A 20-year-old male patient presented to the Department of Dermatology of Peking Union Medical College Hospital with complaints of an 8-year history of facial scarring, swelling of the lower limbs, and a 4-year history of scalp thickening. Physical examination showed thickening furrowing wrinkling of the skin on the face and behind the ears, ciliary body hirsutism, blepharoptosis, and cutis verticis gyrate. Both lower limbs were swollen, especially the knees and ankles. The skin of the palms and soles of the feet was keratinized and thickened. Laboratory examination using bone and joint X-ray showed periostosis of the proximal middle phalanges and metacarpals of both hands, distal ulna and radius, tibia and fibula, distal femurs, and metatarsals.Genetic testing revealed two variants in SLCO2A1, c.1658T > A and c.96+4A > C.Through multidisciplinary consultation, we confirmed the diagnosis of pachydermoperiostosis.

Objective To optimize the platelet enrichment method,and to analyze the concentration changes of key molecules in platelet-rich plasma(PRP)before and after activation,as well as the impact of its activated products on the proliferation of rat endothelial progenitor cells.Methods The tube double-centrifu-gation method was employed to optimize platelet enrichment,and the platelet count in the enriched PRP was measured.ELISA was used to detect the concentration changes of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF),endostatin(ES),and P-selectin(CD62P)in PRP before and after activation.The PRP was activated by using liquid nitrogen freeze-thaw method,and the effect of its activated products on the proliferation of rat endothelial progenitor cells was evaluated by using the methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium(MTT)assay.Results The optimal enrichment coefficient of platelets achieved by the double-centrifugation method was 4.63.After low-speed,long-duration double centrifugation,the platelet count was highest in the upper layer of the buffy coat.For PRP with a platelet count of 500× 109/L obtained by machine collection,the VEGF con-centrations before and after activation were(3 418.12±488.80)pg/mL and(4 530.04±308.30)pg/mL,re-spectively,the ES concentrations were(6 168.98±253.22)pg/mL and(6 594.65±82.47)pg/mL,respec-tively,the CD62P concentrations were(6 678.23±324.15)pg/mL and(17 630.53±746.24)pg/mL,respec-tively,statistically significant differences were observed in the above indicators before and after activation(P＜0.01).The activated PRP was diluted in a gradient manner by using a specialized culture medium for en-dothelial progenitor cells.MTT assay results indicated that,in the basal medium,the optimal volume fraction for promoting endothelial progenitor cell proliferation was 0.25％after 48 hours of culture;in the complete medium,the optimal volume fractions for promoting endothelial progenitor cell proliferation were 0.062 5％after 24 hours and 0.125％after 48 hours.Conclusion The concentrations of VEGF,ES,and CD62P in the optimized,enriched PRP exhibited significant changes before and after activation.The optimal volume fraction for promoting endothelial progenitor cell proliferation in the basal medium was 0.25％.

AIM To investigate the protective effect of Sanfeng Tongqiao Dropping Pills against house dust mite(HDM)-induced allergic asthma in mice.METHODS Compared to the intact BALB/c mice in the blank control group,the BALB/c mice randomly assigned into the model group,the dexamethasone group(0.67 mg/kg),and the low-dose,medium-dose,and high-dose Sanfeng Tongqiao Dropping Pills groups(15,30 and 60 mg/kg),were induced into acute allergic asthma models via weekly intraperitoneal sensitization with 0.1 mL HDM solution(0.5 mg/mL)for three weeks followed by three consecutive daily intranasal challenges with 10 μL HDM solution(2.5 mg/mL)starting in the third week.The drug administered continuously 7 days after the last excitation.The mice had their airway reactive Penh value detected,their pulmonary pathological changes observed by HE staining,their blood eosinophils(EOS)counted,their Th2 cytokines in lung tissue and serum IgE levels detected by ELISA,and their number of peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMC)and pulmonary Th2 cells detected by flow cytometry.Chronic allergic asthma was induced in grouped BALB/c mice through repeated intranasal challenges with 10 μL HDM solution(2.5 mg/mL)administered five times weekly for five consecutive weeks.Drug treatment continued for 14 days following the final challenge.After the final treatment,the mice had their pulmonary pathological changes observed by HE staining,and their levels of Th2 cytokines in B ALF and lung tissue and serum IgE detected by ELISA.RESULTS Compared to the blank control group,the acute allergic asthma model group exhibited increases in Penh value,EOS count and IgE level in serum,IL-4 and IL-5 levels in lung tissue(P＜0.01);obvious pulmonary inflammatory cells infiltration,and thickened airway wall;and increase in pulmonary number of Th2 cells(P＜0.01).Compared to the model group,the groups intervened with Sanfeng Tongqiao Dropping Pills demonstrated decreased Penh value,serum EOS count,IgE level and IL-5 level in lung tissue(P＜0.05,P＜0.01);reduced pulmonary inflammatory infiltration and alleviated airway wall thickening;and decreased number of pulmonary Th2 cells.Compared to the blank group,the chronic allergic asthma model group showed obvious pulmonary inflammatory infiltration and airway wall thickening;and increased EOS count and IgE level in serum,IL-4 and IL-13 in lung tissue and IL-14 in BALF(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).Compared to the model group,the groups intervened with either medium-dose or high-dose Sanfeng Tongqiao Dropping Pills demonstrated reduced pulmonary inflammatory infiltration;and decreased serum EOS count,IgE level,IL-13 in lung tissue and IL-14 in BALF(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).CONCLUSION Sanfeng Tongqiao Dropping Pills reduce Th2 cells in peripheral blood and lung tissue,suppress type 2 inflammation,and thereby alleviate allergic asthma.

Aim To investigate the impact of G pro-tein-coupled estrogen receptor 1(GPER1),also known as GPR30 playing a significant role in the nerv-ous system,on neuronal damage and cognitive dysfunc-tion following epileptic seizures.Methods The pro-tein expression levels of GPER1 and the DNA damage marker γ-H2AX in epileptic rats were assessed using Western blot.The hippocampal neuronal damage and apoptosis in pilocarpine-induced epilepsy models were evaluated using Nissl and TUNEL staining techniques,compared with GPER1 knockdown(GPER1-KD)rats with wild-type(WT)controls.The behavioral activi-ties,including memory and spatial learning,were mo-nitored during the chronic phase of epilepsy using the IntelliCage system.Results Compared to the control group,GPER1 protein expression in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus significantly increased 24 hours post-epilepsy onset.In the GPER1-KD+EP group,hipp-ocampal neuronal damage was more severe,with a sig-nificant increase in apoptotic neurons compared to the WT+EP group.The IntelliCage data revealed that during free exploration,nose contact,position learn-ing,and reverse position learning stages in the GPER1-KD+EP group exhibited fewer visits and a higher error rate than in the WT+EP group.Conclu-sions Deficiency in GPER1 impairs memory and spa-tial learning abilities following epilepsy,potentially due to exacerbated neuronal injury,apoptosis,and inflam-mation.GPER1 represents a promising therapeutic tar-get for mitigating post-epileptic nerve damage and cog-nitive impairment.

Objective:To investigate the changes in hepatic phase II detoxification enzymes and their mechanism in metabolic associated steatohepatitis (MASH) induced by a methionine-choline-deficient (MCD) diet in mice.Methods:Ten C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into two groups, with five mice in each group, and fed with a control diet (NCD group) and a methionine-choline-deficient diet (MCD group) for four consecutive weeks to establish the MASH model in mice. Mice body weight was recorded weekly. Mice peripheral blood and liver tissue samples were collected after four weeks. The liver histopathological changes were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining and Sirius red staining in liver tissue. The levels of plasma alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and triglycerides were measured by an automatic biochemical analyzer. Triglyceride and total cholesterol were used to evaluate the lipid accumulation condition in the liver of mice with Oil red O staining. Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR was used to detect the expression of liver inflammatory factors interleukin (IL)-1β and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) condition. Transcriptome sequencing and bioinformatics were used to analyze the changes in gene expression profiles in the liver of mice and screen differentially expressed genes. The expression conditions of phase Ⅱ detoxification enzymes glutathione S-transferase mu 4 (GSTM4), dihydronicotinamide riboside:quinone oxidoreductases (NQO-2), sulfotransferase 1β1 (SULT1β1), and uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase 2 family, polypeptide A3(UGT2A3) were verified by real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR. Plasma malondialdehyde content, total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), plasma and liver glutathione content were determined using commercial kits. The expression of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), GSTM4, and UGT1A6 was examined by Western blotting. The independent sample t-test was used for comparison between the groups. Results:The body weight of mice in the MCD group showed a gradual downward trend, while the body weight of mice in the NCD group did not change significantly following four weeks of different dietary feeding. The MCD group mice liver had yellow-white appearance with round edges. The liver/body mass index was significantly lower in the NCD group ( t=3.216, P<0.01). Hematoxylin-eosin staining showed that hepatocytes in the MCD group had an occurrence of fatty degeneration accompanied by inflammatory cell infiltration, with a higher NAFLD activity score (NAS) compared to the NCD group ( t=7.155, P<0.001). Sirius red staining showed that the the liver of the MCD group had mildly increased periportal fibers. Plasma biochemical tests indicated that plasma ALT, AST, and triglyceride levels were significantly higher in the MCD group than those in the NCD group ( t=8.920, P<0.001; t=6.696, P<0.001; t=3.904, P<0.01). Oil red O staining showed that a large number of lipid droplets accumulated in the liver tissue of the MCD group and were more severe than those in the NCD group ( t=7.405, P<0.001). The triglyceride content was significantly higher in the liver of the mice in the MCD group than that in the NCD group ( t=3.559, P<0.01), and the expression of inflammatory factors IL-1β and MCP-1 was significantly increased ( t=2.562 and 2.391, respectively, P<0.05). Transcriptome sequencing analysis showed that the expression profile of genes related to lipid metabolism was changed in the liver tissue of the mice in the MCD group. The expression of multiple phase Ⅱ detoxification enzymes was significantly downregulated. Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR verification demonstrated that the expression of four phase Ⅱ detoxification enzymes GSTM4, NQO2, SUIL1β1, and UGT2A3 were significantly lower in the liver of the mice in the MCD group than those in the NCD group ( t=2.498, 3.570, 3.768, and 4.166, respectively, P<0.05). The detection kit showed that compared with the NCD group, the malondialdehyde content in the liver of mice in the MCD group increased ( t=3.601, P<0.01), while the plasma total glutathione ( t=11.93, P<0.001) and reduced glutathione levels were significantly reduced ( t=3.635, P<0.01). The total antioxidant capacity of the liver decreased ( t=2.872, P<0.05), and the total glutathione and reduced glutathione levels in the liver were significantly increased ( t=3.175 and 3.064, P<0.05). Western blotting showed that the expression of Nrf2, GSTM4, and UGT1A6 proteins was significantly lower in the MCD group than that in the NCD group ( t=3.385, 2.990, 2.168, P<0.05). Conclusions:The expressions of multiple phase Ⅱ detoxification enzymes and antioxidant capacity are reduced in the liver of MASH mice induced by the MCD diet, and its mechanism is related to the down-regulation of the expression of the upstream regulatory factor Nrf2 protein.

Objective To investigate the density,species composition,and seasonal prevalence of domestic rodents in different habitats within Lanzhou garrisons,providing basic information for rodent prevention and control.Methods A total of 12 monitoring sites were sampled across urban,suburban,and rural residential areas from 2014 to 2022.Rodent density was monitored using the night-trapping method in the middle of odd-numbered months.Results From 2014 to 2022,346 domestic rodents were captured using 122 035 effective traps,with an average domestic rodent density of 0.28％.The highest domestic rodent density was 0.63％in 2016,and the lowest was 0.07％in 2020,showing significant differences across years,with an overall trend of initially decreasing and then increasing(χ2=136.555,P<0.001).The dominant species was Rattus norvegicus,accounting for 83.24％of the total rodents captured.Rattus norvegicus accounted for a relatively high proportion across different years,with a statistically significant difference in species composition(χ2=20.931,P<0.05).Rodent densities and species composition also varied significantly among the monitored habitats(P<0.001),with the highest densities observed in rural residential areas and the lowest in urban areas.Seasonal variation in rodent densities showed a bimodal pattern,with smaller peaks in January or March and a larger peak in July.Conclusions Domestic rodent density in Lanzhou garrisons has shown an upward trend in the past few years.Rodent control measures should focus on barracks in rural residential areas,with targeted interventions to reduce the risk of rodent-borne diseases.

Objective To investigate the population composition,seasonal dynamics,and infestation levels of cockroaches in Lanzhou,China,and to provide information for the scientific development of cockroach control strategies.Methods Monitoring was conducted at three locations using the sticky trap method.Habitats included farm product markets,catering establishments,hotels,hospitals,and residential areas.Results From 2016 to 2023,the average cockroach density was 0.77 insects per board,with an average infestation rate of 10.84%.Blattella germanica was the dominant species.Seasonal density of cockroaches showed an approximately unimodal distribution,peaking in September.The highest average density and infestation rates were observed in farm product markets.Conclusions Cockroach density and infestation levels in Lanzhou remained relatively low.A comprehensive prevention and control strategy focusing on environmental management in key areas should be implemented according to the seasonal fluctuations.