Inducing the degradation of KRAS represents a novel strategy to combat cancers with KRAS mutation. In this study, we identify ubiquitin-specific protease 2 (USP2) as a novel deubiquitinating enzyme of KRAS in multiple myeloma (MM). Specifically, we demonstrate that gambogic acid (GA) forms a covalent bond with the cysteine 284 residue of USP2 through an allosteric pocket, inhibiting its deubiquitinating activity. Inactivation or knockdown of USP2 leads to the degradation of KRAS, resulting in the suppression of MM cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo. Conversely, overexpressing USP2 stabilizes KRAS and partially abrogates GA-induced apoptosis in MM cells. Furthermore, elevated USP2 levels may be associated with poorer prognoses in MM patients. These findings highlight the potential of the USP2/KRAS axis as a therapeutic target in MM, suggesting that strategically inducing KRAS degradation via USP2 inhibition could be a promising approach for treating cancers with KRAS mutations.

Objective To predict the potential mechanism of Yifei Sanjie prescription in the treatment of lung adenocarcinoma based on network pharmacology,and to verify one of the key signal pathways,Janus protein tyrosine kinase 2(JAK2)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3),by cell experiments in vitro.Methods To screen the main active components and potential action targets of Yifei Sanjie prescription,with traditional Chinese medicine system pharmacological database(TCMSP).To search and retrieve the main targets of lung adenocarcinoma,with human genetic database(GeneCards)and online human Mendelian genetic database(OMIM).To obtain the intersection targets by screening and apply Wayne diagram,then analysis the topology and establish the traditional Chinese medicine-active compound-target network diagram by using of Cytoscape 3.7.2 software.To construct the protein-protein interaction(PPI)network,with the protein-protein interaction platform(STRING)and Cytoscape3.7.2 software.To analyze the functional enrichment of gene ontology(GO)and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes(KEGG),with the Metascape database.To carry out the molecular docking verification by using of Vina1.2.3 software.Using CCK-8 method to detect the effect of Yifei Sanjie prescription on cell activity.Using the cell scratch test to observe the effect on cell migration.And using Western blot method to test the expression of p-STAT3,STAT3,p-JAK2,JAK2 and VEGF-A.Results 94 active components,329 related drug targets and 1358 lung adenocarcinoma targets were obtained from Yifei Sanjie prescription,among which,150 of them intersected.PPI network visualization analysis shows that the potential key targets of Yifei Sanjie prescription in the treatment of lung adenocarcinoma are protein kinase B1(AKT1),β-actin(ACTB),tumor suppressor gene p53(TP53),serum albumin(ALB),caspase-3(CASP3)and vascular endothelial growth factor A(VEGFA).KEGG enrichment analysis screened 138 related signal pathways,indicating that JAK/STAT signaling pathway may play a key role in the treatment of lung adenocarcinoma with Yifei Sanjie prescription.Molecular docking results showed that quercetin,luteolin,and ursolic acid had good binding activities with JAK2 and STAT3.The cell experiment showed that compared with the blank group,Yifei Sanjie prescription could significantly inhibit the activity of A549 cells,inhibit the migration of A549 cells,and decrease the expression of p-JAK2/JAK2,p-STAT3/STAT3 and VEGF-A protein.In addition,Colivelin,an activator of JAK2/STAT3 pathway,could reverse the effect of Yifei Sanjie prescription on the expression of A549 related proteins.Conclusion Yifei Sanjie prescription has the characteristics of multi-component,multi target and multi pathway in the treatment of lung adenocarcinoma,and its mechanism may be related to the down-regulation of p-JAK2,p-STAT3 and VEGF-A protein expression,thereby inhibiting cell proliferation and migration.

BackgroundThe etiopathogenesis of major depressive disorder （MDD） is strongly associated with neuroinflammation. MDD is a highly heterogeneous psychiatric disorder， and the disease subtyping is an essential step for the identification of biological markers. The presence of psychomotor retardation seriously affects the prognosis of MDD， whereas the underlying mechanism is not yet completely clear. A potential involvement of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor （G-CSF） and macrophage colony-stimulating factor （M-CSF） in the pathogenesis of MDD with psychomotor retardation has been suggested in previous studies， but little detailed research has been completed. ObjectiveTo analyze the correlation of plasma G-CSF and M-CSF levels with psychomotor retardation in patients with MDD， and to explore the potential biological underpinnings of psychomotor retardation in MDD. MethodsA total of 50 MDD patients who met the diagnostic criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders， fifth edition （DSM-5） and attended the outpatient clinics of Shanghai Mental Health Center from April 2018 to April 2019 were included. The severity of symptoms was assessed using the Hamilton Depression Scale-17 item （HAMD-17）. According to the retardation factor in HAMD-17， patients with a score of ≥8 were included in retardation group （n=22）， and those with a score below 8 were included in non-retardation group （n=28）. Another 22 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were concurrently recruited. Plasma G-CSF and M-CSF levels were measured in all subjects using Luminex liquid suspension chip technology. Spearman correlation analysis was adopted to verify the correlation of retardation factor score in HAMD-17 with plasma G-CSF and M-CSF levels in MDD patients. ResultsPlasma G-CSF levels were decreased in MDD patients compared with healthy controls ［57.34（39.24， 83.15）pg/mL vs. 71.47（61.20， 79.99）pg/mL， Z=-2.098， P<0.05］. A statistical difference was found in plasma G-CSF level ［63.92（54.60， 89.43）pg/mL vs. 47.80（33.41， 74.66）pg/mL vs. 71.47（61.20， 79.99）pg/mL， H=8.247， P=0.016］ and plasma M-CSF level ［20.05（16.05， 22.23）pg/mL vs. 13.05（11.43， 17.50）pg/mL vs. 18.95（14.59， 22.88）pg/mL， H=7.620， P=0.022］ among retardation group， non-retardation group and healthy control group. The post hoc pairwise comparisons using Bonferroni correction indicated that plasma G-CSF level was lower in non-retardation group compared with healthy control group （adjusted P<0.05）， and plasma M-CSF level was higher in retardation group compared with non-retardation group （adjusted P<0.05）. The retardation factor score in HAMD-17 was positively correlated with plasma M-CSF level in MDD patients （r=0.348， P<0.05）. ConclusionThe prevalence of psychomotor retardation in MDD patients may be related to abnormally elevated plasma M-CSF level. ［Funded by Shanghai "Science and Technology Innovation Action Plan" Project in Medical Innovation Research Field （number， 21Y11905600）； Shanghai "Science and Technology Innovation Action Plan" Project in Natural Science Field （number， 21ZR1455100）； Shanghai Mental Health Center Scientific Research Project （number， 2021-YJ02）］

Polyurethane (PUR) plastics is widely used because of its unique physical and chemical properties. However, unreasonable disposal of the vast amount of used PUR plastics has caused serious environmental pollution. The efficient degradation and utilization of used PUR plastics by means of microorganisms has become one of the current research hotspots, and efficient PUR degrading microbes are the key to the biological treatment of PUR plastics. In this study, an Impranil DLN-degrading bacteria G-11 was isolated from used PUR plastic samples collected from landfill, and its PUR-degrading characteristics were studied. Strain G-11 was identified as Amycolatopsis sp. through 16S rRNA gene sequence alignment. PUR degradation experiment showed that the weight loss rate of the commercial PUR plastics upon treatment of strain G-11 was 4.67%. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) showed that the surface structure of G-11-treated PUR plastics was destroyed with an eroded morphology. Contact angle and thermogravimetry analysis (TGA) showed that the hydrophilicity of PUR plastics increased along with decreased thermal stability upon treatment by strain G-11, which were consistent with the weight loss and morphological observation. These results indicated that strain G-11 isolated from landfill has potential application in biodegradation of waste PUR plastics.
Plastics/metabolism* ; Polyurethanes/chemistry* ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S ; Bacteria/genetics* ; Biodegradation, Environmental

Existing traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)-related databases are still insufficient in data standardization, integrity and precision, and need to be updated urgently. Herein, an Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicine version 2.0 (ETCM v2.0, http://www.tcmip.cn/ETCM2/front/#/) was constructed as the latest curated database hosting 48,442 TCM formulas recorded by ancient Chinese medical books, 9872 Chinese patent drugs, 2079 Chinese medicinal materials and 38,298 ingredients. To facilitate the mechanistic research and new drug discovery, we improved the target identification method based on a two-dimensional ligand similarity search module, which provides the confirmed and/or potential targets of each ingredient, as well as their binding activities. Importantly, five TCM formulas/Chinese patent drugs/herbs/ingredients with the highest Jaccard similarity scores to the submitted drugs are offered in ETCM v2.0, which may be of significance to identify prescriptions/herbs/ingredients with similar clinical efficacy, to summarize the rules of prescription use, and to find alternative drugs for endangered Chinese medicinal materials. Moreover, ETCM v2.0 provides an enhanced JavaScript-based network visualization tool for creating, modifying and exploring multi-scale biological networks. ETCM v2.0 may be a major data warehouse for the quality marker identification of TCMs, the TCM-derived drug discovery and repurposing, and the pharmacological mechanism investigation of TCMs against various human diseases.

Background::Exercise, as the cornerstone of pulmonary rehabilitation, is recommended to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. The underlying molecular basis and metabolic process were not fully elucidated.Methods::Sprague-Dawley rats were classified into five groups: non-COPD/rest ( n = 8), non-COPD/exercise ( n = 7), COPD/rest ( n = 7), COPD/medium exercise ( n = 10), and COPD/intensive exercise ( n = 10). COPD animals were exposed to cigarette smoke and lipopolysaccharide instillation for 90 days, while the non-COPD control animals were exposed to room air. Non-COPD/exercise and COPD/medium exercise animals were trained on a treadmill at a decline of 5° and a speed of 15 m/min while animals in the COPD/intensive exercise group were trained at a decline of 5° and a speed of 18 m/min. After eight weeks of exercise/rest, we used ultrasonography, immunohistochemistry, transmission electron microscopy, oxidative capacity of mitochondria, airflow-assisted desorption electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry imaging (AFADESI-MSI), and transcriptomics analyses to assess rectal femoris (RF). Results::At the end of 90 days, COPD rats’ weight gain was smaller than control by 59.48 ± 15.33 g ( P = 0.0005). The oxidative muscle fibers proportion was lower ( P < 0.0001). At the end of additional eight weeks of exercise/rest, compared to COPD/rest, COPD/medium exercise group showed advantages in weight gain, femoral artery peak flow velocity (Δ58.22 mm/s, 95% CI: 13.85-102.60 mm/s, P = 0.0104), RF diameters (Δ0.16 mm, 95% CI: 0.04-0.28 mm, P = 0.0093), myofibrils diameter (Δ0.06 μm, 95% CI: 0.02-0.10 μm, P = 0.006), oxidative muscle fiber percentage (Δ4.84%, 95% CI: 0.15-9.53%, P = 0.0434), mitochondria oxidative phosphorylate capacity ( P < 0.0001). Biomolecules spatial distribution in situ and bioinformatic analyses of transcriptomics suggested COPD-related alteration in metabolites and gene expression, which can be impacted by exercise. Conclusion::COPD rat model had multi-level structure and function impairment, which can be mitigated by exercise.

ObjectiveTo investigate the protective effect of Zhizi prescription （ZZP） on carbon tetrachloride （CCl₄）-induced acute and subacute liver injury and its mechanism. MethodAcute and subacute liver injury animal models were induced. C57 mice were randomly divided into a normal group， model group， obeccholic acid group， ZZP high-dose （0.5 g·kg^-1） group， and ZZP low-dose （0.25 g·kg^-1） group. According to the experiment design， the serum and liver tissue of mice were collected after the last administration. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） and Sirius staining was used to observe the liver pathological changes. Serum alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， total bilirubin （TBIL）， liver homogenate hydroxyproline （Hyp）， malondialdehyde （MDA）， and superoxide dismutase （SOD） levels were determined by kit. The levels of tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） and interleukin-6 （IL-6） in the liver tissue were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to detect the mRNA expressions of collagen 1A1 （Col1a1）， collagen 3A1 （Col3a1）， fibronectin （FN）， transforming growth factor β receptor Ⅱ （Tgfbr2） and α-smooth muscle actin （α-SMA） in the liver tissue. ResultIn terms of the acute liver injury， as compared with the normal group， the levels of ALT， AST， TBIL and MDA in the model group were significantly increased （P<0.01）， while the activity of liver SOD was significantly decreased （P<0.01）. Compared with model group， the ZZP high-dose and low-dose groups both significantly reduced the degree of liver cell injury， and protected the acute liver injury induced by CCl₄. The ZZP high-dose group had a better effect than the ZZP low-dose group. In terms of the subacute liver injury， the levels of ALT， AST， MDA，TNF-α and IL-6 in the model group were significantly increased （P<0.01）， while the activity of liver SOD was significantly decreased （P<0.01）. As compared with the model group， liver Hyp content in the ZZP high-dose and low-dose groups was significantly decreased （P<0.01）， and the collagen deposition in liver of both groups was significantly reduced. The ZZP high-dose group also significantly down-regulated the mRNA expressions of α-SMA， Col1a1， Col3a1， FN， and Tgfbr2 in the liver of mice （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionZZP effectively protects the acute and subacute liver injury induced by CCl₄， and the protective effect is proportional to its concentration. The mechanism may be related to the increase of the activity of antioxidant enzymes in the liver tissue， the decrease of the level of lipid peroxidation， and the inhibition of inflammatory response， thus reducing collagen deposition and improving early liver fibrosis.

Biodegradation of polyurethane (PUR) pollutants by microorganisms has received widespread attention currently. Identification of microorganisms capable of efficiently degrading PUR plastics is a key point. In this study, a strain P10 capable of degrading PUR was isolated from the plastic wastes, and identified as a bacterium belonging to the genus of Brevibacillus based on colony morphology and 16S rDNA phylogenetic analysis. Brevibacillus sp. P10 was capable of degrading 71.4% of waterborne polyurethane (Impranil DLN) after 6 days growth in MSM medium with DLN as a sole carbon source. In addition, strain P10 can use commercial PUR foam as the sole carbon source for growth. Brevibacillus sp. P10 can degrade 50 mg PUR foam after 6 days growth in MSM medium supplemented with 5% (V/V) LB after optimization of degradation conditions. This indicates that Brevibacillus sp. P10 has potential to be used in biodegradation of PUR waste.
Bacteria ; Biodegradation, Environmental ; Phylogeny ; Polyurethanes

Objective:To summarize the clinical characteristics of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infected with Delta variant, so as to provide further references for clinical diagnosis and treatment.Methods:A real-world study was conducted to analyze the characteristics of 166 COVID-19 patients infected with Delta variant at Guangzhou Eighth People’s Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University.Results:The study enrolled 5 asymptomatic cases, 123 non-severe cases (mild and moderate type), and 38 severe cases (severe and critical type). Among these patients, 69 (41.6%) were male and 97 (58.4%) were female, with a mean age of 47.0±23.5 years. Thirty-nine cases (23.5%) had received 1 or 2 doses of inactivated vaccine. The incidence of severe COVID-19 cases was 7.7% in 2-doses vaccinated patients, which was lower than that of 11.5% in 1-dose and 26.8% in unvaccinated patients. The proportion of severe cases in 2 dose-vaccinated patients was 7.7%, which was lower than that of 11.5% in 1-dose vaccinated patients and 26.8% in unvaccinated patients, but the difference was not significant ( P>0.05). The most common clinical symptom was fever (134 cases, 83.2%), and 39.1% of cases presented with high-grade fever (≥39 °C); other symptoms were cough, sputum, fatigue, and xerostomia. The proportion of fever in severe cases was significantly higher than that of non-severe cases (97.4% vs. 76.4%, P<0.01). Similarly, the proportion of severe cases with high peak temperature (≥39 ℃) () was also higher than that of non-severe cases (65.8% vs. 30.9%, P<0.01). The median minimal Cycle threshold (Ct) values of viral nucleic acid N gene and ORFlab gene were 20.3 and 21.5, respectively, and the minimum Ct values were 11.9 and 13.5, respectively. Within 48 h of admission, 9.0% of cases presented with decreased white blood cell counts, and 52.4% with decreased lymphocyte counts. The proportions of increased C-reactive protein, serum amyloid A, interleukin 6, and interleukin 10 were 32.5%, 57.4%, 65.3%, and 35.7%, respectively. The proportions of elevated C-reactive protein, serum amyloid A and interleukin-6 in severe cases were significantly higher than those in non-severe cases ( P<0.01). Logistic regression analysis showed that older age and higher peak temperature were associated with a higher likelihood of severe cases ( OR>3, 95% CI: 2-7, P<0.01). In terms of treatment, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) was used in 97.6% of non-severe cases and 100% in severe cases. Other treatments included respiratory and nutritional support, immunotherapy (such as neutralizing antibodies and plasma of recovered patients). The median times from admission to progression to severe cases, of fever clearance, and of nucleic acid conversion were 5 days, 6 days and 19 days, respectively. No deaths were reported within 28 days. Conclusions:The symptoms of Delta variant infection in Guangzhou are characterized by a high proportion of fever, high peak temperature, long duration of fever, high viral load, a long time to nucleic acid conversion, and a high incidence of severe cases. The severe cases exhibit a higher percentage of elderly patients, a longer duration of fever and have a higher fever rate and a higher hyperthermia rate than non-severe cases. Age and hyperthermia are independent risk factors for progression to severe disease. The combination of TCM and Western medicine can control the progression of the disease effectively.

Objective:To investigate the brain characteristics of chronic schizophrenia by voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC).Methods:Forty seven patients with chronic schizophrenia from Tianjin Anding Hospital and 31 healthy controls from nearby communities were included in the study. The MRI data of the subjects were collected by Siemens Skyra 3.0 T MRI.Positive and negative symptoms scale (PANSS) was used to assess the illness severity of patients with chronic schizophrenia.SPM12 was used to process the collected MRI data. DPARSF was used to calculate the VMHC values of subjects in the two groups. The independent sample t test based on SPM12 was used to compare the VMHC values of the two groups. The significant brain regions in VMHC were regarded as regions of interest (ROI), and VBM8 was used to further analyze the gray matter volume of the ROI of the two groups. Results:Compared with healthy controls, the patients with chronic schizophrenia demonstrated decreased VMHC mainly located in lingual gyrus(voxel=208, T=4.98), occipital middle occipital gyrus(voxel=156, T=3.75) and postcentral gyrus(voxel=237, T=4.36) (FDR correction, q=0.05). Compared with healthy controls, the gray matter volumes in bilateral lingual gyrus(left(0.0034±0.0008), (0.0028±0.0013), t=-2.141, P=0.037; right(0.0025±0.0006), (0.0020±0.0011), t=2.268, P=0.028) and postcentral gyrus((0.0432±0.0051), (0.0372±0.0162), t=-2.070, P=0.045) increased, but non-significant change in postcentral gyrus of the patients with chronic schizophrenia. Conclusion:The abnormal VMHC mainly locate in lingual gyrus, middle occipital gyrus and postcentral gyrus in patients with chronic schizophrenia.