Objective To investigate the therapeutic mechanism of Danzhi Jiangtang Capsule(DZJTC)for repairing renal vascular endothelial injury in rats with diabetic nephropathy(DN).Methods Fifty male SD rat models of DN,established by left nephrectomy,high-sugar and high-fat diet and streptozotocin injection,were randomized into DN model group,low-,medium-,and high-dose DZJTC treatment groups,and DAPT(a γ-secretase inhibitor)treatment group,with 10 rats with normal feeding as the control group.DZJTC was administered by daily gavage at 0.315,0.63,or 1.26 g/kg,and DAPT(20 mg/kg,dissolved in 50%CMC-Na solution)was given by gavage every other day for 4 weeks;normal saline was given in the control and model groups.After treatment,the levels of creatinine(CRE),blood urea nitrogen(BUN),and microalbuminuria(mALB)were detected with ELISA,and renal pathologies were observed by transmission electron microscopy.Renal expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)and endothelin-1(ET-1)were measured by immunohistochemistry,and the protein expressions of CD31 and Notch signaling pathway components were detected using Western blotting.Results The rat models of DN showed significantly increased CRE,BUN,and mALB levels,obvious renal pathologies under electron microscopy,increased renal VEGF,ET-1 and CD31 expressions,and upregulated Notch1,NICD,and MAML1 protein levels.Treatment with DZJTC at the 3 doses and DAPT significantly reduced CRE,BUN,and mALB levels,improved renal pathology,decreased VEGF,ET-1 and CD31 expressions,and lowered Notch1,NICD and MAML1 levels,and the effects were the most pronounced with high-dose DZJTC.Conclusion DZJTC ameliorates hyperproliferation and dysfunction of renal vascular endothelium in DN rats possibly by regulating renal VEGF and ET-1 levels via inhibiting NICD-and MAML1-mediated Notch signaling pathway.

Objective:To investigate gut microbiota differences between individuals with and without colorectal adenoma(CRA)and to identify gut microbes associated with CRA.Methods:This cross-sectional study analyzed the gut microbiota of 100 patients with CRA and 68 individuals without CRA(aged 40-75 years)who underwent colonoscopies between March 2021 and March 2022 at Tianjin Nankai Hospital.Fecal samples were sequenced for the V3-V4 region of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene using the Illumina NovaSeq platform.Results:Compared to the non-CRA group,the CRA group exhibited reduced relative abundances of identified and unidentified Lachnospiraceae,with increased Faecalibacterium and Streptococcus.In the non-CRA group,the relative abundances of Coprococcus,unidentified Clostridiaceae,and Clostridium were higher.LEfSe analysis revealed significant enrichment of Gammaproteobacteria,Proteobacteria,Enterobacteriales,and Faecalibacterium in the CRA group,while the non-CRA group was enriched for Moraxellaceae,Acinetobacter,and Anaerostipes.Conclusions:These findings suggest a discernible disparity in the gut microbiota structure between CRA patients and individuals without adenoma.The enrichment of potential pathogenic taxa,such as Faecalibacterium and Streptococcus,in the CRA group suggests a possible association with adenoma development.

Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are antitumor drugs composed of monoclonal antibodies and cytotoxic payload covalently coupled by a linker. Currently, 15 ADCs have been clinically approved worldwide. More than 100 clinical trials at different phases are underway to investigate the newly developed ADCs. ADCs represent one of the fastest growing classes of targeted antitumor drugs in oncology drug development. It takes advantage of the specific targeting of tumor-specific antigen by antibodies to deliver cytotoxic chemotherapeutic drugs precisely to tumor cells, thereby producing promising antitumor efficacy and favorable adverse effect profiles. However, emergence of drug resistance has severely hindered the clinical efficacy of ADCs. In this review, we introduce the structure and mechanism of ADCs, describe the development of ADCs, summarized the latest research about the mechanisms of ADC resistance, discussed the strategies to overcome ADCs resistance, and predicted biomarkers for treatment response to ADC, aiming to contribute to the development of ADCs in the future.

This study investigated the role of the nuclear factor of activated T cells c3 (NFATc3) in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) during aortic aneurysm and dissection (AAD) progression and the underlying molecular mechanisms. Cytoplasmic and nuclear NFATc3 levels were elevated in human and mouse AAD. VSMC-NFATc3 deletion reduced thoracic AAD (TAAD) and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) progression in mice, contrary to VSMC-NFATc3 overexpression. VSMC-NFATc3 deletion reduced extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation and maintained the VSMC contractile phenotype. Nuclear NFATc3 targeted and transcriptionally upregulated matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) and MMP2, promoting ECM degradation and AAD development. NFATc3 promoted VSMC phenotypic switching by binding to eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (eEF2) and inhibiting its phosphorylation in the VSMC cytoplasm. Restoring eEF2 reversed the beneficial effects in VSMC-specific NFATc3-knockout mice. Cabamiquine-targets eEF2 and inhibits protein synthesis-inhibited AAD development and progression in VSMC-NFATc3-overexpressing mice. VSMC-NFATc3 promoted VSMC switch and ECM degradation while exacerbating AAD development, making it a novel potential therapeutic target for preventing and treating AAD.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the therapeutic mechanism of Danzhi Jiangtang Capsule (DZJTC) for repairing renal vascular endothelial injury in rats with diabetic nephropathy (DN). METHODS: Fifty male SD rat models of DN, established by left nephrectomy, high-sugar and high-fat diet and streptozotocin injection, were randomized into DN model group, low-, medium-, and high-dose DZJTC treatment groups, and DAPT (a γ-secretase inhibitor) treatment group, with 10 rats with normal feeding as the control group. DZJTC was administered by daily gavage at 0.315, 0.63, or 1.26 g/kg, and DAPT (20 mg/kg, dissolved in 50% CMC-Na solution) was given by gavage every other day for 4 weeks; normal saline was given in the control and model groups. After treatment, the levels of creatinine (CRE), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and microalbuminuria (mALB) were detected with ELISA, and renal pathologies were observed by transmission electron microscopy. Renal expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) were measured by immunohistochemistry, and the protein expressions of CD31 and Notch signaling pathway components were detected using Western blotting. RESULTS: The rat models of DN showed significantly increased CRE, BUN, and mALB levels, obvious renal pathologies under electron microscopy, increased renal VEGF, ET-1 and CD31 expressions, and upregulated Notch1, NICD, and MAML1 protein levels. Treatment with DZJTC at the 3 doses and DAPT significantly reduced CRE, BUN, and mALB levels, improved renal pathology, decreased VEGF, ET-1 and CD31 expressions, and lowered Notch1, NICD and MAML1 levels, and the effects were the most pronounced with high-dose DZJTC. CONCLUSIONS DZJTC ameliorates hyperproliferation and dysfunction of renal vascular endothelium in DN rats possibly by regulating renal VEGF and ET-1 levels via inhibiting NICD- and MAML1-mediated Notch signaling pathway.
Animals ; Male ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Diabetic Nephropathies/drug therapy* ; Receptor, Notch1/metabolism* ; Kidney/blood supply* ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; Down-Regulation ; Endothelium, Vascular/metabolism* ; Nuclear Proteins/metabolism*

Objective: To identify ferroptosis-related genes associated with gastric cancer prognosis and investigate their potential molecular functions. Methods: Gene expression profiles and clinical information of gastric cancer tissues and adjacent normal tissues were obtained from TCGA database. Differential expression analysis of ferroptosis-related genes was performed using the "DESeq2" package in R software. Key genes were identified and a prognostic model for gastric cancer was constructed through Cox regression analysis based on the LASSO algorithm. Patients were stratified into high-risk and low-risk groups according to the median risk score. The accuracy of the model was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and ROC curve analysis. Immune cell infiltration in gastric cancer patients was assessed with the "CIBERSORT" package. The mRNA expression of differentially expressed genes(DEGs) with prognostic significance was examined in both gastric cancer and adjacent normal tissue samples. In vitro experiments were conducted to validate the impact of hydroxycarboxylic acid receptor 1(HCAR1) on the malignant biological behavior of gastric cancer. Results: Based on ferroptosis-related genes from the TCGA database, a novel prognostic model was constructed. It demonstrated robust predictive power for survival in both training and validation cohorts. RT-qPCR analysis of 8 pairs of gastric cancer and normal tissues revealed that the expression patterns of 6 prognostic DEGs in cancer tissues were consistent with those predicted by the model. In vitro experiments confirmed that downregulation of the key gene HCAR1 could inhibit the proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of gastric cancer cells. Conclusion The ferroptosis-related gene based prognostic model exhibits robust predictive capability, allowing for accurate determination of prognosis and survival in individuals with gastric cancer.

Objective:To investigate gut microbiota differences between individuals with and without colorectal adenoma(CRA)and to identify gut microbes associated with CRA.Methods:This cross-sectional study analyzed the gut microbiota of 100 patients with CRA and 68 individuals without CRA(aged 40-75 years)who underwent colonoscopies between March 2021 and March 2022 at Tianjin Nankai Hospital.Fecal samples were sequenced for the V3-V4 region of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene using the Illumina NovaSeq platform.Results:Compared to the non-CRA group,the CRA group exhibited reduced relative abundances of identified and unidentified Lachnospiraceae,with increased Faecalibacterium and Streptococcus.In the non-CRA group,the relative abundances of Coprococcus,unidentified Clostridiaceae,and Clostridium were higher.LEfSe analysis revealed significant enrichment of Gammaproteobacteria,Proteobacteria,Enterobacteriales,and Faecalibacterium in the CRA group,while the non-CRA group was enriched for Moraxellaceae,Acinetobacter,and Anaerostipes.Conclusions:These findings suggest a discernible disparity in the gut microbiota structure between CRA patients and individuals without adenoma.The enrichment of potential pathogenic taxa,such as Faecalibacterium and Streptococcus,in the CRA group suggests a possible association with adenoma development.

Objective: To investigate the incidence and influencing factors of falls among the elderly in Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province, so as to provide the basis for developing effective prevention strategies. Methods: The residents aged 60 years and above in Haishu District and Yuyao City of Ningbo City were selected by the multi-stage cluster random sampling method from June to October 2022. Demographic information, fall incidence in the past year, history of disease and self-rated health were collected through questionnaire surveys. Incidence of falls was descriptively analyzed, and factors affecting falls were identified using a multivariable logistic regression model stratified by gender and age. Results: A total of 1 275 elderly people were surveyed, including 635 men and 640 women. The median age was 72.00 (interquartile range, 13.00) years. In the past year, 158 residents fell, accounting for 12.39%. Additionally, 14 individuals experienced two or more falls, accounting for 8.86%. The incidence of falls was 14.69% in women, which was higher than the 10.08% in men (P<0.05). The incidence of falls was 14.86% in the elderly over 70 years, which was higher than the 9.39% in those aged 60 to 70 years (P<0.05). Multivariable logistic regression showed that the educational level (primary school and above, OR=0.501, 95%CI: 0.301-0.836), heart disease (present, OR=1.996, 95%CI: 1.076-3.703), and self-rated health status (good, OR=0.529, 95%CI: 0.319-0.875) were factors affecting falls in women; educational level (primary school and above, OR=0.514, 95%CI: 0.285-0.928) and self-rated health status (good, OR=0.456, 95%CI: 0.253-0.824) were factors affecting falls in residents aged 60 to 70 years. Conclusion Fall risk among the elderly is associated with gender, age, heart disease, educational level and self-rated health status, and the influencing factors for falls vary in different genders and ages.

Objective:To understand the real experience and needs of early exercise rehabilitation in elderly patients with total hip arthroplasty (THA), so as to provide a preliminary basis for intervention research to meet the needs of patients.Methods:Using the purposive sampling method, a total of 12 elderly patients with THA from the First Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University from June to September 2021 were selected as the research objects for semi-structured in-depth interviews. Colaizzi 7-step method was used to analyze, summarize and extract the data.Results:The early exercise rehabilitation experience and needs of elderly THA patients could be summarized into four themes such as postoperative exercise being a difficult journey, the need for professional support, the need for external support and internally driven needs and 14 sub themes.Conclusions:There are various problems and needs for early exercise rehabilitation in elderly patients undergoing THA. It is necessary to strengthen communication among doctors, nurses and patients, understand their true feelings and provide personalized care and rehabilitation guidance to improve their treatment experience and enhance their satisfaction.

Objective To investigate the clinical application of dabigatran etexilate in elderly patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation. Methods Clinical materials of elderly non-valvular atrial fibrillation patients with dabigatran etexilate in the Department of Cardiology of the Subei People's Hospital Affiliated to Yangzhou University from January 2021 to June 2022 were collected, and according to the relevant guidelines, clinical application, laboratory indicators and clinical outcomes were statistically analyzed. Results Among 150 patients, 14 cases had no indications for medication and 12 cases had contraindication; 93 cases had insufficient dosage, 9 cases had excessive dosage, 13 cases had unreasonable frequency of administration, and 20 cases had unreasonable conversion with other anticoagulant drugs. Laboratory indicators indicated a significant increase trend in activated partial prothrombin time (APTT) after 1 month, 3 and 6 months of medication (P < 0.05). Clinical outcome showed that the incidence of ischemic stroke events was 3.33%(4/120), the incidence of massive bleeding was 1.67% (2/120), and the incidence of cerebral hemorrhage events was 0.83% (1/120). Conclusion It is common that clinical dosage of dabigatran etexilate in our hospital is insufficient. Pharmacists should pay attention to the standardized application of dabigatran etexilate in elderly patients.