Nanocarrier-based drug delivery systems can provide new research strategies for targeted intervention at atherosclerosis （AS） lesions by regulating the in vivo distribution and release behavior of drugs. Existing studies have shown that polymeric and lipid nanocarriers， cell membrane-coated systems， and microenvironment-responsive drug delivery strategies can intervene in the pathological progression of AS by modulating macrophage function， promoting cholesterol efflux， and controlling inflammation and oxidative stress； some systems have attempted to achieve multi-target synergistic intervention through combined delivery and theranostics； some drug delivery systems can improve drug enrichment in lesions and modulate related pathological processes. However， their long-term safety， lesion-targeting stability， scale-up manufacturing， and incremental clinical benefit remain to be validated. In the future， it is necessary to strengthen the matching between delivery mechanisms and pathological features and to establish evaluation systems for pharmacokinetics and safety， thereby providing a basis for the clinical translation of nanocarrier-based drug delivery systems.

ObjectiveTo explore the effect of serum containing Zhenwutang on myocardial mast cell apoptosis induced by angiotensin Ⅱ （AngⅡ） and the mechanism of the correlation between apoptosis and mitochondrial autophagy. MethodsIn this experiment， AngⅡ and serum containing Zhenwutang with different concentrations were used to interfere with H9C2 cardiomyocytes for 24 h， and the survival rate of H9C2 cardiomyocytes was detected by cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8） to screen the optimal concentration for the experiment. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to detect the content of B-type natriuretic peptide （BNP） in cell culture supernatant， and immunofluorescence was used to detect the cell surface area to verify the construction of the myocardial mast cell model. Subsequently， the experiment was divided into a blank group （20% blank serum）， a model group （20% blank serum + 5×10^-5 mol·L^-1 AngⅡ）， low-， medium-， and high-dose （5%， 10% and 20%） serum containing Zhenwutang groups， an autophagy inhibitor group （1×10^-4 mol·L^-1 3-MA）， and autophagy inducer group （1×10^-7 mol·L^-1 rapamycin）. The apoptosis level of H9C2 cells and the changes of mitochondrial membrane potential were detected by flow cytometry. The lysosomal probe （Lyso Tracker） and mitochondrial probe （Mito Tracker） co-localization was employed to detect autophagy. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to detect Caspase-3， Caspase-9， B-cell lymphoma 2 （Bcl-2）， Bcl-2-related X protein （Bax）， and cytochrome C （Cyt C） in apoptosis-related pathways and the relative mRNA expression of ubiquitin ligase （Parkin）， phosphatase and tensin homolog （PTEN）-induced kinase 1 （PINK1）， and p62 protein in mitochondrial autophagy-related pathways. Western blot was used to detect cleaved Caspase-3， cleaved Caspase-9， Bax， Bcl-2， and Cyt C in apoptosis-related pathways， phosphorylated ubiquitin ligase （p-Parkin）， phosphorylated PTEN-induced kinase 1 （p-PINK1）， p62， and Bcl-2 homology domain protein Beclin1 in mitochondrial autophagy-related pathways， and the change of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 （LC3） Ⅱ/Ⅰ ratio. ResultsCCK-8 showed that when the concentration of AngⅡ was 5×10^-5 mol·L^-1， the cell activity was the lowest， and there was no cytotoxicity. At this concentration， the surface area of cardiomyocytes was significantly increased （P<0.01）， and the content of BNP in the supernatant of culture medium was significantly increased （P<0.05）. Therefore， AngⅡ with a concentration of 5×10^-5 mol·L^-1 was selected for the subsequent modeling of myocardial mast cells. Compared with the blank group， the model group and the autophagy inhibitor 3-MA group had a significantly increased apoptosis rate （P<0.01） and significantly decreased mitochondrial membrane potential （P<0.01）. The results of immunofluorescence co-localization showed that compared with the blank group， the model group had a significantly decreased number of red and green fluorescence spots. The results of Real-time PCR showed that compared with that in the blank group， the relative mRNA expression of Bax， Caspase-3， Caspase-9， Cyt C， and p62 in the model group was significantly up-regulated （P<0.01）， while the relative mRNA expression of Bcl-2， Parkin， and PINK1 was significantly down-regulated （P<0.01）. In addition， the relative protein expression of Bax， cleaved Caspase-3， cleaved Caspase-9， Cyt C， and p62 was significantly up-regulated （P<0.01）. The LC3Ⅱ/Ⅰ was significantly decreased， and the relative protein expression of Bcl-2， p-Parkin， p-PINK1， and Beclin1 was significantly down-regulated （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the serum containing Zhenwutang groups and the autophagy inducer group had significantly decreased apoptosis rate （P<0.01）， and the decrease ratio of mitochondrial membrane potential is significantly lowered （P<0.01） in a dose-dependent manner. Additionally， both red and green fluorescence spots became more in these groups. In the 3-MA group， the number of red and green fluorescence spots decreased significantly. The relative mRNA expression of Bax， Caspase-3， Caspase-9， Cyt C， and p62 was significantly down-regulated （P<0.05， P<0.01）， while that of Bcl-2， Parkin， and PINK1 was significantly up-regulated （P<0.01）. In the serum containing Zhenwutang groups， the relative protein expression levels of Bax， cleaved Caspase-3， cleaved Caspase-9， Cyt C， and p62 were significantly down-regulated （P<0.05，P<0.01）. The LC3Ⅱ/Ⅰ was significantly increased， and the relative protein expression levels of Bcl-2， p-Parkin， p-PINK1， and Beclin1 were significantly up-regulated （P<0.01）. ConclusionThe serum containing Zhenwutang can reduce the apoptosis of myocardial mast cells and increase mitochondrial autophagy. This is related to the inhibition of intracellular Bax/Bcl-2/Caspase-3 apoptosis pathway and regulation of Parkin/PINK1 mitochondrial autophagy pathway.

Objective: To investigate the effects of paeoniflorin (Pae) on acute kidney injury ( AKI) and mouse renal tubular epithelial cell ( mRTEC) damage induced by lansoprazole (LPZ) and cisplatin (CIS) through in vivo and in vitro experiments . Methods : The C57BL/6J mice or mRTECs were divided into four groups : normal control (NC) group , NC + LPZ group , CIS group , and CIS + LPZ group . Serum creatinine (CRE) and blood urea nitro- gen (BUN) levels in mice were measured , and kidney pathology was observed with HE staining. Western blot , im- munohistochemistry , and immunofluorescence were used to detect the expression levels of kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) and receptor-interacting protein kinase (RIPK) 1 , RIPK3 , and mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein (MLKL) . Subsequently , C57BL/6J mice or mRTECs were divided into six groups : NC group , NC + Pae group , CIS + LPZ (M) group , and CIS + LPZ + Pae ( M + Pae) group . Serum CRE and BUN levels in each group were measured , kidney pathology was observed with HE staining , and ultrastructural changes in the kidney were observed with transmission electron microscopy. The KIM-1 and necroptosis-related protein expression levels were detected by Western blot , immunohistochemistry , and immunofluorescence . Results: Compared with the NC group , CRE and BUN levels were elevated in the CIS group , and these levels were further increased after LPZ in- tervention (all P < 0. 001) . Compared with the CIS group , renal tubular dilation and brush border loss were evi- dent in the CIS + LPZ group based on HE staining of kidney tissue (P < 0. 001) . Compared with the NC group , the expression levels of KIM-1 , RIPK1 , RIPK3 , and MLKL in the renal tissues of mice in the CIS group increased ( all P < 0. 001) , and compared with the CIS group , The expression levels of KIM-1 , RIPK1 , RIPK3 and MLKL in the renal tissues of mice in the CIS + LPZ group increased (all P < 0. 001) . After Pae treatment , compared with group M , the expression levels of CRE , BUN , KIM-1 , RIPK1 , RIPK3 and MLKL in each group of mice decreased significantly and in a dose-dependent manner (all P < 0. 001) . Conclusion LPZ promotes CIS-induced AKI by enhancing necroptosis in renal tubular epithelial cells , and Pae can improve CIS and LPZ-induced AKI by inhibi- ting necroptosis .

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of acupoint catgut embedding (ACE) on gut microbiota and fecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) levels in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) with constipation. METHODS: A total of 80 PD patients with constipation were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 40 cases in each group. Additionally, 40 healthy individuals were recruited as a healthy control group. The control group received conventional Western medical treatment for PD combined with polyethylene glycol (PEG), once daily for eight weeks. The observation group received additional ACE treatment at bilateral Tianshu (ST25), Zusanli (ST36), and Shangjuxu (ST37), once every two weeks for eight weeks. The healthy control group received no intervention. The spontaneous bowel movements (SBMs) per week and patient assessment of constipation quality of life (PAC-QOL) scores were assessed at baseline and after treatment in the two groups. Fecal samples were collected at the end of treatment for the observation and the control groups and at baseline for the healthy control group. Gut microbiota composition and diversity were analyzed using 16S rRNA method, and SCFA levels were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). RESULTS: Compared before treatment, the observation group showed a significant increase in SBMs (P<0.01), and PAC-QOL scores including physical discomfort, psychosocial discomfort, worry and concern, and total score were significantly reduced (P<0.01) after treatment; the control group also showed a reduction in PAC-QOL total score after treatment (P<0.01). After treatment, the observation group had significantly more SBMs (P<0.01), and lower PAC-QOL physical discomfort, psychosocial discomfort, worry and concern scores, and total score (P<0.01), and higher PAC-QOL satisfaction score (P<0.01) than the control group. Compared with the healthy control group, the control group showed decreased Chao1 and Ace indices (P<0.01). Compared with the healthy control group, the relative abundance of Prevotella and Roseburia was increased (P<0.05), while that of Enterobacter and Ruminococcus torques (six species in total) was decreased (P<0.05) in the control group. Compared with the control group, the observation group had increased relative abundance of Dialister, Parabacteroides, and Ruminococcus torques (P<0.05), and decreased relative abundance of Prevotella and Eubacterium ruminantium (P<0.05). Compared with the healthy control group, the control group had increased fecal SCFA levels (P<0.05); compared with the control group, the observation group had reduced fecal SCFA levels (P<0.05). Compared with the healthy control group, acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid levels were elevated in the control group (P<0.05); compared with the control group, acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid levels were decreased in the observation group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION ACE could increase spontaneous bowel movements and improve the quality of life in PD patients with constipation, which may be related to the regulation of gut microbiota composition and SCFA levels.
Humans ; Constipation/metabolism* ; Male ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Acupuncture Points ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Parkinson Disease/complications* ; Aged ; Fatty Acids, Volatile/metabolism* ; Catgut ; Feces/microbiology* ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Quality of Life ; Adult

Andrographolide sulfonate (AS) is a sulfonated derivative of andrographolide extracted from Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.) Nees, and has been approved for several decades in China. The present study aimed to investigate the novel therapeutic application and possible mechanisms of AS in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Results indicated that administration of AS by injection or gavage significantly reduced the paw swelling, improved body weights, and attenuated pathological changes in joints of rats with adjuvant-induced arthritis. Additionally, the levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and IL-1β in the serum and ankle joints were reduced. Bioinformatics analysis, along with the spleen index and measurements of IL-17 and IL-10 levels, suggested a potential relationship between AS and Th17 cells under arthritic conditions. In vitro, AS was shown to block Th17 cell differentiation, as evidenced by the reduced percentages of CD4⁺ IL-17A⁺ T cells and decreased expression levels of RORγt, IL-17A, IL-17F, IL-21, and IL-22, without affecting the cell viability and apoptosis. This effect was attributed to the limited glycolysis, as indicated by metabolomics analysis, reduced glucose uptake, and pH measurements. Further investigation revealed that AS might bind to hexokinase2 (HK2) to down-regulate the protein levels of HK2 but not glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) or pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2), and overexpression of HK2 reversed the inhibition of AS on Th17 cell differentiation. Furthermore, AS impaired the activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) signals in vivo and in vitro, which was abolished by the addition of lactate. In conclusion, AS significantly improved adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA) in rats by inhibiting glycolysis-mediated activation of PI3K/AKT to restrain Th17 cell differentiation.
Animals ; Th17 Cells/immunology* ; Diterpenes/pharmacology* ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/metabolism* ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/immunology* ; Glycolysis/drug effects* ; Cell Differentiation/drug effects* ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/genetics* ; Rats ; Male ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Humans ; Andrographis paniculata/chemistry* ; Arthritis, Experimental/drug therapy* ; Interleukin-17/immunology* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects*

Objective To investigate the interference of varying degrees of lipemia on serum lithium(Li)measurement using the phosphatase method and explore effective mitigation strategies.Methods A pooled sample of severe lipemic serum without lithium was collected and concentrated to obtain lipemic serum concentrate.A pooled serum sample from patients with normal lipid levels taking lithium carbonate was used for triglyceride(TG)interference experiments.Additionally,28 serum samples from patients not taking lithium carbonate were collected.Based on the results of TG interference experiments,the maximum TG concentration that did not interfere with serum lithium measurement was determined as the target concentration for dilution,and the corresponding dilution factor was calculated.Lithium solution was added to each sample to determine the theoretical lithium concentration.Samples were divided into three groups and analyzed using direct detection,physiological saline dilution,and high-speed centrifugation(13 000 r/min,10 min).The results obtained from different methods were compared.Results Lipemic serum with TG concentrations>4.77mmol/L interfered with lithium measurement by the phosphatase method.The physiological saline dilution method showed the largest deviation(t=10.87,P<0.000 1)and significant differences from theoretical values,making it unsuitable for accurate measurement.In contrast,the high-speed centrifugation method provided results closest to the theoretical values(t=2.97,P=0.036 9)with higher accuracy.Although the direct detection method was highly correlated with the high-speed centrifugation method(r=0.976 5,P<0.000 1),with a significant mean difference remained(t=5.37,P<0.000 1).Conclusion For lipemic serum samples with TG concentrations>4.77mmol/L,the physiological saline dilution method should be avoided due to its inaccuracy.High-speed centrifugation effectively removes lipemic interference,yielding results closer to theoretical values,and is recommended as the optimized method for serum lithium measurement in lipemic samples.

Objective To study the effects and the possible mechanism of the hearing loss of offspring mice with chronic intrauterine hypoxia.Methods Ten healthy SD pregnant mice with SPF level were selected to establish an intrauterine hypoxia model as the hypoxia group,while another ten healthy SD pregnant mice without hypoxia treatment were selected as the control group.Arterial blood gas analysis was performed on pregnant mice and audi-tory brainstem response(ABR)testing was performed on their offspring after birth,and the results of each group were compared.Results The PaO2 and SaO2 of the hypoxic group were significantly lower than those of in the con-trol group.The hearing loss rate and wave Ⅲ response threshold of the offspring mice of the hypoxia group were significantly higher than those of in the control group at 21 and 56 days,but over time,the hearing loss rate and wave Ⅲ response threshold of the hypoxia group improved compared to before.Although some offspring mice in the hypoxic group at 21 day and 56 day had normal Ⅲ wave response thresholds,their wave Ⅱ and Ⅲ latency,as well as the latency between Ⅰ-Ⅱ,Ⅱ-Ⅲ,and Ⅰ-Ⅲ,were still significantly higher,while the amplitude of wave Ⅲ and the ratio of Ⅲ/Ⅰ were significantly lower than those of in the control group during the same period.For hypoxic off-spring mice with abnormal wave Ⅲ response threshold at 21 days and normal wave Ⅲ response threshold at 56 days,the latency of waves Ⅱ and Ⅲ,as well as the latency between Ⅰ-Ⅱ,Ⅱ-Ⅲ,and Ⅰ-Ⅲ were significantly higher,while the amplitude of wave Ⅲ and the ratio of Ⅲ/Ⅰ were significantly lower than those of in the control group and hypoxic group with normal wave Ⅲ response thresholds at 21 days and 56 days.The hearing loss of offspring mice in the hypoxia group was mainly bilateral.Conclusion Chronic intrauterine hypoxia can lead to varying degrees of hearing loss,but this type of hearing loss has a certain degree of retrogression in the early stages,and the body can undergo limited developmental compensation and repair.

Objective:To construct a sizeable naive human Fab phage display antibody library to screen high-affinity specific antibodies in vitro. Methods:Total RNA was extracted from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of 126 healthy individuals, subsequently reverse-transcribed into cDNA, and used as a template. PCR amplification was performed to obtain the V H from IgG, IgM and light chain κ, λ, separately, with the initial PCR products serving as templates for a second round of PCR. Overlap extension PCR was employed to generate fragments of the κ and λ light chains. These fragments were ligated with the phage vector pNC3, which harbors the variable region 1 of the heavy chain, to construct a recombinant phage plasmid. This plasmid was then electroporated into competent Escherichia Coli TG1 cells to establish a naive human Fab phage display antibody library. One hundred clones were randomly selected for identification and sequencing, and antibody gene polymorphisms were analyzed using the IMGT database and MAFFT software. Recombinant α-hemolysin from Staphylococcus aureus was utilized to screen Fab antibody fragments through biopanning of the antibody library, followed by random selection of phage ELISA-identified clones. The positive clones (antigen A450∶blank control A450≥2.1) were sequenced. Results:Two large naive Fab phage display antibody libraries were successfully constructed, in which the capacity of κ and λ chain antibody libraries were 1.25×10 11 and 1.54×10 11, respectively. The titers for two antibody libraries were 6.04×10 13 CFU/ml and 3.50×10 13 CFU/ml. The positive transformation insertion rates for κ and λ chain antibody libraries were 96% (96/100) and 100% (100/100), respectively. Sequence analysis revealed that all antibody sequences were unique. The amino acid sequences in the skeletal region were relatively conserved. In contrast, significant variations in the length of the complementarity determining region (CDR) were found, and the diversity of amino acid sequence of the complementary determining region was high, especially the CDR3. Analysis using the IMGT database indicated that the sequences exhibited a broad distribution across variable-diversity-joining gene families. After six rounds of panning, specific phage antibodies enrichment targeting α-hemolysin were achieved. A total of 142 monoclonal antibodies were sequenced, yielding 8 distinct Fab antibody sequences. Conclusion:This study successfully constructed two naive human Fab phage display antibody libraries with large capacity and good diversity, which can be used for screening human antibodies for serum epidemiology.

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of children with anti-3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (anti-HMGCR) antibody-mediated necrotizing myopathy, and to explore early identification and management strategies to provide reference for clinical diagnosis and treatment.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data and treatment outcomes of 10 pediatric patients with anti-HMGCR antibody-mediated necrotizing myopathy admitted to the Department of Rheumatology, Children′s Hospital of Fudan University from December 2020 to December 2024. Statistical description was performed using SPSS 22.0.Results:Among the 10 patients, the male-to-female ratio was 1:4, the age of onset was (7.2±4.0) years, and the disease duration at diagnosis was (22.2±19.6) months. None had a history of statin exposure. Six patients presented with muscle weakness, and4 were diagnosed due to asymptomatic elevation of creatine kinase (CK); 4 had dermatomyositis-like rashes. All patients showed significantly elevated CK levels [median 3 291(1 969, 8 776)U/L] and underwent muscle biopsy. Histopathological findings revealed myofiber degeneration, necrosis, and regeneration in all cases, with inflammatory infiltration in 9 cases, MHC-Ⅰ positivity in all, and C5b-9 positivity in 9 cases. The median follow-up duration was (15.7±6.3) months. At the last follow-up, muscle strength was normal or nearly normal, and the CK median value had decreased to 977.5 (211.0, 3 536.0) U/L.Conclusion:For patients with suspected idiopathic inflammatory myopathy and significantly elevated CK, muscle-specific antibody testing-including anti-HMGCR-and muscle biopsy should be performed promptly regardless of the presence of skin rash, to ensure accurate diagnosis and guide treatment, thereby avoiding misdiagnosis or missed diagnosis.