Polygonati Rhizoma demonstrates significant potential for addressing both chronic and hidden hunger. The supply of high-quality seedlings is a primary factor influencing the development of the Polygonati Rhizoma industry. Warm water soaking is often used in agriculture to promote the rapid germination of seeds, while its application and molecular mechanism in Polygonati Rhizoma have not been reported. To rapidly obtain high-quality seedlings, this study treated Polygonatum kingianum var. grandifolium seeds with sand storage at low temperatures, warm water soaking, and cultivation temperature gradients. The results showed that the culture at 25 ℃ or sand storage at 4 ℃ for 2 months rapidly broke the seed dormancy of P. kingianum var. grandifolium, while the culture at 20 ℃ or sand storage at 4 ℃ for 1 month failed to break the seed dormancy. Soaking seeds in 60 ℃ warm water further increased the germination rate, germination potential, and germination index. Specifically, the seeds soaked at 60 ℃ and cultured at 25 ℃ without sand storage treatment(Aa25) achieved a germination rate of 78. 67%±1. 53% on day 42 and 83. 40%±4. 63% on day 77. The seeds pretreated with sand storage at 4 ℃ for 2 months, soaked in 60 ℃ water, and then cultured at 25 ℃ achieved a germination rate comparable to that of Aa25 on day 77. Transcriptomic analysis indicated that warm water soaking might promote germination by triggering reactive oxygen species( ROS), inducing the expression of heat shock factors( HSFs) and heat shock proteins( HSPs), which accelerated DNA replication, transcript maturation, translation, and processing, thereby facilitating the accumulation and turnover of genetic materials. According to the results of indoor controlled experiments and field practices, maintaining a germination and seedling cultivation environment at approximately 25 ℃ was crucial for the one-year seedling cultivation of P. kingianum var. grandifolium.
Germination ; Seedlings/genetics* ; Water/metabolism* ; Seeds/metabolism* ; Polygonatum/genetics* ; Temperature ; Plant Proteins/genetics* ; Plant Dormancy

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of wheat-grain moxibustion at the Guanyuan point on testosterone (T) synthesis and the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis in naturally aged mice. METHODS: We fed 40 twelve-month-old SPF male C57BL/6J mice with a normal diet for 3 months, randomized them into a moxibustion and an aged group of an equal number, and selected 7 four-month-old ones as young controls. We treated the animals of the moxibustion group by wheat-grain moxibustion at the Guanyuan point, once 5 moxibustion sticks, qd, 5 times a week, and fed those of the aged group normally, all for 12 weeks. After treatment, we obtained the testicular index of the mice, observed the histomorphology of the testis tissue by HE staining, measured the contents of T in the testis, gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) in the hypothalamus and total T (tT), free T (fT), luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) in the serum by ELISA, and determined the expressions of silence information regulator-1 (SIRT1), P53, glutathione peroxidase (GPX4) and cholesterol side-chain?cleavage enzyme (CYP11A1) in the testis by Western blot. RESULTS: Compared with the young controls, the mice in the aged group showed obviously losing and dull hair, energy declination, loose structure of the spermatogenic tubule with different degrees of cell loss and rupture, reduced testicular index, and evident aging phenotype. In comparison with the aged mice, the animals of the moxibustion group were fairly energetic and exhibited distinct structure of the spermatogenic tubules, orderly arranged and highly differentiated cells at all levels, significantly increased T level, up-regulated expressions of SIRT1, GPX4 and CYP11A1, and down-regulated expression of P53 in testis tissue, and elevated levels of GnRH, FSH, LH, tT and fT in the HPG axis. CONCLUSION Wheat-grain moxibustion at the Guanyuan point protects testosterone synthesis in the testis tissue of naturally aged mice, promotes negative feedback regulation of the HPG axis, and improves low testosterone.
Animals ; Male ; Moxibustion ; Mice ; Testosterone/metabolism* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Testis/metabolism* ; Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System/metabolism* ; Triticum ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone/metabolism* ; Luteinizing Hormone/blood* ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone/blood* ; Aging ; Hypothalamus/metabolism* ; Acupuncture Points ; Sirtuin 1/metabolism* ; Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Gonadal Axis

Notum, a negative feedback regulator of the Wnt signaling, has emerged as a promising target for treating glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIOP). This study showcases an efficient strategy for discovering the anti-Notum constituents from herbal medicines (HMs) as novel anti-GIOP agents. Firstly, a rapid-responding near-infrared fluorogenic substrate for Notum was rationally engineered for high-throughput identifying the anti-Notum HMs. The results showed that Bu-Gu-Zhi (BGZ), a known anti-osteoporosis herb, potently inhibited Notum in a competitive-inhibition manner. To uncover the key anti-Notum constituents in BGZ, an efficient strategy was adapted via integrating biochemical, phytochemical, computational, and pharmacological assays. Among all identified BGZ constituents, three furanocoumarins were validated as strong Notum inhibitors, while 5-methoxypsoralen (5-MP) showed the most potent anti-Notum activity and favorable safety profiles. Mechanistically, 5-MP acted as a competitive inhibitor of Notum via creating strong hydrophobic interactions with Trp128 and Phe268 in the catalytic cavity of Notum. Cellular assays showed that 5-MP remarkably promoted osteoblast differentiation and activated Wnt signaling in dexamethasone (DXMS)-challenged MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts. In dexamethasone-induced osteoporotic mice, 5-MP strongly elevated bone mineral density (BMD) and improved cancellous and cortical bone thickness. Collectively, this study constructs a high-efficient platform for discovering key anti-Notum constituents from HMs, while 5-MP emerges as a promising anti-GIOP agent.

Glutamine provides carbon and nitrogen to support the proliferation of cancer cells. However, the precise reason why cancer cells are particularly dependent on glutamine remains unclear. In this study, we report that glutamine modulates the tumor suppressor F-box and WD repeat domain-containing 7 (FBW7) to promote cancer cell proliferation and survival. Specifically, lysine 604 (K604) in the sixth of the 7 substrate-recruiting WD repeats of FBW7 undergoes glutaminylation (Gln-K604) by glutaminyl tRNA synthetase. Gln-K604 inhibits SCFFBW7-mediated degradation of c-Myc and Mcl-1, enhances glutamine utilization, and stimulates nucleotide and DNA biosynthesis through the activation of c-Myc. Additionally, Gln-K604 promotes resistance to apoptosis by activating Mcl-1. In contrast, SIRT1 deglutaminylates Gln-K604, thereby reversing its effects. Cancer cells lacking Gln-K604 exhibit overexpression of c-Myc and Mcl-1 and display resistance to chemotherapy-induced apoptosis. Silencing both c-MYC and MCL-1 in these cells sensitizes them to chemotherapy. These findings indicate that the glutamine-mediated signal via Gln-K604 is a key driver of cancer progression and suggest potential strategies for targeted cancer therapies based on varying Gln-K604 status.
Glutamine/metabolism* ; Myeloid Cell Leukemia Sequence 1 Protein/genetics* ; Humans ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc/genetics* ; Cell Proliferation ; Signal Transduction ; Neoplasms/pathology* ; F-Box-WD Repeat-Containing Protein 7/genetics* ; Cell Survival ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Apoptosis

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the associations between eight serum per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and regional fat depots, we analyzed the data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011-2018 cycles. METHODS: Multiple linear regression models were developed to explore the associations between serum PFAS concentrations and six fat compositions along with a fat distribution score created by summing the concentrations of the six fat compositions. The associations between structurally grouped PFASs and fat distribution were assessed, and a prediction model was developed to estimate the ability of PFAS exposure to predict obesity risk. RESULTS: Among females aged 39-59 years, trunk fat mass was positively associated with perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS). Higher concentrations of PFOS, perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), perfluorodecanoate (PFDeA), perfluorononanoate (PFNA), and n-perfluorooctanoate (n-PFOA) were linked to greater visceral adipose tissue in this group. In men, exposure to total perfluoroalkane sulfonates (PFSAs) and long-chain PFSAs was associated with reductions in abdominal fat, while higher abdominal fat in women aged 39-59 years was associated with short-chain PFSAs. The prediction model demonstrated high accuracy, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.9925 for predicting obesity risk. CONCLUSION PFAS exposure is associated with regional fat distribution, with varying effects based on age, sex, and PFAS structure. The findings highlight the potential role of PFAS exposure in influencing fat depots and obesity risk, with significant implications for public health. The prediction model provides a highly accurate tool for assessing obesity risk related to PFAS exposure.
Humans ; Fluorocarbons/blood* ; Female ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Male ; Environmental Pollutants/blood* ; Abdominal Fat ; Nutrition Surveys ; Alkanesulfonic Acids/blood* ; Obesity ; Environmental Exposure

177Lu-prostate specific membrane antigen(PSMA)radio-ligand therapy has been approved abroad for advanced prostate cancer and has been in several clinical trials in China.Based on domestic clinical practice and experimental data and referred to international experience and viewpoints,the expert group forms a consensus on the clinical application of 177Lu-PSMA radio-ligand therapy in prostate cancer to guide clinical practice.

Objective:To explore the relationship between atherosclerotic index of plasma(AIP)and vulnerable plaque of coronary under computed tomography(CT)based on coronary CT angiography(CCTA).Methods:Data were retrospectively collected on 213 patients with coronary heart disease(CHD)who underwent CCTA examination from January 2021 to February 2024 at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Shenyang Medical College,and they were divided into a vulnerable plaque group(123 cases)and a non-vulnerable plaque group(90 cases)according to whether existed vulnerable plaque of coronary artery.General clinical data such as age,gender,history of smoking,history of alcohol consumption,history of diabetes,and serum indicators such as AIP were collected.The differences in AIP and other factors between the two groups were compared.The independent influencing factors of vulnerable plaque of coronary artery were determined by multifactorial logistic regression analysis,and the predictive value of AIP for vulnerable plaque was assessed by drawing a receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve.Results:AIP of vulnerable plaque group was 0.22±0.31,which was higher than that 0.05±0.27 of the vulnerable plaque group,and the difference of AIP between two groups was significant(t=4.223,P<0.001).Multifactorial logistic analysis showed there was independent correlation between AIP and vulnerable plaque under CT(OR=7.556,95%CI:2.442～23.385,P=0.002).The ROC curve showed that the best cut-off value of AIP was 0.20 in predicting vulnerable plaque under CT,and the value of area under curve(AUC)was 0.665,and the sensitivity was 55.56%and the specificity was 73.98%.Conclusion:AIP is an independent influencing factor for CHD patients who complicate vulnerable plaques,and it has a certain of predictive value for vulnerable plaques.

Objective:To study the epidemiological characteristics of mortality and cause of death composition in patients with coal-burning-borne endemic arsenism in Ankang City, Shaanxi Province.Methods:Mortality data of patients with coal-burning-borne endemic arsenism in Ankang City from 2018 to 2023 were collected from the Shaanxi Provincial Endemic Disease Prevention and Control Information Management Platform and the National Death Cause Information Registration System. Crude and standardized mortality rates, years of life lost (YLL) due to premature death were calculated, and the population and regional distribution characteristics of death cases were analyzed. Causes of death were classified and analyzed according to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) category codes.Results:From 2018 to 2023, a total of 610 patients with coal-burning-borne endemic arsenism died in Ankang City, Shaanxi Province. The average annual crude mortality rate was 5.20/100 000. The average age of death for patients was 77.78 years old, and the mortality rate showed an upward trend with age (χ 2tend = 1 163.82, P < 0.001), with a significant increase in patients over 60 years old. The male to female ratio was 3.18∶1.00 (464/146). Among the seven diseased districts and counties, Langao County had the highest mortality rate. The YLL was 6 241.68 person-years. The top four causes of death among these cases circulatory system diseases, respiratory system diseases, malignant tumors, and injuries differed from those of the entire population in Ankang City, with respiratory system diseases being more prominently ranked. Conclusions:The death cases of coal-burning-borne endemic arsenism in Ankang City are mainly elderly males, and are more common in Langao County. There are various causes of death, coexisting with circulatory system diseases, respiratory system diseases, malignant tumors, and injuries.

Objective To investigate the effect of varying ureteral wall thickness(UWT)at the site of ureteral stones on the clinical efficacy of ureteroscopic lithotripsy(URL).Methods The clinical data of 164 patients with ureteral stones in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed.According to different UWT,the patients were divided into the mild thickening group(84 cases,UWT<3.16 mm),the moderate thickening group(31 cases,UWT 3.16 to 3.49 mm),and the severe thickening group(49 cases,UWT>3.49 mm),and the differences of clinical related indicators among the three groups were compared.Results The incidence of postoperative renal colic and leukocyte disorder in the mild thickening group and the moderate thickening group were lower than those in the severe thickening group,and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).The postoperative catheterization time in the mild thickening group and the moderate thickening group were shorter than that in the severe thickening group,and the incidences of secondary lithotripsy,residual stones and stone return to kidney in the mild thickening group and the moderate thickening group were lower than those in the severe thickening group,with statistically significant differences(P<0.05).The length of hospital stay and hospitalization cost in the mild thickening group and the moderate thickening group were shorter/less than those in the severe thickening group,with statistically significant differences(P<0.05).Conclusion With the increase of UWT(especially when UWT>3.49 mm),the incidence of postoperative complications and hospitalization cost of URL increase to varying degrees,and the surgical efficacy decreases.In clinical work,UWT measurement holds potential value in predicting the surgical efficacy and complications of URL.

Purpose To investigate the clinicopathological and molecular of embryonal tumor with multilayered rosettes(ETMR).Methods The clinical data and follow-up data of 9 cases of ETMR were collected,and the expression of Syn,LIN28A,vimentin,GFAP,Olig2,S-100,INI1,H3K27me3,and Ki67 was detected by immunohistochemistry EnVision two-step method.The amplification genes of C19MC were detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization(FISH).And relevant lit-eratures were reviewed.Results There were 6 males and 3 fe-males with 2∶1 of M:F;seven cases were located supratentorial-ly and two cases located subratentorially,one of the case located to the brainstem was resemble of diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma in imaging.Histopathologically,there 9 cases were diagnosed as embryonal tumor with abundant neuropil and true rosettes(four cases),ependymoblastoma(three cases),or medulloepithelio-ma(two cases).Immunohistochemistry showed that LIN28A,Syn and vimentin were positive,GFAP was variable,BRG1,INI1 and H3K27me3 were retained.The Ki67 proliferation index rangeed from 40％to 70％.C19MC amplification were detected in 8 samples by FISH.In all 9 cases,four cases had undergone gross total tumor resection,two cases only subtotal tumor re-moved,one patient was underwent biopsy,two patients were un-known.Seven patients were adjuvant therapy.Four patients had CSF seeded,but without extraneural metastases.The follow-up time ranged from 0 to 36 months.The overall survival(OS)was 36 months and the median survival was 10 months.Eight pa-tients died within 3 years after their initial diagnosis.Conclu-sion ETMR almost occurs in the cerebral hemisphere,and a few cases can occur in the brainstem and show the imaging char-acteristics of DIPG.ETMR have highly aggressive and poor prognosis.The combination of histological,LIN28A immunohis-tochemistry,and C19MC tests is helpful for diagnosis and differ-ential diagnosis.