Objective This study used The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database to investigate the methylation levels of PCDHGB7 in lung adenocarcinoma tissues and analyze its association with clinical pathological features of lung adenocarcinoma, and its prognostic predictive value. Methods Methylation data of PCDHGB7 from 473 lung adenocarcinoma tissues and 32 normal tissues in the TCGA database were derived and analyzed to assess between-group variance and determine the correlation of methylation levels with clinical pathological features and overall survival. Results PCDHGB7 exhibited significantly higher methylation levels in lung adenocarcinoma tissues than in normal tissues (P<0.001), demonstrating a strong discriminative ability for lung adenocarcinoma (AUC=0.926, P<0.001). The methylation level was strongly associated with gender (P=0.047) and T stage (P=0.013). The critical prognostic sites of PCDHGB7 were identified through univariate Cox regression analysis. We found significant differences in overall survival between patient groups with low or high methylation levels (P=0.0099). Conclusion PCDHGB7 shows significantly elevated methylation in lung adenocarcinoma, which correlates with tumor malignancy and possesses certain prognostic predictive potential.

This article systematically analyzes the historical evolution of the name， origin， quality evaluation， harvesting， processing and other aspects of Picrorhizae Rhizoma by referring to the medical books， prescription books， and other documents of the past dynasties， combined with relevant modern research materials， in order to provide a basis for the development and utilization of famous classical formulas containing this medicinal herb. The research results indicate that Picrorhizae Rhizoma was first recorded in New Revised Materia Medica from the Tang dynasty. Throughout history， Huhuanglian has been used as its official name， and there are also aliases such as Gehu Luze， Jiahuanglian and Hulian. The main source of past dynasties is the the rhizomes of Picrorhiza kurrooa and P. scrophulariiflora. In ancient times， Picrorhizae Rhizoma was mainly imported by foreign traders via Guangzhou and other regions， and also produced in China， mainly in Xizang. In ancient times， it was harvested and dried in early August of the lunar calendar， while in modern times， it is mostly harvested from July to September， with the best quality being those with thick and crispy rhizomes without impurities， and bitter taste. Throughout history， Picrorhizae Rhizoma was collected， washed， sliced， and dried before being used as a raw material for medicine， it has a bitter and cold taste， mainly used to treat bone steaming， hot flashes， infantile chancre fever， and dysentery. There is no significant difference in taste and efficacy between ancient and modern times. Based on the research results， it is recommended that the rhizomes of P. scrophulariiflora in the 2020 edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia， or the rhizomes of P. kurrooa， can be used in famous classical formulas containing this medicinal herb， which can be processed according to the processing requirements marked by the original formula. For those without clear processing requirements， the dried raw products are used as medicine.

ObjectiveTo explore the distribution patterns and correlations of pet-related cat/dog dander allergens and mold allergens in patients with allergic diseases， providing evidence for individualized diagnosis， treatment， and prevention strategies. MethodsA retrospective analysis was conducted on 798 patients diagnosed with allergic diseases at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University between April 2021 and October 2023. All patients underwent UniCAP platform testing for specific immunoglobulin E （sIgE） levels against cat dander， dog dander， and mold mix （mx1/mx2）， alongside total IgE （tIgE） quantification. Descriptive statistics， Mann-Whitney U tests， and chi-square analyses were employed to evaluate allergen distribution and interrelationships. ResultsAmong the 798 patients （395 males， 403 females， ratio 1∶1.02）， their ages ranged from 0.67 to 69 years （median 14 years， IQR 6-29）. A total of 63.2% （504/798） had a single allergic disease， with allergic rhinitis （AR， 49.2%） being the most common. The remaining 36.8% （294/798） had ≥2 allergic diseases， with AR combined with atopic dermatitis （AD， 10.7%） as the predominant comorbidity. The positivity rate for cat/dog dander sIgE was 24.1% （192/798）， with a significantly higher prevalence in females （30.8%） than males （16.7%， P＜0.05）. Cat dander sensitization increased with age in patients under 18 years. Among positive cases， cat dander sIgE level 2 was most frequent （25.9%）， while dog dander sIgE level 1 predominated （55%）. Patients with cat dander sIgE levels 4-6 had significantly higher tIgE than those with levels 1-3 （P＜0.05）. The positivity rate for mold mix （mx1/mx2） sIgE was 7.4% （59/798）， with mx2 as the primary sensitizer and level 2 being the most common. In mx2-positive patients， the cat/dog dander sIgE positivity rate （44.8%） was significantly higher than that in mx2-negative patients （17.9%， P＜0.05）， and tIgE levels were also higher （P＜0.05）. ConclusionCat dander sensitization increases with age in children. Cat/dog dander and mold allergens are closely linked to AR and AR combined with AD. Synergistic correlations exist between cat/dog dander sIgE and mold mx2 sIgE. Combined detection of these allergens is critical for precision diagnosis and management of pet-related allergic diseases.

Objective:To investigate the association between albumin-corrected anion gap(ACAG)and short-to long-term death out-comes in patients with acute pancreatitis(AP).Methods:This retrospective study was based on the Medical Information Mart for Inten-sive Care-IV database,and the adult patients who were diagnosed with AP and were admitted to the intensive care unit were enrolled in this study.Cox regression risk analysis,receiver operating charac-teristic(ROC)curve analysis,Kaplan-Meier survival curve analy-sis,restricted cubic spline,and subgroup analysis were used to in-vestigate the value of ACAG in predicting the death outcome of AP patients.Results:A total of 444 patients were enrolled in this study,and according to the death status of the patients on day 28 after ad-mission,the patients were divided into survival group with 412 pa-tients and death group with 32 patients,with a mortality rate of 7.2%on day 28 after admission.The multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that ACAG was an independent predictive factor for all-cause mortality rate on day 28 after admission in AP patients(hazard ratio[HR]=1.18,95%CI=1.05-1.32),while it was not an in-dependent predictive factor for death outcome on days 90(HR=1.05,95%CI=0.97-1.14)and 180(HR=1.01,95%CI=0.94-1.09)and at 1 year(HR=1.02,95%CI=0.95-1.10).The ROC curve analysis showed that ACAG had an area under the ROC curve(AUC)of 0.732(95%CI=0.632-0.832)in predicting 28-day death outcome,which was better than that of AG(AUC=0.665,95%CI=0.550-0.781)and serum albumin(Alb)(AUC=0.655,95%CI=0.550-0.761)and was similar to that of Sequential Organ Failure Assessment(SOFA)score(AUC=0.745,95%CI=0.651-0.838).The ROC curve showed that the optimal cut-off value of ACAG was 21.375.Based on the cut-off value of ACAG of 21.375,the patients were divided into high-value group and normal-value group,and the Kaplan-Meier curve analysis showed that the patients with a high level of ACAG had a significantly higher mortality rate than those with normal ACAG(P<0.001).The subgroup analysis showed that the results were stable.Conclusion:ACAG can be used as an independent pre-dictive factor for all-cause mortality rate on day 28 after admission in AP patients,with a better efficacy than AG and Alb and a similar efficacy to SOFA.However,it is not significantly associated with 90-day,180-day,and 1-year death outcomes in AP patients.

Background: s/Aims: Distal pancreatectomy with splenectomy (DPS) is a common surgical procedure for pancreatic body cancer.However, spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy (SPDP) utilizing the Warshaw technique (WT) in malignancies is generally not favored due to concerns about inadequate resection. This study aims to assess the feasibility and oncologic outcomes of employing SPDP with WT in pancreatic body cancer. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis comparing 21 SPDP patients with 63 DPS patients matched by propensity score from January 2018 to November 2022. Clinical outcomes and follow-up data were analyzed using R. Results: Both groups exhibited similar demographic, intraoperative, and pathological characteristics, with the exception of a reduced number of total lymph nodes (p = 0.006) in the SPDP group. There were no significant differences in the rates of postoperative complications, recurrence, or metastasis. Local recurrence predominantly occurred in the central region as opposed to the spleen region.There were no cases of isolated recurrences in the splenic region. Median overall survival and recurrence-free survival times were 51.5 months for SPDP vs 30.5 months for DPS and 18.7 months vs 16.8 months, respectively (p > 0.05). The incidence of partial splenic infarction and left-side portal hypertension in the SPDP group was 28.6% (6/21) and 9.5% (2/21), respectively, without necessitating splenic abscess puncture, splenectomy, or causing bleeding from perigastric varices. Conclusions SPDP did not negatively impact local recurrence or survival rates in selected pancreatic body cancer patients. Further studies are necessary for validation.

Background: s/Aims: Distal pancreatectomy with splenectomy (DPS) is a common surgical procedure for pancreatic body cancer.However, spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy (SPDP) utilizing the Warshaw technique (WT) in malignancies is generally not favored due to concerns about inadequate resection. This study aims to assess the feasibility and oncologic outcomes of employing SPDP with WT in pancreatic body cancer. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis comparing 21 SPDP patients with 63 DPS patients matched by propensity score from January 2018 to November 2022. Clinical outcomes and follow-up data were analyzed using R. Results: Both groups exhibited similar demographic, intraoperative, and pathological characteristics, with the exception of a reduced number of total lymph nodes (p = 0.006) in the SPDP group. There were no significant differences in the rates of postoperative complications, recurrence, or metastasis. Local recurrence predominantly occurred in the central region as opposed to the spleen region.There were no cases of isolated recurrences in the splenic region. Median overall survival and recurrence-free survival times were 51.5 months for SPDP vs 30.5 months for DPS and 18.7 months vs 16.8 months, respectively (p > 0.05). The incidence of partial splenic infarction and left-side portal hypertension in the SPDP group was 28.6% (6/21) and 9.5% (2/21), respectively, without necessitating splenic abscess puncture, splenectomy, or causing bleeding from perigastric varices. Conclusions SPDP did not negatively impact local recurrence or survival rates in selected pancreatic body cancer patients. Further studies are necessary for validation.

Background: s/Aims: Distal pancreatectomy with splenectomy (DPS) is a common surgical procedure for pancreatic body cancer.However, spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy (SPDP) utilizing the Warshaw technique (WT) in malignancies is generally not favored due to concerns about inadequate resection. This study aims to assess the feasibility and oncologic outcomes of employing SPDP with WT in pancreatic body cancer. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis comparing 21 SPDP patients with 63 DPS patients matched by propensity score from January 2018 to November 2022. Clinical outcomes and follow-up data were analyzed using R. Results: Both groups exhibited similar demographic, intraoperative, and pathological characteristics, with the exception of a reduced number of total lymph nodes (p = 0.006) in the SPDP group. There were no significant differences in the rates of postoperative complications, recurrence, or metastasis. Local recurrence predominantly occurred in the central region as opposed to the spleen region.There were no cases of isolated recurrences in the splenic region. Median overall survival and recurrence-free survival times were 51.5 months for SPDP vs 30.5 months for DPS and 18.7 months vs 16.8 months, respectively (p > 0.05). The incidence of partial splenic infarction and left-side portal hypertension in the SPDP group was 28.6% (6/21) and 9.5% (2/21), respectively, without necessitating splenic abscess puncture, splenectomy, or causing bleeding from perigastric varices. Conclusions SPDP did not negatively impact local recurrence or survival rates in selected pancreatic body cancer patients. Further studies are necessary for validation.

Drug-drug interaction (DDI) refers to the interaction between two or more drugs in the body, altering their efficacy or pharmacokinetics. Fully considering and accurately predicting DDI has become an indispensable part of ensuring safe medication for patients. In recent years, many deep learning-based methods have been proposed to predict DDI. However, most existing computational models tend to oversimplify the fusion of drug structural and topological information, often relying on methods such as splicing or weighted summation, which fail to adequately capture the potential complementarity between structural and topological features. This loss of information may lead to models that do not fully leverage these features, thus limiting their performance in DDI prediction. To address these challenges, we propose a relation-aware cross adversarial network for predicting DDI, named RCAN-DDI, which combines a relationship-aware structure feature learning module and a topological feature learning module based on DDI networks to capture multimodal features of drugs. To explore the correlations and complementarities among different information sources, the cross-adversarial network is introduced to fully integrate features from various modalities, enhancing the predictive performance of the model. The experimental results demonstrate that the RCAN-DDI method outperforms other methods. Even in cases of labelled DDI scarcity, the method exhibits good robustness in the DDI prediction task. Furthermore, the effectiveness of the cross-adversarial module is validated through ablation experiments, demonstrating its superiority in learning multimodal complementary information.

Pristimerin, which is one of the compounds present in Celastraceae and Hippocrateaceae, has antitumor effects. However, its mechanism of action in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the efficacy and mechanism of pristimerin on ESCC in vitro and in vivo. The inhibitory effect of pristimerin on cell growth was assessed using trypan blue exclusion and colony formation assays. Cell apoptosis was evaluated by flow cytometry. Gene and protein expressions were analyzed through quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), Western blotting, and immunohistochemistry. RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) was employed to identify significantly differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Cell transfection and RNA interference assays were utilized to examine the role of key proteins in pristimerin?s effect. Xenograft models were established to evaluate the antitumor efficiency of pristimerin in vivo. Pristimerin inhibited cell growth and induced apoptosis in ESCC cells. Upregulation of Noxa was crucial for pristimerin-induced apoptosis. Pristimerin activated the Forkhead box O3a (FoxO3a) signaling pathway and triggered FoxO3a recruitment to the Noxa promoter, leading to Noxa transcription. Blocking FoxO3a reversed pristimerin-induced Noxa upregulation and cell apoptosis. Pristimerin treatment suppressed xenograft tumors in nude mice, but these effects were largely negated in Noxa-KO tumors. Furthermore, the chemosensitization effects of pristimerin in vitro and in vivo were mediated by Noxa. This study demonstrates that pristimerin exerts an antitumor effect on ESCC by inducing AKT/FoxO3a-mediated Noxa upregulation. These findings suggest that pristimerin may serve as a potent anticancer agent for ESCC treatment.
Forkhead Box Protein O3/genetics* ; Humans ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma/physiopathology* ; Esophageal Neoplasms/physiopathology* ; Pentacyclic Triterpenes ; Animals ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/genetics* ; Mice ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Mice, Nude ; Cell Proliferation/drug effects* ; Triterpenes/pharmacology* ; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Male ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic/drug effects*

Objective To investigate the effects of Tuina targeting different body parts on the behaviors and gut microflora of rat models with valproic acid(VPA)-induced autistic spectrum disorder(ASD). Methods Twenty female Sprague Dawley(SD)rats with 12.5 d of pregnancy were randomly divided into VPA model group[intraperitoneal injection of VPA(600 mg/kg),n=15]and saline group(intraperitoneal injection of equal amount of normal saline,n=5).The offspring male rats injected with saline were secleted as control group.The offspring male rats injected with VPA were randomly divided into VPA,dorsal,and abdominal groups(n=7 in each group).On the 21st day after birth,three-chamber social test,open field test,and marble-burying test were carried out to observe the social abilities,anxiety behaviors,and stereotypi-cal behaviors of rats in the four groups.Rats in dorsal and abdominal groups underwent Tuina for 14 d,twice a day.On the 35th day,behavioral tests were conducted again,and in-testinal contents were taken for species composition and structural analysis,as well as mark-er and differential species analysis. Results(i)According to behavioral observations,compared with VPA group,the social and movement time in the central open field of rats in dorsal group increased significantly(P<0.05),and the number of buried marbles decreased markedly(P<0.01),indicating improve-ment on their social abilities,anxiety behaviors,and stereotypical behaviors as consequences of dorsal Tuina;and the number of buried marbles was reduced as well in abdominal group when compared with VPA group(P<0.05),suggesting the improvement on their stereotypi-cal behaviors following abdominal Tuina.In the marble-burying test,the number of marbles buried in dorsal group was less than in abdominal group,and the stereotypical behaviors were improved more significantly(P<0.05),and there were no significant differences in the three-chamber social and open field tests between the two groups(P>0.05).(ii)In accor-dance with intestinal microflora detection results,compared with VPA group,both dorsal and abdominal groups showed increased richness(P<0.05)and elevated diversity(P<0.05 in dorsal group and P<0.01 in abdominal group)in intestinal microflora.The results of differen-tial analysis indicated that at the phylum level,compared with VPA group,the relative abun-dance of Firmicutes in rats in abdominal group showed a significant reduction trend(P<0.05);at the genus level,compared with VPA group,the relative abundance of Lactobacillus in rats in dorsal and abdominal groups decreased significantly(P<0.05).Dorsal group also showed significant increase in the genus Blautia in the analysis of marker species compared with VPA group(P<0.05). Conclusion Tuina impacted the behavior and gut microflora structure of ASD model rats.Dorsal intervention had a significant effect on social abilities,anxiety behaviors,and stereo-typical behaviors of ASD model rats,while abdominal intervention only had an obvious effect on stereotypical behaviors.Both dorsal and abdominal interventions increased the richness and diversity of gut microflora of ASD model rats,with abdominal intervention improving the intestinal microbial diversity more significantly and resulting in a more uniform species dis-tribution.