OBJECTIVE To study the pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of cannabidiol（CBD）-cholesterol succinate monoester-g-carboxymethyl chitosan （CCMC） nano-micelles in rats， and to evaluate its anti-inflammatory effect. METHODS CBD- CCMC nano-micelles were prepared by dialysis method and the properties were characterized. SD rats were divided into CBD group and CBD-CCMC nano-micelles group with 6 rats in each group. The rats were given 100 mg/kg CBD and CBD-CCMC nano- micelle by intragastric administration， respectively （based on the CBD load）. Blood was collected from the posterior ophthalmic venous plexus at 0.5， 1， 1.33， 1.5， 1.75， 2， 4， 8， 24， 48 h after administration. The heart， liver， spleen， lung， kidney and muscle tissues of rats were separated at 0.25， 1.5， 10 and 24 h after administration of CBD and CBD-CCMC nano-micelle with the same dose. The drug content in plasma and tissues was determined， the pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated， and the tissue distribution was analyzed. The inflammatory model of Caco-2 cells was induced by lipopolysaccharide， after 24 h of treatment with 5， 10， and 15 µg/mL CBD and CBD-CCMC nanomicelles （based on loaded CBD）， its anti-inflammatory activity was investigated by measuring cell viability， transepithelial electrical resistance （TEER） and inflammatory cytokines IL-1β， IL-8 and TNF-α. RESULTS The prepared CBD- CCMC nano-micelles had a particle size of （230.6±1.8） nm， a polydispersity index of 0.170±0.053， a Zeta potential of （－13.5± 1.2） mV， an encapsulation rate of （86.35±0.56）% and a drug loading of （9.18±0.32）%， respectively； the solubility was 68.240 μg/mL. The pharmacokinetic results showed that the AUC0-48 h， AUC0-∞， half-life time and peak concentration of CBD-CCMC nano- micelle group were significantly increased/extended compared with CBD group （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. The results of the tissue distribution study showed that at the same time point， the drug distribution concentration of CBD-CCMC nanomicelles in the rat tissue was higher than that in the CBD group. Research on anti-inflammatory effects shows that compared with CBD of the same mass concentration, CBD-CCMC nano-micelles can significantly increase cell viability （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）， enhance TEER， and reduce the levels of IL-8， IL-1β and TNF-α in cells （P＜0.01）， and the secretion levels of inflammatory cytokines IL-8， IL-1β and TNF- α were significantly decreased （P＜0.01）. CONCLUSIONS CBD-CCMC nano-micelles can increase the plasma concentration and tissue distribution concentration of CBD， and improve anti-inflammatory activity of CBD.

Colorectal cancer is currently one of the most common malignant tumors in the world,and its incidence and mortality rates have gradually increased in recent years.As insidious symptoms characterize early colorectal cancer,most of the patients have already developed into late or advanced stages in the primary survey.For stage Ⅳ metastatic colorectal cancer(mCRC),surgery supplemented with chemotherapy or radiotherapy for mCRC patients has a low 5-year survival rate.With the development of immunology in recent years,PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors have made breakthroughs in treating malignant tumors.They also have improved the therapeutic efficacy of some mCRC patients,especially those with microsatellite instability-high/mismatch repair deficient.The guidelines recommend this approach.However,patients with microsatellite stable/mismatch repair proficiency,which accounts for more than 90%,are poorly treated with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors.Fortunately,there are several clinical studies that reported that some of this type of mCRC can gain some benefit.In this review,we examined the anti-tumor mechanism of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors and the latest progress of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor's clinical application in patients of mCRC with different genotypes.We discussed the prospect of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor combination therapy to provide a reference to the benefit of this type of patients and provide information for optimizing the dosing regimen of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in the treatment of mCRC.

Objective:To evaluate the relationship between the occipitocervical angle(basilar vertebral angle [O-C 2 angle], mento-pharyngeal angle [M-P angle], and cervical range of motion [CROM]) and difficult airway after occipitocervical fusion surgery in the patients. Methods:This was a retrospective study. The clinical data from patients who underwent occipitocervical fusion surgery at our hospital from March 2018 to March 2023 were retrospectively collected. Preoperative and last follow-up airway assessment data and cervical lateral X-rays were collected to measure the O-C 2 angle, M-P angle and CROM. Patients were divided into negative group (Mallampati grade Ⅰ or Ⅱ, suggesting no difficulty in intubation) and positive group (Mallampati grade Ⅲ or Ⅳ, suggesting possible difficulty in intubation) based on the last follow-up modified Mallampati classification. Results:A total of 53 patients were finally included, with 18 cases in positive group and 35 in negative group. There were no statistically significant differences in the O-C 2 angle and CROM between preoperative and last follow-up in the 53 patients ( P>0.05), and the M-P angle was significantly decreased at the last follow-up compared with that before operation ( P<0.05). Compared with negative group, O-C 2 angle and M-P angle were significantly decreased at the last follow-up ( P<0.05), and no significant change was found in CROM in positive group ( P<0.05). Compared with that before operation, the M-P angle was significantly decreased at the last follow-up in both groups, and the O-C 2 angle was significantly decreased at the last follow-up in positive group ( P<0.05). The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves of O-C 2 angle, M-P angle and CROM in predicting difficult airway were 0.895, 0.888 and 0.519 respectively. Conclusions:The decrease in the O-C 2 angle and M-P angle after occipitocervical fusion surgery can increase the risk of difficult airway, and both can be used for airway assessment in the patients undergoing this kind of surgery.

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.

Emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants have made COVID-19 convalescents susceptible to re-infection and have raised concern about the efficacy of inactivated vaccination in neutralization against emerging variants and antigen-specific B cell response. To this end, a study on a long-term cohort of 208 participants who have recovered from COVID-19 was conducted, and the participants were followed up at 3.3 (Visit 1), 9.2 (Visit 2), and 18.5 (Visit 3) months after SARS-CoV-2 infection. They were classified into three groups (no-vaccination (n = 54), one-dose (n = 62), and two-dose (n = 92) groups) on the basis of the administration of inactivated vaccination. The neutralizing antibody (NAb) titers against the wild-type virus continued to decrease in the no-vaccination group, but they rose significantly in the one-dose and two-dose groups, with the highest NAb titers being observed in the two-dose group at Visit 3. The NAb titers against the Delta variant for the no-vaccination, one-dose, and two-dose groups decreased by 3.3, 1.9, and 2.3 folds relative to the wild-type virus, respectively, and those against the Omicron variant decreased by 7.0, 4.0, and 3.8 folds, respectively. Similarly, the responses of SARS-CoV-2 RBD-specific B cells and memory B cells were boosted by the second vaccine dose. Results showed that the convalescents benefited from the administration of the inactivated vaccine (one or two doses), which enhanced neutralization against highly mutated SARS-CoV-2 variants and memory B cell responses. Two doses of inactivated vaccine among COVID-19 convalescents are therefore recommended for the prevention of the COVID-19 pandemic, and vaccination guidelines and policies need to be updated.

Objective To explore risk factors of poor early prognosis in the treatment of COVID-19 by nematevir and ritonavir tablets Paxlovid and establish the prediction model to provide reference for improving the effect of such patients. Methods 92 inpatients of COVID-19 treated with Paxlovid in three military tertiary hospital in southern Fujian from January 2023 to March 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. The clinical indicators of 92 inpatients were collected for univariate and multivariate analysis by single factor and multiple factors and the independent risk factors of poor early prognosis in Paxlovid were screened out. Logistic model equation was transformed to construct the combined predictors, and ROC curve was used to determine the area under the curve (AUC) and the optimal critical value of the combined predictors. Results Among 92 patients, 31 (33.70%) developed poor early prognosis, including 11 deaths (35.48%), 17 critical cases (54.84%) and 3 severe cases (9.68%). Multi-factor Logistic regression analysis showed that the disease days, lymphocyte count, aspartate aminotransferase(AST), C reactive protein(CRP) and ventilator-assisted ventilation were independent risk factors for poor early prognosis in Paxlovid. A formula for calculating the combined predictors (Y) was established as Y_{combinedpredictors}=7.875X_{disease days}+126.188X_{lymphocyte count}+1.438X_AST+X_CRP+220.500X_{ventilator-assisted ventilation} based on the above independent risk factors, and the ROC curve was drawn. With the maximum area under the ROC curve of the combined predictors being 0.939, the prediction value was best, and the optimal critical value of the ROC curve corresponding to the maximum Youden index (0.756) was 447.920.Theoretical accuracy of the model was 89.10%. Conclusion The disease days, lymphocyte count, AST, CRP and ventilator-assisted ventilation were independent risk factors for poor early prognosis in Paxlovid. Combined predictors could be calculated by the above risk factors before medication. The efficiency should be improved by taking more active treatment, including combining with other anti-COVID-19 drugs when the prediction result exceeds 447.920.

Objective To investigate the safety and efficacy of camrelizumab added to second-line therapy after drug- eluting bead transarterial chemoembolization (DTACE) combined with apatinib for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods A retrospective analysis was performed for 89 HCC patients with camrelizumab added to second-line therapy who attended The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from December 2019 to December 2020. The primary endpoints were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) after the application of camrelizumab, and the secondary endpoints were objective remission rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), and treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs). The Kaplan-Meier method was used to plot survival curves, the Log-rank test was used for stratified analysis of subgroups based on baseline characteristics, and the influencing factors for prognosis were analyzed. Results A total of 89 patients were screened and followed up in this study. The patients were followed up to December 2021, with a median follow-up time of 16 months, a median OS time of 17.0 (95% confidence interval [ CI ]: 15.3-18.7) months, and a median PFS time of 7.0 (95% CI : 6.2-7.8) months. There were significant differences in OS and PFS between the patients with different ECOG-PS scores, liver function Child-Pugh classes, portal vein invasion, patterns of progression, times of DTACE treatment, durations of oral administration of apatinib, and durations of application of camrelizumab (all P < 0.05). At 3 and 6 months after the application of camrelizumab, ORR was 39.3% and 22.4%, respectively, and DCR was 80.9% and 54.1%, respectively. The univariate analysis using the Log-rank test showed that compared with the patients receiving 0 time of DTACE treatment, the patients receiving 3-4 or 1-2 times of DTACE treatment had significant improvements in median OS [22.0 (95% CI : 21.1-22.9) months and 17.0 (95% CI : 15.8-18.2) months vs 10.0 (95% CI : 7.0-13.0) months, χ 2 =31.423, P < 0.001] and PFS [10.0 (95% CI : 7.0-13.0) months and 7.0 (95% CI : 6.2-7.8) months vs 3.0 (95% CI : 1.9-4.1) months, χ 2 =20.741, P < 0.001]; compared with the patients using apatinib for ≤4 months, the patients using apatinib for > 4 months had significant improvements in median OS [21.0 (95% CI : 19.1-22.9) months vs 14.0 (95% CI : 10.4-17.6) months, χ 2 =19.399, P < 0.001] and PFS [9.0 (95% CI : 7.3-10.7) months vs 5.0 (95% CI : 4.0-6.0) months, χ 2 =27.733, P < 0.001]; compared with the patients using camrelizumab for ≤5 months, the patients using camrelizumab for > 5 months had significant improvements in median OS [22.0 (95% CI : 20.2-23.8) months vs 13.0 (95% CI : 9.3-16.7) months, χ 2 =22.336, P < 0.001] and PFS [9.0 (95% CI : 7.0-11.0) months vs 5.0 (95% CI : 4.1-5.9) months, χ 2 =26.141, P < 0.001]. Post-embolization syndrome was the adverse event after DTACE and resolved after symptomatic treatment. Adverse reactions related to targeted drugs and immunotherapy all resolved after symptomatic supportive treatment, with no grade ≥4 adverse reactions, and no patients withdrew from target-free therapy due to TRAEs. Conclusion As for DTACE combined with apatinib in the treatment of unresectable HCC, camrelizumab added after progression has a marked therapeutic efficacy with safe and controllable TRAEs.

Circadian Clocks/genetics* ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; Methionine ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Racemethionine ; Gene Expression

The brain pericyte is a unique and indispensable part of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), and contributes to several pathological processes in traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which pericytes are regulated in the damaged brain are largely unknown. Here, we show that the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) induces the appearance of CD11b⁺ pericytes after TBI. These CD11b⁺ pericyte subsets are characterized by increased permeability and pro-inflammatory profiles compared to CD11b^- pericytes. Moreover, histones from NETs by Dectin-1 facilitate CD11b induction in brain pericytes in PKC-c-Jun dependent manner, resulting in neuroinflammation and BBB dysfunction after TBI. These data indicate that neutrophil-NET-pericyte and histone-Dectin-1-CD11b are possible mechanisms for the activation and dysfunction of pericytes. Targeting NETs formation and Dectin-1 are promising means of treating TBI.
Blood-Brain Barrier/metabolism* ; Brain/pathology* ; Brain Injuries, Traumatic/metabolism* ; Extracellular Traps/metabolism* ; Histones ; Humans ; Lectins, C-Type ; Pericytes/pathology*

Objective:To summarize the clinical and genetic characteristics of Potocki-Shaffer syndrome (PSS).Methods:A retrospective study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of 1 patient diagnosed with PSS in the Department of Pediatrics of the Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University at February 2021.The data analyzed included clinical manifestations, biochemical tests and gene tests.Meanwhile, studies were retrieved from the China National Knowledge Internet database, Wanfang database, and PubMed database from the establishment of the database to December 2021 by taking " Potocki-Shaffer syndrome" " EXT2 gene" " AlX4 gene" and " PHF21A gene" as key words.Besides, genes were searched from the Online Frontal Analysis Mendelian Inheritance in Man.The clinical and genetic features of PSS patients were summarized. Results:The patient was 5 months and 21 days old, male, who was admitted to the hospital due to excessive growth in body mass for the past 3 months.The patient showed mental and motor retardation, overgrowth, concealed penis, hearing loss, and hypotonia.Whole exon sequencing of this patient revealed heterozygous deletions in the Chr11: 44069455-48188946 region, including the deletions of 3 autosomal dominant genes: EXT2, ALX4, and PHF21A.The patient was diagnosed with PSS.A total of 14 articles published in English were collected, involving this boy and other 35 patients.In these patients, 14 cases had point mutations, and 22 cases had large deletions. PHF21A gene variation was detected in 23 cases (dysgnosia in 22 cases, dyskinesia in 21 cases, language development delay in 18 cases). EXT2 gene variation was observed in 22 cases (exostoses in 13 cases). ALX4 gene variation was found in 19 cases (bilateral parietal foramina in 15 cases). Of 36 cases, 27 cases had craniofacial anomalies. Conclusions:The main clinical symptoms of PSS are language and motor developmental delay, intellectual disability, exostoses, bilateral parietal foramina, and craniofacial anomalies, which are closely related to 3 autosomal dominant genes ALX4, EXT2 and PHF21A.Genetic testing facilitates the clinical diagnosis of PSS, and the mutation types are dominated by point mutations and large deletions.