiratory failure,acute kidney injury,shock,and MODS.A serum zinc level below 6.95 μmol/L serves as a significant predictor of 28-day mortality in children with severe sepsis.

Objective To explore the effect of rotenone exposure on the metabolic homeostasis of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide(NAD+)in dopaminergic neurons of the rat mid-brain striatum,and investigate the effect of exogenous NAD+intervention on the cellular damage response of dopaminergic neurons induced by rotenone.Methods Male SD rats(8 weeks old,200～250 g)were divided into a control group using a table of random numbers,a rotenone exposure group,an NAD+-intervention group,and an NAD+group.An intoxication model was established in the rotenone exposure group.NAD+(250 mg/kg)was administered simultaneously with rotenone exposure in the NAD+-intervention group.The NAD+group was only given NAD+,while the control group received no intervention.After modeling,open field test was performed to evaluate behavioral changes.After scarification,serum samples and mid-brain striatal tissues were collected.HE staining was used to observe the morphology of dopaminergic neurons in the striatum.The NAD+content in the tissues was detected with NAD+/NADH kit.Western blotting was employed to determine the contents of tyrosine hydroxylase(TH),nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase(NAMPT),nicotinamide mononucleotide adenylyltransferase(NMNAT),and solute carrier family 25 member A51(SLC25A51).ELISA was utilized to measure the content of dopamine in the striatal tissues.Immunohistochemical staining was applied to observe the distribution and contents of TH proteins in the striatal tissues of each group.Results Rotenone exposure significantly affected the vital signs and motor abilities of rats,induced disorderly-arranged,atrophy and deformed neurons in the striatal tissue,decreased the content of TH,rate-limiting enzyme for dopamine synthesis,by approximately 29%(P<0.01),the content of dopamine by about 42%,and that of NAD+by almost 50%(P<0.01),while increased the NADH/NAD+ratio(P<0.01).After exposure,the content of NAMPT,an enzyme related to NAD+synthesis,was decreased by 26%(P<0.05),the contents of NMNAT1-3 and SLC25A51,mitochondrial transporters of NAD+by approximately 21%,38%,43%,and 21%,respectively(P<0.01).Exogenous NAD+intervention improved the motor function of exposure rats and the morphology of dopaminergic neurons in the mid-brain striatal tissue,and restored the content of TH in the striatal tissue significantly by 12.8%(P<0.05),and the content of dopamine by 20.9%(P<0.05).Conclusion Rotenone disrupts the NAD+homeostasis in dopaminergic neurons by inhibiting the NAD+synthesis and transport pathways in the mid-brain striatal tissues,while exogenous NAD+intervention can effectively alleviate the dopaminergic neuron damage induced by rotenone exposure.

Objective:To investigate the role of the IgG subtypes (IgG1 and IgG2a) in anti-glycoprotein (GP) Ⅰbα antibody-induced platelet clearance.Methods:Venous blood was collected from healthy volunteers, and platelets were separated. The phagocytosis of human platelets by human acute monocytic leukemia cells (THP-1 cells) induced by different anti-GPⅠbα antibodies (AN51, AK2, HIP1, TM60, VM16d, WM23, and SZ2) was detected by flow cytometry. The effects of the AN51 full-length antibody, F (ab') 2, and Fab fragments on platelet phagocytosis by THP-1 cells were detected by flow cytometry. Then, the Fc blocking antibody 2.4G2 and normal rat IgG2a or IgG1 were injected into C57BL/6J mice via the posterior ocular vein, and their effects on platelet reduction induced by R300 were detected by a hematology analyzer. Results:Compared with IgG1, the IgG2a subtype of anti-GPⅠbα antibodies induced the phagocytosis of platelets by THP-1 cells in vitro ( P<0.05). In contrast to the AN51 full-length antibody, neither AN51 F (ab') 2 nor the Fab fragment could induce THP-1 cells to phagocytose platelets ( P<0.05). Compared with the control group, anti-mouse GPⅠbα R300-induced thrombocytopenia in mice was reduced at 2, 4, and 6 h after the injection of Fc blocking antibody 2.4G2 ( P<0.05). Similarly, R300-induced thrombocytopenia in mice was reduced at 2, 4, and 6 h after the injection of rat IgG2a ( P<0.05) . Conclusion:IgG2a plays an important role in anti-GPⅠbα-induced clearance.

Objective:To explore differences in the efficacy and safety of ruxolitinib in patients with myelofibrosis by age and to identify prognostic factors by analyzing clinical features and characteristics of chromosomes and gene mutations.Methods:This study retrospectively analyzed 188 patients with myelofibrosis who received ruxolitinib in the Department of Hematology, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University from January 1, 2017, to July 1, 2024. According to age at diagnosis, the patients were divided into the middle-aged group (≤55 years), young elderly group (56-65 years), and elderly group (>65 years). Clinical features, the characteristics of chromosomes and gene mutations, and the efficacy and safety of ruxolitinib treatment were compared across the three age groups. Independent factors influencing overall survival were identified through Cox proportional risk regression analysis.Results:Before treatment, the elderly group had more underlying comorbidities, a heavier symptom burden, higher leukocyte count, higher proportion and frequency of JAK2 mutations, and lower proportion of CALR mutations. The incidence of nondriver gene mutations was significantly higher in the young elderly group. After ruxolitinib treatment, the degree of reduction in spleen size did not differ significantly among the three groups. The length of the palpable spleen below the left costal margin reduced by more than 50% from baseline in 50.9% (27/53) of the patients in the middle-aged group, 43.5% (27/62) in the young elderly group, and 45.5% (20/44) in the elderly group ( P=0.720). No significant difference was observed among the three groups in the degree of reduction in Myeloproliferative Neoplasm Symptom Assessment Form (10-item version) score ( P=0.153), with a reduction in total symptom score by more than 50% achieved by 54.0% (27/50), 60.3% (41/68), and 66.7% (34/51) of the patients from the three groups, respectively ( P=0.429). The most common hematological adverse events were anemia and thrombocytopenia, while the most common nonhematological adverse events were electrolyte disturbance, elevated transaminase activity, and pulmonary infection. Multivariate analysis indicated that in ruxolitinib-treated patients with myelofibrosis, poor overall survival was independently predicted by increased age, reduced hemoglobin, percentage of bone marrow blasts ≥ 1%, absence of JAK2 mutations, chromosomal abnormalities, ≥2 high-molecular-risk mutations, and TP53 mutations. Conclusions:Patients with myelofibrosis stratified by age exhibited heterogeneous clinical features and gene mutation profiles but similar efficacy of ruxolitinib treatment and occurrence of adverse events.

Recent data suggest that vascular endothelial growth factor receptor inhibitor (VEGFRi) can enhance the anti-tumor activity of the anti-programmed cell death-1 (anti-PD-1) antibody in colorectal cancer (CRC) with microsatellite stability (MSS). However, the comparison between this combination and standard third-line VEGFRi treatment is not performed, and reliable biomarkers are still lacking. We retrospectively enrolled MSS CRC patients receiving anti-PD-1 antibody plus VEGFRi (combination group, n=54) or VEGFRi alone (VEGFRi group, n=32), and their efficacy and safety were evaluated. We additionally examined the immune characteristics of the MSS CRC tumor microenvironment (TME) through single-cell and spatial transcriptomic data, and an MSS CRC immune cell-related signature (MCICRS) that can be used to predict the clinical outcomes of MSS CRC patients receiving immunotherapy was developed and validated in our in-house cohort. Compared with VEGFRi alone, the combination of anti-PD-1 antibody and VEGFRi exhibited a prolonged survival benefit (median progression-free survival: 4.4 vs. 2.0 months, P=0.0024; median overall survival: 10.2 vs. 5.2 months, P=0.0038) and a similar adverse event incidence. Through single-cell and spatial transcriptomic analysis, we determined ten MSS CRC-enriched immune cell types and their spatial distribution, including naive CD4⁺ T, regulatory CD4⁺ T, CD4⁺ Th17, exhausted CD8⁺ T, cytotoxic CD8⁺ T, proliferated CD8⁺ T, natural killer (NK) cells, plasma, and classical and intermediate monocytes. Based on a systemic meta-analysis and ten machine learning algorithms, we obtained MCICRS, an independent risk factor for the prognosis of MSS CRC patients. Further analyses demonstrated that the low-MCICRS group presented a higher immune cell infiltration and immune-related pathway activation, and hence a significant relation with the superior efficacy of pan-cancer immunotherapy. More importantly, the predictive value of MCICRS in MSS CRC patients receiving immunotherapy was also validated with an in-house cohort. Anti-PD-1 antibody combined with VEGFRi presented an improved clinical benefit in MSS CRC with manageable toxicity. MCICRS could serve as a robust and promising tool to predict clinical outcomes for individual MSS CRC patients receiving immunotherapy.
Humans ; Colorectal Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Male ; Female ; Immunotherapy ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Tumor Microenvironment/immunology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Microsatellite Instability ; Transcriptome ; Single-Cell Analysis ; Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor/immunology* ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/therapeutic use* ; Adult ; Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor/antagonists & inhibitors*

Metabolic diseases have seen a steady increase in incidence in recent years, becoming one of the main causes of sub-health status globally. Neutrophil extracellular traps(NETs) are reticular complexes containing DNA, which trap foreign microorganisms or induce an immune response. Current research indicates that NETs are widely active in various metabolic diseases and can cause severe damage to the body through multiple mechanisms, including promoting blood glucose elevation, damaging vascular endothelial cells, forming vascular embolisms, triggering intense inflammation, and promoting lipid accumulation. Therefore, intervening in NETs is an important approach to treating metabolic diseases. Research has shown a close relationship between the theory of spleen heat-turbid toxin theory and metabolic diseases-NETs mechanism. The basic pathogenesis include the internal accumulation of phlegm-dampness, qi stagnation and blood stasis, internal accumulation of dampness-heat, phlegm and blood stasis, and flourishing toxic heat. Various Chinese herbal medicines with the functions of dispelling dampness, resolving phlegm, promoting blood circulation to remove blood stasis, and clearing heat and toxins, along with their extracts and compound prescriptions, can treat metabolic diseases by regulating NETs and delaying disease progression. This paper systematically outlined the formation mechanisms of NETs, their connection to metabolic diseases, the theoretical basis in TCM, their roles in numerous metabolic diseases, and the current research status of TCM in regulating NETs to prevent and control metabolic diseases, aiming to provide effective reference ideas for developing therapeutic strategies for metabolic diseases.
Humans ; Extracellular Traps/metabolism* ; Metabolic Diseases/metabolism* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Animals ; Neutrophils/metabolism* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional