BACKGROUND: The main cause of restenosis after percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) is the excessive proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Lin28a has been reported to play critical regulatory roles in this process. However, whether CCAAT/enhancer-binding proteins β (C/EBPβ) binds to the Lin28a promoter and drives the progression of restenosis has not been clarified. Therefore, in the present study, we aim to clarify the role of C/EBPβ-Lin28a axis in restenosis. METHODS: Restenosis and atherosclerosis rat models of type 2 diabetes ( n   =  20, for each group) were established by subjecting to PTA. Subsequently, the difference in DNA methylation status and expression of C/EBPβ between the two groups were assessed. EdU, Transwell, and rescue assays were performed to assess the effect of C/EBPβ on the proliferation and migration of VSMCs. DNA methylation status was further assessed using Methyltarget sequencing. The interaction between Lin28a and ten-eleven translocation 1 (TET1) was analysed using co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) assay. Student's t -test and one-way analysis of variance were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: C/EBPβ expression was upregulated and accompanied by hypomethylation of its promoter in restenosis when compared with atherosclerosis. In vitroC/EBPβ overexpression facilitated the proliferation and migration of VSMCs and was associated with increased Lin28a expression. Conversely, C/EBPβ knockdown resulted in the opposite effects. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays further demonstrated that C/EBPβ could directly bind to Lin28a promoter. Increased C/EBPβ expression and enhanced proliferation and migration of VSMCs were observed after decitabine treatment. Further, mechanical stretch promoted C/EBPβ and Lin28a expression accompanied by C/EBPβ hypomethylation. Additionally, Lin28a overexpression reduced C/EBPβ methylation via recruiting TET1 and enhanced C/EBPβ-mediated proliferation and migration of VSMCs. The opposite was noted in Lin28a knockdown cells. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that the C/EBPβ-Lin28a axis is a driver of restenosis progression, and presents a promising therapeutic target for restenosis.
Animals ; Cell Proliferation/genetics* ; Cell Movement/genetics* ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular/metabolism* ; Rats ; DNA Methylation/physiology* ; CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-beta/genetics* ; Male ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle/cytology* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; RNA-Binding Proteins/genetics* ; Cells, Cultured ; Coronary Restenosis/metabolism*

BACKGROUND: The association between uric acid-albumin ratio (UAR) with different diseases has been evaluated before. However, the association between UAR with spontaneous reperfusion (SR) in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) has not been explored. METHODS: STEMI patients admitted to our department and underwent primary coronary angiography between 1^st November 2018 and 31^st December 2020 were retrospectively enrolled. The patients were divided into the SR group and the non-SR group according to the index coronary angiography results. The association between UAR and SR was evaluated by uni-variable and multi-variable logistic analysis. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to determine the optimum cut-off level of UAR in predicting SR. RESULTS: Three hundred and fifty-seven patients were finally enrolled in our study, 55 patients were divided into the SR group and 302 patients were divided into the non-SR group. In uni-variable analysis, patients with SR were older (P = 0.032), with higher red blood cell distribution width (P < 0.001) and red blood cell distribution width-to-platelet ratio (P < 0.001), higher level of C-reactive protein (P = 0.046), higher level of uric acid (P < 0.001) compared with patients without SR. Patients with SR had a lower level of platelets (P = 0.008), lower level of on-admission B-type natriuretic peptide (P < 0.001). As for the level of UAR, STEMI patients with SR had significantly higher levels of UAR compared with STEMI patients without SR [11.1 (8.9-13.4) vs. 8.3 (6.6-10.0), P < 0.001]. Further multi-variable logistic analysis reveals that UAR was the independent risk factor of SR in different models after adjusting different variables. Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that UAR had good predictive value in SR (AUC = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.702-0.794, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS Our study shows that UAR is an independent risk factor for predicting SR in STEMI patients.

Patients suffering from nerve injury often experience exacerbated pain responses and complain of memory deficits. The dorsal hippocampus (dHPC), a well-defined region responsible for learning and memory, displays maladaptive plasticity upon injury, which is assumed to underlie pain hypersensitivity and cognitive deficits. However, much attention has thus far been paid to intracellular mechanisms of plasticity rather than extracellular alterations that might trigger and facilitate intracellular changes. Emerging evidence has shown that nerve injury alters the microarchitecture of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and decreases ECM rigidity in the dHPC. Despite this, it remains elusive which element of the ECM in the dHPC is affected and how it contributes to neuropathic pain and comorbid cognitive deficits. Laminin, a key element of the ECM, consists of α-, β-, and γ-chains and has been implicated in several pathophysiological processes. Here, we showed that peripheral nerve injury downregulates laminin β1 (LAMB1) in the dHPC. Silencing of hippocampal LAMB1 exacerbates pain sensitivity and induces cognitive dysfunction. Further mechanistic analysis revealed that loss of hippocampal LAMB1 causes dysregulated Src/NR2A signaling cascades via interaction with integrin β1, leading to decreased Ca²⁺ levels in pyramidal neurons, which in turn orchestrates structural and functional plasticity and eventually results in exaggerated pain responses and cognitive deficits. In this study, we shed new light on the functional capability of hippocampal ECM LAMB1 in the modulation of neuropathic pain and comorbid cognitive deficits, and reveal a mechanism that conveys extracellular alterations to intracellular plasticity. Moreover, we identified hippocampal LAMB1/integrin β1 signaling as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of neuropathic pain and related memory loss.
Animals ; Laminin/genetics* ; Hippocampus/metabolism* ; Neuralgia/metabolism* ; Cognitive Dysfunction/etiology* ; Male ; Peripheral Nerve Injuries/metabolism* ; Extracellular Matrix/metabolism* ; Integrin beta1/metabolism* ; Pyramidal Cells/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction

Computational modeling is an invaluable tool for mechanism analysis, directed engineering, and rational design of biological parts, metabolic networks, and even cellular systems. It can provide new technological solutions to address biological challenges at different levels and has become a central focus of research in biomanufacturing. In the computational modeling of proteins, which are the key parts in biological systems, the traditional physics-based methods (computer software and mathematical model) have been widely used to study the physical and chemical processes in the functioning of proteins, and have thus been recognized as a powerful tool for understanding complex biological systems and guiding experimental designs. As the scale of computational modeling continues to expand, traditional modeling techniques face difficulties in balancing computational accuracy and speed. In recent years, the explosive growth of biological data has made it possible to construct high-performance artificial intelligence (AI) models, which brings new opportunities to the computational modeling of proteins, and the AI-enhanced physics-based computational modeling technologies have emerged. This combined strategy not only incorporates the chemical knowledge and established physical principles but also is powerful in data processing and pattern recognition, which greatly improves the computational efficiency and prediction accuracy, as well as possesses stronger interpretation ability, transferability, and robustness. The AI-enhanced physics-based computational modeling technologies have already shown great potential and value in biocatalysis, paving a new way for the future development of biomanufacturing.
Artificial Intelligence ; Proteins/chemistry* ; Computer Simulation ; Software ; Computational Biology/methods*

Trichinosis is a global food-borne zoonotic parasitic disease caused by Trichinella spiralis(T.spiralis),which causes serious harm to animal production,and the public health safety of humans and animals.T.spiralis has a complex devel-opment history,and its entire life cycle is completed in the same host.To coexist with the host,it has evolved various immune escape mechanisms for avoiding immune clearance by the host,thus establishing long-term chronic infection.In this study,to aid in understanding the pathogenic mechanism of T.spiralis,the immune escape mechanism of Trichinella is discussed from three aspects:the molecular role of antigens in various stages,the immune regulatory effect on the host,and the formation of cysts to generate immune isolation.

The CRISPR/Cas system consists of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and CRISPR-associated genes (Cas). The system forms an adaptive immune system in archaea and bacteria. The inherent defense mechanism enables these microorganisms to protect themselves against the invasion of foreign genetic material. The system functions of immune response including three main stages: adaptation, expression/maturation, and interference, each stage needs specific Cas proteins encoded by Cas gene located near the CRISPR sequences, along with other auxiliary proteins. In 2015, Zhang et al. reportedCas12a (Cpf1) as a member of the Class II type V CRISPR/Cas12a system, which possesses endonuclease activity. This finding holds great promise for its application in the field of biotechnology. In 2018, Doudna’s team first applied the CRISPR/Cas12a system for detecting HPV nucleic acid. The system comprises the following essential components in vitro detection: Cas12a, the crRNA sequence complementary to the target DNA, the PAM sequence, and the ssDNA reporter. Cas12a possesses a typical RuvC domain, displaying a canonical bilobed architecture that consists of a recognition (REC) lobe and a nuclease (NUC) lobe. The REC lobe contains the REC1 and REC2 domains, and the NUC lobe includes RuvC, PAM-interacting (PI), Wedge (WED), and bridge helix (BH) domains. The mature crRNA for Cas12a has a length of 42-44 nt, consists of repeat sequence (19/20 nt) and spacer sequence (23-25 nt). The crRNA spacer sequence has been found to require a length of 18 nt to achieve complete cleavage activity in vitro. Additionally, mutation in the bases of crRNA can indeed affect the activity of Cas12a. The PAM sequence plays a critical role in the recognition and degradation of DNA by the CRISPR/Cas system, enabling the system to distinguish between self and non-self genomic materials. Cas12a can effectively target the spacer sequence downstream of a T-rich PAM sequence at the 5' end. LbCas12a and AsCas12a both recognize the PAM sequences of 5'-TTTN-3', while FnCas12a recognizes the PAM sequences of 5'-TTN-3'. All of these PAM sequences are located upstream on the non-template strand (NTS) at the 5' end. Cas12a (Cpf1), guided by the crRNA, binds to the target DNA by recognizing the PAM sequence. It exhibits the ability to induce arbitrary cleavage of ssDNA within the system while cleaving the target ssDNA or dsDNA. According to this feature, an array of nucleic acid detection methods has been developed for tumor detection and infection diagnostics, such as the DETECTR (RPA-CRISPR/Cas12a method) and HOLMES (PCR-CRISPR/Cas12a method) in 2018. Then, in 2019, Cas12aVDet (one-step detection method), where Cas12a protein was immobilized on the upper wall of the reaction tube. This not only prevented contamination from opening the tube but also reduced the detection reaction time. In 2021, the dWS-CRISPR (digital warm-start CRISPR) was developed as a one-pot detection method. It serves as an accurate approach for quantitatively detectingSARS-CoV-2 in clinical specimens. With the innovation of scientific technology, the high-sensitivity signal transduction technology has also been integrated with the CRISPR/Cas12a system, enabling direct detection of nucleic acids, and eliminating the need for nucleic acid amplification steps. Here, we elaborated the detection principles of CRISPR/Cas12a in in vitro detection. We discussed the different stages leading to the catalytic pathway of target DNA, and the practical applications of Cas12a in nucleic acid detection. These findings revealed a target interference mechanism that originates from the binding of Cas12a-guided RNA complex to complementary DNA sequences within PAM-dependent (dsDNA) regions. The crRNA-DNA binding activates Cas12a, enabling site-specific dsDNA cleavage and non-specific ssDNA trans-cleavage. The release of Cas12a ssDNase activity provides a novel approach to enhance the sensitivity and specificity of molecular diagnostic applications. Before these CRISPR/Cas12a-based nucleic acid detection methods can be introduced into clinical use, substantial work is still required to ensure the accuracy of diagnosis. Nevertheless, we believe that these innovative detection tools based on CRISPR/Cas will revolutionize future diagnostic technologies, particularly offering significant assistance in pathogen infection diagnosis for developing countries with relatively poor healthcare conditions and high prevalence of infectious diseases.

Objective To observe the safety and effectiveness of single dose intravenous infusion of tranexamic acid(TX-A)in dual level posterior lumbar interbody fusion(PLIF),and to explore the changes and trends in perioperative white blood cell(WBC),erythrocyte sedimentation rate(ESR),and C-reactive protein(CRP).Methods Between October 2020 and September 2022,46 patients with lumbar degenerative disease were treated with dual level PLIF,including 18 males and 28 females,with an average age of(60.24±10.68)years old,from 34 to 80 years old.They were divided into observation group and control group according to different treatment methods.There were 28 patients in the observation group,including 12 males and 16 females,with an average age of(61.04±9.03)years old.There were 3 cases with lumbar disc herniation(LDH),lumbar spinal stenosis(LSS)18 cases,lumbar spondylolisthesis(LS)7 cases.TXA(1 g/100 ml)was administered intravenously 15 min before skin incision after general anesthesia.The control group consisted of 18 patients,including 6 males and 12 females,with an average age of(59.00±13.04)years old.There were 5 cases with LDH,LSS 9 cases,LS 4 cases,and TXA was not used.The operation time,intraoperative bleeding volume,postoperative drainage volume,postoperative deep vein thrombosis(DVT),postoperative hospital stay,postoperative activated partial thromboplastin time(APTT),prothrombin time(PT),thrombin time(TT),fibrinogen(FIB),platelet(PLT),red blood cell(RBC),hemoglobin(HB),hematocrit(HCT),the first day,the fourth day,the seventh day and the last tested after operation WBC,ESR and CRP were recorded.Results The postop-erative wounds of the patients healed well and there was no DVT.46 patients were followed up from 3 to 6 months.The intraop-erative blood loss was 400.0(300.0,500.0)ml and the postoperative drainage was 260.0(220.0,450.0)ml in the observation group,which were lower than the control group[600.0(400.0,1000.0)ml,395.0(300.0,450.0)ml],P＜0.05.There was no significant difference between the two groups in operation time,postoperative hospital stay,postoperative APTT,PT,TT,FIB,PLT,RBC,HB,HCT,and postoperative WBC,ESR and CRP at different times(P＞0.05).Conclusion Single dose intravenous infusion of TXA can reduce the blood loss of bi-segmental PLIF,and has no significant effect on WBC,ESR and CRP after op-eration.

Objective:To compare the clinical efficacy of laparoscopic right colon cancer radical resection(CME+D3,60 cases) based on membrane anatomy and traditional laparoscopic right colon cancer radical resection(CME/D3, 120 cases).Methods:A retrospective cohort study was used to collect the consecutively admitted cases undergoing laparoscopic radical right colon cancer resection at the Department of Colorectal Surgery, Shanxi Hospital from Jan 2018 to Jun 2020.The postoperative data , postoperative complications, follow-up outcomes were compared between the two groups.Results:Compared with the CME/D3 group, that the based on membrane anatomy(CME+D3) group had a decreased intraoperative blood loss [(79.3±16.7) ml vs. (103.6±20.8) ml, t=-3.894, P<0.001],and more lymph node harvest [(27.0±5.1) vs. (25.1±6.2), t=2.138, P=0.034]; The sectional grading of surgical specimens was also better than that in the traditional operation group(χ 2=4.146, P=0.042); while the operation time was slightly longer than that of the traditional operation group [(161.1±18.4) minutes vs.(142.6±19.5) minutes, t=-6.166, P<0.001]. There was no significant difference in the length of specimen resection, postoperative exhaust time, hospital stay, incidence of postoperative complications, proportion of unplanned reoperation within 30 days, re-admission within 30 days, and mortality within 30 days ( all P>0.05). The median follow-up time was 36.7 (5.3-48.7) months, and there was no significant difference in overall survival rates between the two groups ( P>0.05); The difference in disease-free survival rates between the two groups is significant(χ 2=4.246, P=0.039). Conclusions:Compared with the traditional laparoscopic right colon cancer radical surgery (CME/D3),laparoscopic radical resection of right colon cancer (CME+D3) based on membrane anatomy reduces intraoperative bleeding, improves the number of lymph node dissection and specimen quality, and has higher 1-year and 3-year disease-free survival rate .

Objective: Despite the availability of numerous treatment options, managing patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer (PROC) remains challenging, and the prognosis of PROC is notably unfavorable. This retrospective study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of combined anlotinib-oral etoposide treatment for patients with PROC. Methods: Data of 23 patients who were diagnosed with PROC from January 2020 to November 2022 and treated with anlotinib combined with oral etoposide for at least 2 cycles were retrospectively analyzed. Results: Among per-protocol patients, 9 (45.0%; 95% confidence interval [CI]=21.1–68.9) of 20 patients achieved partial response and 17 (85.0%, 95% CI=67.9–100.0) of 20 patients achieved disease control. The median progression-free survival was 8.7 months (95% CI=5.3–11.6).The incidence of adverse events (any grade) was 100%, and the incidence of grade 3–4 adverse events was 54.5%. Conclusion Anlotinib combined with etoposide emerged effective for the treatment of PROC.

Objective: Despite the availability of numerous treatment options, managing patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer (PROC) remains challenging, and the prognosis of PROC is notably unfavorable. This retrospective study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of combined anlotinib-oral etoposide treatment for patients with PROC. Methods: Data of 23 patients who were diagnosed with PROC from January 2020 to November 2022 and treated with anlotinib combined with oral etoposide for at least 2 cycles were retrospectively analyzed. Results: Among per-protocol patients, 9 (45.0%; 95% confidence interval [CI]=21.1–68.9) of 20 patients achieved partial response and 17 (85.0%, 95% CI=67.9–100.0) of 20 patients achieved disease control. The median progression-free survival was 8.7 months (95% CI=5.3–11.6).The incidence of adverse events (any grade) was 100%, and the incidence of grade 3–4 adverse events was 54.5%. Conclusion Anlotinib combined with etoposide emerged effective for the treatment of PROC.