OBJECTIVES: To explore the mechanism through which moxibustion promotes endometrial repair in rats with in thin endometrium (TE). METHODS: Female SD rats were randomized into control group, 95% anhydrous ethanol-induced TE model group and moxibustion (at "Guan Yuan") group. High-throughput sequencing was used to identify the target genes of TE, and the targeting relationship between miR-223-3p and NLRP3 was verified using a dual luciferase assay. Histopathological of rat uterus was observed with HE staining, and expressions of miR-223-3p and NLRP3 were detected using RT-qPCR; serum levels of IL-1β and IL-18 of the rats were detected using ELISA, and protein expressions of NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1 and GSDMD in the uterus were detected with Western blotting. The pregnancies of the rats after treatment were counted. RESULTS: Enrichment analysis of the differential genes suggested up-regulated inflammatory response in TE, and dual luciferase assay verified targeted inhibition of NLRP3 expression by miR-223-3p. The rat models of TE had significantly decreased endometrial thickness and reduced endometrial glands and blood vessels with enhanced mRNA expression of NLRP3, increased serum levels of IL-1β and IL-18, up-regulated protein expressions of NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1 and GSDMD, lowered pregnancy rates on both the affected and unaffected sides and the overall number of pregnancies. Treatment of the rat models with mo-xibustion obviously increased the endometrial thickness and the density of glands and blood vessels, up-regulated miR-223-3p expression, lowered serum IL-1β and IL-18 levels and the protein expressions of NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1 and GSDMD, and significantly increased the number of pregnancies. CONCLUSIONS Moxibustion at "Guan Yuan" acupoint up-regulates the expression of miR-223-3p, which results in targeted inhibition of NLRP3 to suppress pyroptosis and promote endometrial repair in rat models of TE.
Animals ; Female ; MicroRNAs/genetics* ; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein/metabolism* ; Endometrium/pathology* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rats ; Moxibustion ; Pyroptosis ; Up-Regulation ; Interleukin-1beta/metabolism* ; Interleukin-18 ; Caspase 1/metabolism*

Objective:To investigate the efficacy of venetoclax combined with hypomethylating agents (Ven-HMA), in patients with core binding factor acute myeloid leukemia (CBF-AML) intolerant to intensive induction therapy.Methods:This study retrospectively analyzed patients newly diagnosed with CBF-AML who were aged <60 years and who received Ven-HMA as induction therapy at the Department of Hematology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, between January 2020 and June 2023. Baseline characteristics and treatment responses of the patients were collected.Results:A total of 70 treatment-na?ve patients receiving Ven-HMA induction therapy were enrolled, of which 38 were men and 32 women [median age: 43 (34 - 55) years]. Of the 70 patients, 44 (62.9%) achieved complete remission (CR) /CR with incomplete hematologic recovery (CRi), 16 (22.9%) achieved partial remission, and 10 (14.2%) exhibited no response after one induction cycle. Among the 32 t (8;21) -positive patients with AML, only 8 (25.0%) achieved CR/CRi, of whom 3 (37.5%) remained measurable residual disease (MRD) -positive; among the 38 inv (16) -positive patients, 36 (94.7%) achieved CR/Cri, of whom 12 (33.3%) remained MRD-positive. Patients harboring the CBFβ::MYH11 fusion gene showed significantly higher response rates to Ven-HMA induction than those with the RUNX1:: RUNX1T1 fusion gene ( P<0.01) . Conclusion:Ven-HMA represents a novel therapeutic strategy that exhibits significant efficacy in inv (16) -positive patients; however, it demonstrates relatively lower remission rates in t (8; 21) -positive patients.

Based on commonly used acupoints in the clinical acupuncture treatment of functional dyspepsia （FD）， this study systematically analyzes the therapeutic differences and synergistic effects between local and distal point selection. It also examines the suitability of primary acupoint selection for different FD subtypes， postprandial distress syndrome （PDS） and epigastric pain syndrome （EPS）. The findings suggest that a combination of local and distal acupoints may be more appropriate as primary points for PDS， whereas local acupoints alone may be more suitable for EPS. Additionally， the study explores the impact of various factors， such as stimulation techniques， needling order， intensity or stimulation parameters， and depth， on the efficacy of acupuncture. It concludes that the intrinsic properties of acupoints are the primary determinants of therapeutic direction. Other factors mainly influence the magnitude rather than the direction of the effect. Future research may further investigate how different acupoint combinations， local versus distal， affect the treatment outcomes of FD subtypes， providing new insights for clinical acupuncture prescriptions.

With the increasing attention paid by the state to traditional medicine and the need for the inheritance and innovative development of Tibetan medicine in the new era， the research and development of new Tibetan medicines has attracted the attention of the industry. This article analyzes the characteristics of prescriptions， dosage forms， preparation methods， and processing of the 34 Tibetan medicine formulas included in the Catalogue of Ancient Famous Classical Formulas（Second Batch）， discusses the problems and challenges in the research and development of ancient famous classical formulas of Tibetan medicine， and puts forward opinions and suggestions in order to promote the research and development of new Tibetan medicine. The main issues that may be encountered in the research and development of 34 Tibetan medicine formulas are as follows：①Some medicinal material resources are scarce， and planting/breeding technologies are not yet mature. Among the 34 formulas， there are not only ingredients derived from endangered protected animals， but also national second-class protected plants and rare high-altitude wild species. ②The quality control level of Tibetan medicinal materials urgently needs to be strengthened and improved. After review， among the 102 medicinal materials in the 34 Tibetan medicine formulas， there are 2 varieties that currently have no national or local medicinal material standards/decoction piece processing specifications. Excluding those without quality standards， the proportion of varieties without any quantitative testing items is 49%. ③There are a large number of mineral medicines in Tibetan medicine formulas， making quality control difficult. The proportion of formulas containing mineral medicines among the 34 formulas is 35%， and most of them have not yet established a targeted quality standard system. ④Some Tibetan medicinal materials in the 34 formulas have unclear origins， with issues such as different substances with the same name and the same substance with different names. ⑤The 34 formulas contain medicinal materials labeled as toxic or slightly toxic in the current quality standards. It is recommended to accelerate the verification of key information of Tibetan medicine， and on this basis， to intensify research on planting and breeding， quality control in response to the above issues. It is also suggested to encourage the rational use of new technologies and processes that are suitable for the characteristics of preparations to develop new drugs from ancient famous classical formulas of Tibetan medicine， and promote the inheritance and innovative development of Tibetan medicine.

Objective·To investigate the role of HEN methyltransferase 1(HENMT1)in the proliferation and migration of gastric cancer(GC)and its potential molecular mechanisms.Methods·The expression of HENMT1 in GC was examined using bioinformatics databases,Western blotting and quantitative real-time PCR(qPCR).Kaplan-Meier Plotter and BEST online tools were used to analyze the correlations between HENMT1 expression and overall survival,perineural invasion,subtypes,tumor location and Lauren classification in clinical GC patients.GC cells were cultured in vitro and treated with small interfering RNA(siRNA)targeting HENMT1 and HENMT1 overexpression vectors,in combination with a PI3K activator(740 Y-P)or PI3K inhibitor(3-MA).The roles of HENMT1 in GC cell proliferation and migration were assessed using cell counting kit-8(CCK-8)assay,colony formation assay,wound healing assay and Transwell migration assay.Results·HENMT1 was significantly upregulated in GC and positively associated with perineural invasion.Its expression was closely related to GC subtypes,being most pronounced in the proliferative subtype,and was higher in intestinal-type GC according to the Lauren classification.However,HENMT1 expression showed no significant correlation with overall survival or tumor location(including gastric body,cardia,antrum and whole stomach).Functional experiments demonstrated that silencing HENMT1 inhibited GC cell proliferation and migration,whereas overexpression of HENMT1 enhanced these capabilities.Mechanistically,silencing HENMT1 reduced the levels of phosphorylated PI3K,AKT and mTOR,as well as their total protein expression.Conversely,HENMT1 overexpression upregulated these proteins.Moreover,siHENMT1 combined with the PI3K activator 740 Y-P effectively reversed the proliferation and migration effects induced by 740 Y-P,while overexpressed HENMT1 combined with the PI3K inhibitor 3-MA reversed the suppressive effects of 3-MA on GC cell proliferation and migration.Conclusion·HENMT1 is highly expressed in GC and positively regulates the proliferation and migration of gastric cancer cells by activating the PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling pathway.

Objective To explore the impact of ten-eleven translocation 2(TET2)mutations on imiquimod(IMQ)-induced psoriatic skin inflammation using a TET2-knockout(TET2-/-)mouse model.Methods Mice were divided randomly into a wild-type(WT)vaseline group,WT imiquimod group,TET2-/-vaseline group,and TET2-/-imiquimod group.IMQ was used to establish a psoriasis-like dermatitis model,and the degree of skin lesions and pathological changes in mice in the WT imiquimod and TET2-/-imiquimod groups were observed and compared daily during the modeling period.The mice were sacrificed when the phenotype had reached the peak and the spleen index was recorded in each group.Gene expression levels of the inflammatory factors tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-α,interleukin(IL)-6,IL-17A,and IL-23 in mouse back lesions were detected by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction.Skin histopathology was compared in hematoxylin/eosin-stained sections.IL-17,interferon(INF)-γ,and TNF-α protein expression levels in the back skin of mice in the four groups were detected by immunohistochemistry.The ultrastructure of the dermis and epidermis was observed using transmission electron microscopy.Results TET2 expression was down-regulated in skin lesions in WT imiquimod group.Dermatitis lesions were more severe and progressed faster in TET2-/-imiquimod group compared with WT imiquimod group,and the psoriasis area and severity index score and spleen index were both higher.mRNA expression levels of TNF-α,IL-6,IL-17A,and IL-23 in skin lesions were higher and epidermal thickening and inflammatory cell infiltration were increased,and protein expression levels of IL-17,INF-γ,and TNF-α were significantly higher in skin lesions in TET2-/-imiquimod group compared with WT imiquimod group.In addition,cell junctions were absent in skin lesions in TET2-/-imiquimod group and mitochondrial ridges were broken and dissolved,mitochondrial vacuoles were present,and the texture of the mitochondrial membrane was darker.Conclusions Loss of TET2 promotes the inflammatory response and exacerbates IMQ-induced psoriasis-like dermatitis injury in mice.

Objective·To investigate the role of HEN methyltransferase 1(HENMT1)in the proliferation and migration of gastric cancer(GC)and its potential molecular mechanisms.Methods·The expression of HENMT1 in GC was examined using bioinformatics databases,Western blotting and quantitative real-time PCR(qPCR).Kaplan-Meier Plotter and BEST online tools were used to analyze the correlations between HENMT1 expression and overall survival,perineural invasion,subtypes,tumor location and Lauren classification in clinical GC patients.GC cells were cultured in vitro and treated with small interfering RNA(siRNA)targeting HENMT1 and HENMT1 overexpression vectors,in combination with a PI3K activator(740 Y-P)or PI3K inhibitor(3-MA).The roles of HENMT1 in GC cell proliferation and migration were assessed using cell counting kit-8(CCK-8)assay,colony formation assay,wound healing assay and Transwell migration assay.Results·HENMT1 was significantly upregulated in GC and positively associated with perineural invasion.Its expression was closely related to GC subtypes,being most pronounced in the proliferative subtype,and was higher in intestinal-type GC according to the Lauren classification.However,HENMT1 expression showed no significant correlation with overall survival or tumor location(including gastric body,cardia,antrum and whole stomach).Functional experiments demonstrated that silencing HENMT1 inhibited GC cell proliferation and migration,whereas overexpression of HENMT1 enhanced these capabilities.Mechanistically,silencing HENMT1 reduced the levels of phosphorylated PI3K,AKT and mTOR,as well as their total protein expression.Conversely,HENMT1 overexpression upregulated these proteins.Moreover,siHENMT1 combined with the PI3K activator 740 Y-P effectively reversed the proliferation and migration effects induced by 740 Y-P,while overexpressed HENMT1 combined with the PI3K inhibitor 3-MA reversed the suppressive effects of 3-MA on GC cell proliferation and migration.Conclusion·HENMT1 is highly expressed in GC and positively regulates the proliferation and migration of gastric cancer cells by activating the PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling pathway.

Objective To explore the impact of ten-eleven translocation 2(TET2)mutations on imiquimod(IMQ)-induced psoriatic skin inflammation using a TET2-knockout(TET2-/-)mouse model.Methods Mice were divided randomly into a wild-type(WT)vaseline group,WT imiquimod group,TET2-/-vaseline group,and TET2-/-imiquimod group.IMQ was used to establish a psoriasis-like dermatitis model,and the degree of skin lesions and pathological changes in mice in the WT imiquimod and TET2-/-imiquimod groups were observed and compared daily during the modeling period.The mice were sacrificed when the phenotype had reached the peak and the spleen index was recorded in each group.Gene expression levels of the inflammatory factors tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-α,interleukin(IL)-6,IL-17A,and IL-23 in mouse back lesions were detected by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction.Skin histopathology was compared in hematoxylin/eosin-stained sections.IL-17,interferon(INF)-γ,and TNF-α protein expression levels in the back skin of mice in the four groups were detected by immunohistochemistry.The ultrastructure of the dermis and epidermis was observed using transmission electron microscopy.Results TET2 expression was down-regulated in skin lesions in WT imiquimod group.Dermatitis lesions were more severe and progressed faster in TET2-/-imiquimod group compared with WT imiquimod group,and the psoriasis area and severity index score and spleen index were both higher.mRNA expression levels of TNF-α,IL-6,IL-17A,and IL-23 in skin lesions were higher and epidermal thickening and inflammatory cell infiltration were increased,and protein expression levels of IL-17,INF-γ,and TNF-α were significantly higher in skin lesions in TET2-/-imiquimod group compared with WT imiquimod group.In addition,cell junctions were absent in skin lesions in TET2-/-imiquimod group and mitochondrial ridges were broken and dissolved,mitochondrial vacuoles were present,and the texture of the mitochondrial membrane was darker.Conclusions Loss of TET2 promotes the inflammatory response and exacerbates IMQ-induced psoriasis-like dermatitis injury in mice.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy of venetoclax combined with hypomethylating agents (Ven-HMA), in patients with core binding factor acute myeloid leukemia (CBF-AML) intolerant to intensive induction therapy.Methods:This study retrospectively analyzed patients newly diagnosed with CBF-AML who were aged <60 years and who received Ven-HMA as induction therapy at the Department of Hematology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, between January 2020 and June 2023. Baseline characteristics and treatment responses of the patients were collected.Results:A total of 70 treatment-na?ve patients receiving Ven-HMA induction therapy were enrolled, of which 38 were men and 32 women [median age: 43 (34 - 55) years]. Of the 70 patients, 44 (62.9%) achieved complete remission (CR) /CR with incomplete hematologic recovery (CRi), 16 (22.9%) achieved partial remission, and 10 (14.2%) exhibited no response after one induction cycle. Among the 32 t (8;21) -positive patients with AML, only 8 (25.0%) achieved CR/CRi, of whom 3 (37.5%) remained measurable residual disease (MRD) -positive; among the 38 inv (16) -positive patients, 36 (94.7%) achieved CR/Cri, of whom 12 (33.3%) remained MRD-positive. Patients harboring the CBFβ::MYH11 fusion gene showed significantly higher response rates to Ven-HMA induction than those with the RUNX1:: RUNX1T1 fusion gene ( P<0.01) . Conclusion:Ven-HMA represents a novel therapeutic strategy that exhibits significant efficacy in inv (16) -positive patients; however, it demonstrates relatively lower remission rates in t (8; 21) -positive patients.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy of avatinib plus allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) for the treatment of recurrent/refractory RUNX1-RUNX1T1 positive acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with KIT mutations.Method:A retrospective study was conducted on the clinical data of seven relapsed/refractory AML patients containing the RUNX1-RUNX1T1 fusion gene and KIT mutation who received afatinib plus allo-HSCT treatment at the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from June 2019 to June 2023.Results:The seven AML patients included one male and six females with a median age of 37 (18-56) years. All seven patients had KIT mutations (five positive for D816V and two positive for D816Y) . There were two refractory patients and five relapsed patients (all of whom had bone marrow recurrence) . All patients had to complete at least one course of treatment with afatinib before transplantation. Four patients achieved complete remission (CR) after treatment with afatinib, six patients had negative KIT gene mutations, and one had a decreased KIT gene mutational burden. There were three cases of unrelated identical transplantation and four cases of haploidentical transplantation. All patients received the modified Bu/Cy pretreatment regimen. After transplantation, all patients were successfully implanted and a bone marrow examination showed CR and minimal residual disease turned negative. Five patients exhibited negative fusion genes. Two patients died from infection following transplantation.Conclusion:Afatinib plus allo-HSCT may be an effective and safe new treatment strategy for RUNX1-RUNX1T1 positive AML patients with KIT-D816 mutation.