Lingguizhugan Decoction (LGZG) demonstrates significant efficacy in treating various cardiovascular diseases clinically, yet its precise mechanism of action remains elusive. This study aimed to elucidate the potential mechanisms and effects of LGZG on isoproterenol (ISO) continuous stimulation-induced chronic heart failure (CHF) in mice, providing direct experimental evidence for further clinical applications. In vivo, continuous ISO infusion was administered to mice, and ventricular myocytes were utilized to explore LGZG?s potential mechanism of action on the ?1-adrenergic receptor (?1-AR)/Gs/G protein-coupled receptor kinases (GRKs)/?-arrestin signaling deflection system in the heart. The findings reveal that LGZG significantly reduced the messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expression of hypertrophy-related biomarkers [atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP)] and improved cardiac remodeling and left ventricular diastolic function in mice with ISO-induced CHF. Furthermore, LGZG inhibited the overactivation of Gs/cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)/protein kinase A (PKA) signaling and downregulated the downstream transcriptional activity of cAMP-response element binding protein (CREB) and the expression of the coactivator CBP/P300. Notably, LGZG downregulated the expression of ?-arrestin1 and GRK 2/3/5 while upregulating the expression of ?1-AR and ?-arrestin2. These results suggest that LGZG inhibits Gs/cAMP/PKA signaling and ?-arrestin/GRK-mediated desensitization and internalization of ?1-AR, potentially exerting cardioprotective effects through the synergistic regulation of the ?1-AR/Gs/GRKs/?-arrestin signaling deflection system via multiple pathways.
Animals ; Heart Failure/genetics* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Mice ; Male ; G-Protein-Coupled Receptor Kinases/genetics* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Humans ; Isoproterenol ; Arrestins/genetics* ; Chronic Disease

Objective:By analyzing the genetic risk of triglyceride-glucose index(Tyg)and insulin resistance(IR)for cardiovascular disease(CVD), to elucidate the extent to which the contribution of Tyg to the risk of CVD development is influenced by IR genetic risk.Methods:In this study, we selected data from a cohort of elderly people in the Kunshan community, screened 7, 385 individuals with both clinical and genomic data, and calculated the polygenic risk score of insulin resistance(IRPRS)for each participant based on publicly available IR genome-wide association data, and assessed the effect of genetic risk and Tyg level on the risk of developing CVD using a multivariate Cox proportional risk model.Calculating interactions to assess the effects of genetic risk and Tyg levels on the risk of developing CVD, the effects of Tyg tertile grouping and IRPRS on the risk of developing CVD were assessed using a multivariate Cox proportional risk model, and subgroup analyses were performed for gender to assess the effects of Tyg tertile grouping and IRPRS on the risk of developing CVD by gender.Results:In the univariate Cox model, Q3 and IRPRS with the highest TYG levels were significantly associated with the risk of CVD, respectively( HR=1.59, 95% CI: 1.33-1.89; P<0.001; HR=1.61, 95% CI: 1.18-2.20; P=0.003).After adjusting for multiple confounders, the Q3 Group with the highest TYG level was still significantly associated with the risk of CVD( HR=1.28, 95% CI: 1.05-1.57; P=0.014), the Association of TYG with the risk of CVD did not change significantly( HR=1.29, 95% CI: 1.05-1.57; P=0.014).We conducted a subgroup analysis by sex and found that among older men, 13, the highest levels of TYG and IRPRS were significantly associated with CVD risk, respectively( HR=1.70, 95% CI: 1.31.2.20; P<0.001; HR=1.98, 95% CI: 1.24-3.15; P=0.004).After adding IRPRS to the model, the Association of TYG with the risk of CVD remained unchanged( HR=1.69, 95% CI: 1.31-2.19; P<0.001).After adjusting for various confounders, Tyg remained significantly associated with the risk of CVD( HR=1.39, 95% CI: 1.04-1.88; P=0.028), the results showed that TYG remained significantly associated with the risk of CVD( HR=1.41, 95% CI: 1.05-1.90; P=0.023), and the association did not decrease.No Association of IRPRS with CVD risk was found in older women. Conclusions:IRPRS and TYG are the risk factors of CVD, and diet, exercise, drugs and other external factors on TYG are the main risk factors of CVD.For individuals with high genetic factors, the risk of CVD can still be reduced by lifestyle adjustments such as diet, exercise and drug intervention.

Objectives:To investigate the effect of non-optimal temperature exposure during pregnancy on the risk for preterm birth and identify the susceptible exposure window. At the same time, the interaction between non-optimal temperature and pollutants exposure during pregnancy on preterm birth was analyzed, in order to provide strong clues for the influence of non-optimal temperature exposure during pregnancy on the risk for preterm birth.Methods:A total of 1 852 pregnant women were recruited from September 2021 to June 2023 in Fujian Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Center. Questionnaire survey was conducted, and their health records were analyzed. The permanent address of each pregnant woman was matched with Fifth Generation European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts Atmospheric Reanalysis of the Global Climate and a geo-statistical combination model based on satellite remote sensing data collection, then follow-up for pregnancy outcome was conducted. Distributed lag nonlinear model was used to assess the association between exposure to non-optimal temperature during pregnancy and the risk for preterm birth and a multiplicative interaction model was used to assess the interaction between exposure to pollutants and non-optimal temperatures during pregnancy on the risk for preterm birth.Results:After adjusting for potential confounders such as maternal age, occupation, Gross Domestic Product of the region, pre-pregnancy preconception BMI, newborn sex, the weekly susceptibility windows of extreme low temperature ( P1, P3, P5) were week 1-22 , and the weekly susceptibility windows of extreme high temperature ( P95, P97, P99) were week 27 and week 32-36. Extreme low temperature [ P1 ( OR=1.147, 95% CI: 1.041-1.265), P5 ( OR=1.284, 95% CI: 1.035-1.501)] and extreme high temperature [ P97 ( OR=1.146, 95% CI: 1.039-1.263), P99 ( OR=1.216, 95% CI: 1.099-1.345)] exhibited multiplicative interaction with PM 2.5. Conclusions:Exposure to non-optimal temperature during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk for preterm birth. The susceptible exposure windows of extreme low temperature were mainly in early and mid-pregnancy, and the susceptible exposure windows of extreme high temperature were mainly in late-pregnancy. Exposure to non-optimal temperatures and pollutants during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk for preterm birth.

Objective:A predictive model for cirrhosis-associated hepatic encephalopathy (HE) was constructed and validated using a machine learning algorithm to evaluate the predictive efficacy of the model.Methods:Clinical data of patients with liver cirrhosis (4 537 cases) in the medical record system and laboratory information system of the First Hospital of Jilin University from January 2018 to December 2019 were collected and analyzed retrospectively. Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 474 patients were finally included in the study. Cohort 1 included patients with cirrhosis without HE (113 cases) and patients with cirrhosis complicated with HE (108 cases) from January to December 2018, and was used for feature screening, model building, optimal algorithm selection, and internal validation of the cirrhosis complicated with HE risk prediction model. Cohort 2 included patients with cirrhosis without HE (133 patients) and patients with cirrhosis complicated with HE (120 patients) from January 2019 to December 2019 for external validation. Lasso regression was utilized to identify key predictive variables, and various models such as extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), light gradient boosting machine (LightGBM), random forest (RF), and support vector machine (SVM) were employed for model building and internal validation. The DeLong test was used to compare the predictive efficacy of the four models for HE, and the optimal algorithm was selected by combining the specificity or sensitivity. The area under the ROC curve, calibration curve and decision curve were applied to evaluate the predictive efficacy, accuracy of predicted probabilities and clinical utility of the model.Results:The 46 tests with<30% missing data in Cohort 1 were extracted as variables to be selected for modeling. Seven characteristic variables were obtained using Lasso regression screening, including hemoglobin (Hb), total bile acid (TBA), cholinesterase, total bilirubin, creatinine, prothrombin activity, and circulating platelets. The prediction model built by the LightGBM algorithm (HE-Lab7 model) predicted HE with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.880, which was higher than that of XGBoost, RF, and SVM (all P<0.05), with a sensitivity of 0.825 and a specificity of 0.836. The Brier score of the calibration curve was 0.147, indicating that the predicted probability of the model is in good agreement with the actual probability of occurrence. Decision curves indicate that the model has a high clinical benefit. In Cohort 2, the HE-Lab7 model predicted HE with an AUC of 0.775, a sensitivity of 0.927, and a specificity of 0.758. Conclusion:The predictive efficacy of the cirrhosis-associated HE risk prediction model developed based on the optimal LightGBM algorithm using the large-scale test data based on four machine learning algorithms is good, which provides a reference basis for early prediction and identification of cirrhosis-associated HE.

Objective:To investigate the effect of Tongguan Fang drug-containing serum on LPS-induced inflammation of RAW264.7 cells,so as to clarify the cellular mechanism of the Tongguan Fang in treating tubal inflammatory infertility.Methods:Lipo-polysaccharide(LPS)was used to stimulate the RAW264.7 macrophage cell line as an in vitro model,Detected levels of cellular oxida-tive stress(ROS),apoptosis and expressions of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway proteins.CCK-8 was used to detect effect of Tongguan Fang drug-containing serum on cellular inflammation.Effects of Tongguan Fang-containing serum on cell inflammation were assessed using CCK-8 assay.Cells were divided into control group,LPS-induced inflammation model group,and Tongguan Fang-containing serum-treated LPS-induced inflammation model groups of different concentrations.qPCR was performed to detect mRNA expression levels of IL-1β,IL-6 and TNF-α in different groups.Immunofluorescence and Western blot were used to evaluate phosphorylation levels of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and protein levels of Bcl-2,Bax and caspase-3 of apoptotic.Hoechst 33342/PI staining and flow cytometry were employed to assess the impact of Tongguan Fang-containing serum on cell apoptosis.DCFH-DA probe was used to measure cellular ROS levels affected by Tongguan Fang-containing serum.Results:①Tongguan Fang-containing serum reduced LPS-induced cellular injury in a dose-dependent manner;②Tongguan Fang-containing serum decreased production of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6,IL-1β and TNF-α induced by LPS;③Tongguan Fang-containing serum reduced intracellular ROS generation induced by LPS;④Pre-treatment with Tongguan Fang-containing serum activated PI3K/Akt signaling pathway;⑤Tongguan Fang-containing serum promoted cell apoptosis.Conclusion:Treatment with Tongguan Fang-containing serum can reduce cellular injury and inflam-mation,protect cells from LPS-induced cellular injury by activating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and promoting cell apoptosis,and further alleviate cellular inflammation levels.

Objective To observe the value of three-dimensional speckle tracking imaging(3D-STI)in evaluation on right ventricle(RV)function for predicting adverse events in patients with unstable angina(UA)after percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI).Methods A total of 155 UA patients who underwent both 3D-STI and conventional echocardiography and planned to accept PCI were prospectively enrolled and divided into adverse event group(n=37)and control group(n=118)based on the occurrence of adverse events after PCI or not.Clinical data and echocardiographic parameters were compared between groups,and new binary variables were generated according to the optimal cut-off values showed by the maximum Youden index of receiver operating characteristic curves of 3D-STI parameters being statistically different between groups.Then the independent predictors of adverse events among UA patients after PCI were analyzed,a combined model was constructed,and its predictive value was assessed.Results In adverse event group,the left ventricular end diastolic volume(LVEDV)was higher,while the left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF),right ventricular free wall longitudinal strain(RVFWLS)and right ventricular global longitudinal strain(RVGLS)were all lower than those in control group(all P＜0.05).The optimal cut-off values for distinguishing adverse event or not was 110 ml for LVEDV,19.05%for RVFWLS and 19.75%for RVGLS,respectively,and all the 3 generated binary variables were independent predictors for adverse events of UA patients after PCI(all P＜0.05).The area under the curve of combined model for predicting adverse events in UA patients after PCI was 0.864.Conclusion RVFWLS＜19.05%and RVGLS＜19.75%obtained with 3D-STI,as well as LVEDV＞110 ml with conventional echocardiography were all independent predictors of adverse events in UA patients after PCI.

Objective:To investigate the clinical experience and efficacy of unrelated umbilical cord blood hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) for the treatment of congenital amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia (CAMT).Methods:A case summary was conducted.The clinical data of 2 children with CAMT who were finally cured by unrelated umbilical cord blood HSCT in the Department of Pediatric Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from March 2020 to August 2023 were retrospectively analyzed.Related studies were retrieved from databases CNKI, Wanfang and PubMed using search terms including " congenital amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia" and " hematopoietic stem cell transplantation" from the inception to July 2024.The clinical characteristics, diagnosis and treatment processes, and prognosis of CAMT patients treated by HSCT were then summarized.Results:Both cases exhibited scattered skin haemorrhages throughout the body and carried 2 compound heterozygous mutations with pathogenicity in the MPL gene.Both patients were finally diagnosed with CAMT.Case 1 was a girl aged 3 at the time of transplantation, and case 2 was also a girl, who aged 5 at the time of transplantation.Both of them received unrelated umbilical cord blood HSCT and hematopoietic reconstruction was achieved.The time of neutrophil and platelet implantation was 21 and 40 days after transplantation in case 1, and 20 and 31 days in case 2, respectively.The chimerism rate of neutrophil implantation in both children was complete chimerism of donor cells.Implantation syndrome was detected in case 1 following transplantation.Case 2 suffered implantation syndrome, hypertensive encephalopathy, and cytomegalovirus infection following transplantation.Both children showed no graft-versus-host disease (GVHD).Both children had hematopoietic and immune reconstruction after transplantation and their primary diseases were cured.Cases 1 and 2 were followed up for more than 14 and 17 months, respectively.Both of them achieved disease-free survival during the follow up.Literature review of 26 cases with CAMT treated by HSCT, including the above-mentioned 2 cases was conducted, with an overall disease-free survival rate of 92.3%(24/26).Of 12 cases with CAMT typing, 10 were type Ⅰ and 2 were type Ⅱ.Of the 26 cases treated by HSCT, 17 had bone marrow HSCT, with an overall survival rate of 88.2%(15/17), and 2 had peripheral blood HSCT.Seven cases had umbilical cord blood HSCT (6 cases receiving unrelated umbilical cord blood HSCT and 1 case receiving related umbilical cord blood HSCT), with an overall survival rate of 100%.Unlike bone marrow and peripheral blood HSCT, unrelated umbilical cord blood HSCT did not result in 3-4 grade GVHD. Conclusions:Unrelated umbilical cord blood HSCT can achieve good therapeutic effects in CAMT patients when there is no suitable donor.Myeloablative pretreatment is conducive to CAMT patients.

Objectives:To investigate the effect of non-optimal temperature exposure during pregnancy on the risk for preterm birth and identify the susceptible exposure window. At the same time, the interaction between non-optimal temperature and pollutants exposure during pregnancy on preterm birth was analyzed, in order to provide strong clues for the influence of non-optimal temperature exposure during pregnancy on the risk for preterm birth.Methods:A total of 1 852 pregnant women were recruited from September 2021 to June 2023 in Fujian Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Center. Questionnaire survey was conducted, and their health records were analyzed. The permanent address of each pregnant woman was matched with Fifth Generation European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts Atmospheric Reanalysis of the Global Climate and a geo-statistical combination model based on satellite remote sensing data collection, then follow-up for pregnancy outcome was conducted. Distributed lag nonlinear model was used to assess the association between exposure to non-optimal temperature during pregnancy and the risk for preterm birth and a multiplicative interaction model was used to assess the interaction between exposure to pollutants and non-optimal temperatures during pregnancy on the risk for preterm birth.Results:After adjusting for potential confounders such as maternal age, occupation, Gross Domestic Product of the region, pre-pregnancy preconception BMI, newborn sex, the weekly susceptibility windows of extreme low temperature ( P1, P3, P5) were week 1-22 , and the weekly susceptibility windows of extreme high temperature ( P95, P97, P99) were week 27 and week 32-36. Extreme low temperature [ P1 ( OR=1.147, 95% CI: 1.041-1.265), P5 ( OR=1.284, 95% CI: 1.035-1.501)] and extreme high temperature [ P97 ( OR=1.146, 95% CI: 1.039-1.263), P99 ( OR=1.216, 95% CI: 1.099-1.345)] exhibited multiplicative interaction with PM 2.5. Conclusions:Exposure to non-optimal temperature during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk for preterm birth. The susceptible exposure windows of extreme low temperature were mainly in early and mid-pregnancy, and the susceptible exposure windows of extreme high temperature were mainly in late-pregnancy. Exposure to non-optimal temperatures and pollutants during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk for preterm birth.

Objective:To investigate the effect of Tongguan Fang drug-containing serum on LPS-induced inflammation of RAW264.7 cells,so as to clarify the cellular mechanism of the Tongguan Fang in treating tubal inflammatory infertility.Methods:Lipo-polysaccharide(LPS)was used to stimulate the RAW264.7 macrophage cell line as an in vitro model,Detected levels of cellular oxida-tive stress(ROS),apoptosis and expressions of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway proteins.CCK-8 was used to detect effect of Tongguan Fang drug-containing serum on cellular inflammation.Effects of Tongguan Fang-containing serum on cell inflammation were assessed using CCK-8 assay.Cells were divided into control group,LPS-induced inflammation model group,and Tongguan Fang-containing serum-treated LPS-induced inflammation model groups of different concentrations.qPCR was performed to detect mRNA expression levels of IL-1β,IL-6 and TNF-α in different groups.Immunofluorescence and Western blot were used to evaluate phosphorylation levels of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and protein levels of Bcl-2,Bax and caspase-3 of apoptotic.Hoechst 33342/PI staining and flow cytometry were employed to assess the impact of Tongguan Fang-containing serum on cell apoptosis.DCFH-DA probe was used to measure cellular ROS levels affected by Tongguan Fang-containing serum.Results:①Tongguan Fang-containing serum reduced LPS-induced cellular injury in a dose-dependent manner;②Tongguan Fang-containing serum decreased production of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6,IL-1β and TNF-α induced by LPS;③Tongguan Fang-containing serum reduced intracellular ROS generation induced by LPS;④Pre-treatment with Tongguan Fang-containing serum activated PI3K/Akt signaling pathway;⑤Tongguan Fang-containing serum promoted cell apoptosis.Conclusion:Treatment with Tongguan Fang-containing serum can reduce cellular injury and inflam-mation,protect cells from LPS-induced cellular injury by activating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and promoting cell apoptosis,and further alleviate cellular inflammation levels.

Objective:To investigate the clinical experience and efficacy of unrelated umbilical cord blood hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) for the treatment of congenital amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia (CAMT).Methods:A case summary was conducted.The clinical data of 2 children with CAMT who were finally cured by unrelated umbilical cord blood HSCT in the Department of Pediatric Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from March 2020 to August 2023 were retrospectively analyzed.Related studies were retrieved from databases CNKI, Wanfang and PubMed using search terms including " congenital amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia" and " hematopoietic stem cell transplantation" from the inception to July 2024.The clinical characteristics, diagnosis and treatment processes, and prognosis of CAMT patients treated by HSCT were then summarized.Results:Both cases exhibited scattered skin haemorrhages throughout the body and carried 2 compound heterozygous mutations with pathogenicity in the MPL gene.Both patients were finally diagnosed with CAMT.Case 1 was a girl aged 3 at the time of transplantation, and case 2 was also a girl, who aged 5 at the time of transplantation.Both of them received unrelated umbilical cord blood HSCT and hematopoietic reconstruction was achieved.The time of neutrophil and platelet implantation was 21 and 40 days after transplantation in case 1, and 20 and 31 days in case 2, respectively.The chimerism rate of neutrophil implantation in both children was complete chimerism of donor cells.Implantation syndrome was detected in case 1 following transplantation.Case 2 suffered implantation syndrome, hypertensive encephalopathy, and cytomegalovirus infection following transplantation.Both children showed no graft-versus-host disease (GVHD).Both children had hematopoietic and immune reconstruction after transplantation and their primary diseases were cured.Cases 1 and 2 were followed up for more than 14 and 17 months, respectively.Both of them achieved disease-free survival during the follow up.Literature review of 26 cases with CAMT treated by HSCT, including the above-mentioned 2 cases was conducted, with an overall disease-free survival rate of 92.3%(24/26).Of 12 cases with CAMT typing, 10 were type Ⅰ and 2 were type Ⅱ.Of the 26 cases treated by HSCT, 17 had bone marrow HSCT, with an overall survival rate of 88.2%(15/17), and 2 had peripheral blood HSCT.Seven cases had umbilical cord blood HSCT (6 cases receiving unrelated umbilical cord blood HSCT and 1 case receiving related umbilical cord blood HSCT), with an overall survival rate of 100%.Unlike bone marrow and peripheral blood HSCT, unrelated umbilical cord blood HSCT did not result in 3-4 grade GVHD. Conclusions:Unrelated umbilical cord blood HSCT can achieve good therapeutic effects in CAMT patients when there is no suitable donor.Myeloablative pretreatment is conducive to CAMT patients.