OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the protective effects of gentiopicroside (GPS) against reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced NOD-like receptor family, pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation in endothelial cells, aiming to reduce atherosclerosis. METHODS: Eight-week-old male ApoE-deficient mice were randomly divided into 2 groups (n=10 per group): the vehicle group and the GPS treatment group. Both groups were fed a high-fat diet for 16 weeks. GPS (40 mg/kg per day) was administered by oral gavage to the GPS group, while the vehicle group received an equivalent volume of the vehicle solution. At the end of the treatment, blood and aortic tissues were collected for assessments of atherosclerosis, lipid profiles, oxidative stress, and molecular expressions related to NLRP3 inflammasome activation, ROS production, and apoptosis. Additionally, in vitro experiments on human aortic endothelial cells treated with oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) were conducted to evaluate the effects of GPS on NLRP3 inflammasome activation, pyroptosis, apoptosis, and ROS production, specifically examining the role of the sirtuin 1 (SIRT1)/nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathway. SIRT1 and Nrf2 inhibitors were used to confirm the pathway's role. RESULTS: GPS treatment significantly reduced atherosclerotic lesions in the en face aorta (P<0.01), as well as in the thoracic and abdominal aortic regions, and markedly decreased sinus lesions within the aortic root (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Additionally, GPS reduced oxidative stress markers and proinflammatory cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-1 β and IL-18, in lesion areas (P<0.05, P<0.01). In vitro, GPS inhibited ox-LDL-induced NLRP3 activation, as evidenced by reduced NLRP3 (P<0.01), apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD, cleaved-caspase-1, and cleaved-gasdermin D expressions (all P<0.01). GPS also decreased ROS production, apoptosis, and pyroptosis, with the beneficial effects being significantly reversed by SIRT1 or Nrf2 inhibitors. CONCLUSION GPS exerts an antiatherogenic effect by inhibiting ROS-dependent NLRP3 inflammasome activation via the SIRT1/Nrf2 pathway.
NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein/metabolism* ; Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism* ; Iridoid Glucosides/therapeutic use* ; NF-E2-Related Factor 2/metabolism* ; Animals ; Atherosclerosis/metabolism* ; Inflammasomes/drug effects* ; Male ; Sirtuin 1/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Humans ; Endothelial Cells/pathology* ; Mice ; Oxidative Stress/drug effects* ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Lipoproteins, LDL ; Mice, Inbred C57BL

Objective To understand the current situation of healthcare-associated infection(HAI)in China,pro-vide data support and decision-making basis for formulating scientific and effective strategies for HAI prevention and control.Methods A nationwide cross-sectional survey on HAI was conducted among various types and levels of medical institutions in China according to a unified protocol of bedside surveys and case investigations.Results In 2024,a total of 5 736 medical institutions and 2 751 765 patients were surveyed.Among them,34 889 HAI cases were identified,with a prevalence rate of 1.27％.The number of HAI episodes was 38 032,and case prevalence rate was 1.38％.The prevalence rate of HAI in medical institutions in different regions of China ranged from 0.66％to 2.35％.Among medical institutions of different scales,those with a bed capacity of ≥900 had the high-est incidence of HAI,reaching 1.65％.The most common infection site was the lower respiratory tract(44.66％),followed by the urinary tract(12.94％),surgical site(9.32％),upper respiratory tract(7.02％),and bloodstream infection(5.78％).The top 3 departments with the highest HAI rates were the general intensive care unit(10.02％),department of neurosurgery(5.51％),and department(group)of hematology(5.34％).A total of 23 238 strains of HAI pathogens were detected,with 10 714 strains(46.10％)from lower respiratory tract speci-mens.The top 5 detected strains were Klebsiella pneumoniae(14.76％),Pseudomonas aeruginosa(13.33％),Escherichia coli(12.79％),Acinetobacter baumannii(9.23％),and Staphylococcus aureus(7.88％).231 944 pa-tients underwent class Ⅰ incision surgery were monitored,with 1 647 cases experienced surgical site infection,and the prevalence rate of surgical site infection was 0.71％.The number of patients who should undergo pathogen de-tection(patients receiving therapeutic and therapeutic combined prophylactic antimicrobial agents)was 715 179,while the actual number was 480 492,with a pathogen detection rate of 67.18％.425 225 patients received patho-genic detection before treatment,with a detection rate of 59.46％.Conclusion The overall HAI prevalence in Chi-na is lower,showing disparities among medical institutions of different regions and scales.Therefore,precise imple-mentation of measures is necessary for HAI prevention and control,with a focus on high-risk institutions and high-risk departments,key areas,and critical procedures.All levels of medical institutions should continuously reduce the incidence of HAI by strengthening monitoring,standardizing the use of antimicrobial agents,and reinforcing basic HAI prevention and control measures.

This study investigated the therapeutic effects and mechanisms of Modified Yiyi Fuzi Baijiang Powder on ulcerative colitis(UC) in rats from the perspective of dampness. SD rats were randomly allocated into six groups(n=10): control, model, mesalazine, and Modified Yiyi Fuzi Baijiang Powder at low(3.96 g·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)), medium(7.92 g·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)), and high(15.84 g·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)) doses. UC was induced in all groups except the control by administration with 3% dextran sulfate sodium(DSS) solution for 7 days. The disease activity index(DAI) was recorded, and the colon tissue was collected for analysis. Histopathological changes were assessed by hematoxylin-eosin staining. Serum levels of D-lactic acid(D-LA) and diamine oxidase(DAO) were measured by ELISA. Immunohistochemistry and PCR were employed to evaluate the expression of aquaporins(AQP3, AQP4) and tight junction proteins [zonula occludens-1(ZO-1) and occludin] at both protein and mRNA levels. Compared with the control group, the model group showed an increased DAI scores(P<0.05), intestinal mucosal damage, elevated serum levels of DAO and D-LA(P<0.05), and decreased expression of AQP3, AQP4, ZO-1, and occludin(P<0.05). Treatment with Modified Yiyi Fuzi Baijiang Powder reduced the DAI scores(P<0.05), lowered the serum levels of D-LA and DAO(P<0.05), and upregulated the expression of AQP3, AQP4, ZO-1, and occludin at both protein and mRNA levels compared with the model group. These findings suggest that Modified Yiyi Fuzi Baijiang Powder exerts therapeutic effects on UC by reducing the intestinal mucosal permeability, promoting colonic mucosal repair, and regulating abnormal intestinal water metabolism, which may involve the upregulation of AQP3 and AQP4 expression.
Animals ; Colitis, Ulcerative/genetics* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rats ; Intestinal Mucosa/metabolism* ; Male ; Aquaporin 3/metabolism* ; Aquaporin 4/metabolism* ; Permeability/drug effects* ; Humans ; Powders ; Intestinal Barrier Function

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effectiveness and safety of simultaneous bilateral total knee athroplasty (SB-TKA) for the treatment of patients aged 65 years and younger with bilateral knee osteoarthritis (KOA) by comparing with patients undergoing unilateral total knee arthroplasty (U-TKA). METHODS: A clinical data of patients, who underwent primary TKA for KOA and met the selection criteria between June 2019 and July 2023, was retrospectively analyzed, including 181 patients in the U-TKA group and 52 patients in the SB-TKA group. The baseline data of age, gender, disease duration, body mass index, and preoperative hemoglobin (Hb), knee range of motion (ROM), Oxford knee score (OKS), and visual analogue scale (VAS) score for pain were compared between the two groups, with no significant difference ( P>0.05). The operation time, postoperative hospital stay, and all complications related to knee arthroplasty were recorded. Hb was measured at 2 days after operation and the difference between pre- and post-operation was calculated. The knee function and pain were evaluated by using ROM, OKS score, and VAS score and compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The operation time and postoperative hospital stay duration were significantly shorter in the U-TKA group than in the SB-TKA group ( P<0.05). The difference of Hb was significantly lower in the U-TKA group ( P<0.05). All patients were followed up 12-61 months (mean, 37.2 months). There was no significant difference in follow-up time between the two groups ( P>0.05). At last follow-up, the ROM, OKS score, and VAS score of both groups were better than the preoperative ones, and the differences were significant ( P<0.05); there were significant differences between the two groups in the ROM and OKS score ( P<0.05), while no significant difference was found in the VAS score ( P>0.05). Mild complications were observed in 31 cases (17.13%) and severe complications in 3 cases (1.66%) in the U-TKA group, while mild complications were observed in 14 cases (26.92%) in the SB-TKA group, and no severe complication occurred. There was no significant difference in the incidences of mild and severe complications between the two groups ( P>0.05). CONCLUSION In patients aged 65 years and younger with bilateral KOA, knee function and mobility can significantly improved when treated by SB-TKA. While patients had lower postoperative knee mobility and function scores compared with U-TKA, there was no significant difference in pain scores or overall incidence of complication. Strict patient selection and scientific perioperative management are important to achieve good effectiveness after operation in patients with SB-TKA.
Humans ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee/adverse effects* ; Male ; Female ; Retrospective Studies ; Osteoarthritis, Knee/physiopathology* ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Treatment Outcome ; Middle Aged ; Operative Time ; Length of Stay ; Knee Joint/physiopathology* ; Pain Measurement ; Postoperative Complications/epidemiology* ; Aged

With the widespread use of antibiotics, drug-resistant bacterial infections have become a significant threat to human health. Finding new antibacterial strategies that can effectively control drug-resistant bacterial infections has become an urgent task. Unlike small molecule drugs that target bacterial proteins, antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) can target genes related to bacterial resistance, pathogenesis, growth, reproduction and biofilm formation. By regulating the expression of these genes, ASO can inhibit or kill bacteria, providing a novel approach for the development of antibacterial drugs. To overcome the challenge of delivering antisense oligonucleotide into bacterial cells, various drug delivery systems have been applied in this field, including cell-penetrating peptides, lipid nanoparticles and inorganic nanoparticles, which have injected new momentum into the development of antisense oligonucleotide in the antibacterial realm. This review summarizes the current development of small nucleic acid drugs, the antibacterial mechanisms, targets, sequences and delivery vectors of antisense oligonucleotide, providing a reference for the research and development of antisense oligonucleotide in the treatment of bacterial infections.

BACKGROUND:Unlike non-inflammatory cell apoptosis,pyroptosis is a form of inflammatory cell death,characterized by membrane integrity disruption and release of pro-inflammatory intracellular substances.Thus,it is associated with various diseases.The sirtuin family is a group of histone deacetylases dependent on nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide.In addition to deacetylation,it also possesses other enzymatic activities such as desuccinylation,demalonylation,adenosine diphosphate-ribosylation and playing crucial roles in the regulation of pyroptosis.OBJECTIVE:To review the role of the sirtuins in pyroptosis.METHODS:The first author conducted a search on PubMed,Web of Science,CNKI,and WanFang Data from inception to March 2024,using the Chinese and English search terms"Sirtuins,Sirtuin1,Sirtuin2,Sirtuin3,Sirtuin4,Sirtuin5,Sirtuin6,Sirtuin7,pyroptosis",resulting in the inclusion of 71 articles.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The sirtuin family all participates in the regulation of pyroptosis.(2)Overexpression of sirtuin1 and sirtuin4 can inhibit pyroptosis through various pathways,thus alleviating the damage caused by pyroptosis to the organism.(3)In addition to affecting the classical pathway of pyroptosis,sirtuin3 can also inhibit pyroptosis by enhancing mitochondrial reactive oxygen species scavenging capacity and mitosis.(4)Sirtuin5 is involved in the regulation of intracellular metabolism and energy balance,including energy intake,storage,and consumption.(5)Sirtuin6 can influence pyroptosis through various pathways and also affect macrophage M1 polarization,generation of reactive oxygen species,and cleavage of pyroptosis-related factor sclerotin D to inhibit pyroptosis.(6)Overexpression of sirtuin7 can suppress pyroptosis.(7)Sirtuin2,unlike other family members,can restrain pyroptosis only after knockdown,but there are fewer reports,requiring more in-depth and comprehensive research.

Body weight abnormalities, including overweight, obesity, and underweight, have become a dual public health challenge in Chinese adults: overweight and obesity lead to a variety of chronic complications, while underweight increases the risks of malnutrition, sarcopenia, and organ dysfunction. To systematically address these issues, multidisciplinary experts in endocrinology, sports science, nutrition, and psychiatry from various regions have held multiple weight management seminars. Based on the latest epidemiological data and clinical evidence, they expanded the guideline to include assessment and intervention strategies for underweight, in addition to the core content of obesity management. This guideline outlines the etiological mechanisms, evaluation methods, and multidimensional management strategies for overweight and obesity, covering key areas such as diagnosis and assessment, medical nutrition therapy, exercise prescription, pharmacological intervention, and psychological support. It is intended to provide a scientific and standardized approach to weight management across the adult population, aiming to curb the rising prevalence of obesity, mitigate complications associated with abnormal body weight, and improve nutritional status and overall quality of life.

Objective:To report the nationwide surveillance results of pathogenic profiles and antimicrobial resistance patterns of Gram-positive bloodstream infections in China in 2023.Methods:The clinical isolates of Gram-posttive bacteria from blood cultures were collected in member hospitals of National Bloodstream Infection Bacterial Resistant Investigation Collaborative System（BRICS）during January to December 2023. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using the dilution method recommended by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute（CLSI）. Statistical analyses were conducted using WHONET 5.6 and SPSS 25.0 software.Results:A total of 4 385 Gram-positive bacterial isolates were obtained from 60 participating center. The top five pathogens were Staphylococcus aureus（ n=1 544，35.2%），coagulase-negative Staphylococci（ n=1 441，32.9%）， Enterococcus faecium（ n=574，13.1%）， Enterococcus faecalis（ n=385，8.8%），and α-hemolytic Streptococci（ n=187，4.3%）. The prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus（MRSA）and methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative Staphylococci（MRCNS）was 26.2%（405/1 544）and 69.8%（1 006/1 441），respectively. Notably，all Staphylococci remained susceptible to glycopeptide or daptomycin. Staphylococcus aureus demonstrated excellent susceptibility（>97.0%）to cephalobiol，rifampicin，trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole，linezolid，minocycline，tigecycline，and eravacycline. No Enterococcus exhibiting resistance to linezolid were detected. Glycopeptide resistance was uncommon but more frequent in Enterococcus faecium（resistance to vancomycin and teicoplanin：both 1.7%）compared to Enterococcus faecalis（both 0.3%）. The detection rates of MRSA and MRCNS exhibited significant regional variations across the country（ χ2=17.674 and 148.650，respectively，both P<0.001）. No vancomycin-resistant Enterococci were detected in central China. Institutional comparison demonstrated higher prevalence of MRSA（ χ2=14.111， P<0.001）and MRCNS（ χ2=4.828， P=0.028）in provincial hospitals than that in municipal hospitals. Socioeconomic analysis identified elevated detection rates of both MRSA（ χ2=18.986， P<0.001）and MRCNS（ χ2=4.477， P=0.034）in less developed regions（per capita GDP

Objective:To report the results of bacterial resistant investigation collaborative system（BRICS）on the distribution and antimicrobial resistance profile of clinical Gram-negative bacteria isolates from bloodstream infections in China in 2023，and provide reference for clinical tretment of bloodstream infections and prevention and control of bacterial resistance.Methods:The clinical isolates of Gram-negative bacteria from blood cultures in member hospitals of BRICS were collected during January 2023 to December 2023. Antibiotic susceptibility tests were conducted by agar dilution or broth dilution methods recommended by Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute（CLSI）. WHONET 5.6 and SPSS 25.0 were used to analyze the data.Results:During the study period，11 492 strains of Gram-negative bacteria were collected from 60 hospitals，of which 10 098（87.9%）were Enterobacterales and 1 394（12.1%）were non-fermentative bacteria. The top 5 bacterial species were Escherichia coli（50.0%）， Klebsiella pneumoniae（26.1%）， Pseudomonas aeruginosa（5.1%）， Acinetobacter baumannii complex（5.0%）and Enterobacter cloacae complex（4.1%）. The ESBL-producing rates in Escherichia coli， Klebsiella pneumoniae and Proteus mirablilis were 46.8%（2 685/5 741），18.3%（549/2 999）and 44.0%（77/175），respectively. The prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli（CREC）and carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae（CRKP）were 1.3%（76/5 741）and 15.0%（450/2 999）；32.9%（25/76）and 78.0%（351/450）of CREC and CRKP were sensitive to ceftazidime/avibactam combination，respectively. 94.7%（72/76）and 90.2%（406/450）of CREC and CRKP were sensitive to aztreonam/avibactam combination. Furthermore，57.9%（44/76）and 79.1%（356/450）were sensitive to imipenem/relebactam combination. The prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii（CRAB）complex was 64.6%（370/573），while more than 80.0% of CRAB complex was sensitive to tigecycline，eravacycline and polymyxin B. The prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa（CRPA）was 17.0%（99/581）. There were differences in the composition ratio of Gram-negative bacteria in bloodstream infections and the prevalence of important Gram-negative bacteria resistance among different regions in China，with statistically significant differences in the prevalence of CREC，CRKP，CRPA and CRAB complex（ χ2=10.6，28.6，10.8 and 19.3， P<0.05）. The prevalence of ESBL-producing Escherichia coli， CREC，CRAB complex and CRKP were higher in provincial hospitals than those in municipal hospitals（ χ2=12.5，9.8，12.7 and 57.8，all P<0.01）. Conclusions:Gram-negative bacteria are the main pathogens causing bloodstream infections in China，and Escherichia coli is ranked in the top，while the trend of Klebsiella pneumoniae increases continuously with time. CRKP infection shows a slow upward trend，CREC infecton maintains a low prevalence level，and CRAB complex infection continues to exhibit a high prevalence rate. The composition and resistance patterns of pathogens causing bloodstream infections vary to some extent across different regions and levels of hospitals in China.