Objective To evaluate cardiac involvement in patients with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis (AAV) using echocardiography combined with electrocardiography. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on the detailed medical records of AAV patients treated in Jining First People’s Hospital between January 2020 and December 2024. Eighty patients were enrolled in the AAV group, and the risk of heart disease was compared between the AAV group and a control group with 80 subjects matched for age, sex, and cardiovascular disease risk factors. Results Electrocardiographic abnormalities were observed in 78.75% of patients in the AAV group, while significant electrocardiographic abnormalities only occurred in symptomatic patients in the control group. There were no differences in left atrial enlargement or interventricular septal thickening between the AAV group and the control group. The overall left ventricular systolic function in the AAV group was lower than that in the control group (8.75% vs. 0). The incidence of reduced diastolic function in the AAV group was significantly higher than that in the control group (37.5% vs. 15%). The incidence rates of tricuspid regurgitation, mitral regurgitation, aortic regurgitation, and pericardial effusion in the AAV group were significantly higher than those in the control group. Pericardial thickening, aortic stenosis, pulmonary hypertension, and rare periaortic granulomas were found in the AAV group, but not in the control group. Conclusion Echocardiography and electrocardiography are important examination methods for evaluating cardiac involvement in AAV. These methods have key roles in disease screening, diagnosis and treatment, follow-up, and prognosis judgment.

OBJECTIVE To analyze the characteristics of 57 acquired immune deficiency syndrome(AIDS)patients complicated with cryptococcal meningitis and observe the treatment outcomes.METHODS Totally 57 AIDS pa-tients with complicated cryptococcal meningitis who were treated in Guiyang Public Health Treatment Center from Jan.2019 to Jun.2023 were continuously assigned as the cryptococcal meningitis group,meanwhile,57 patients with simple AIDS were chosen as the simple AIDS group based on a 1∶1 ratio matching case-control study.Both groups received standardized therapies on basis of the criteria.The clinical characteristics,T lymphocyte subsets,biochemical indexes and treatment outcomes were observed and compared between the two groups.RESULTS There were no significant differences in gastrointestinal reactions,fever and eye discomfort between the two groups;the incidence of neurological symptoms of the cryptococcal meningitis group was higher than that of the simple AIDS group(P＜0.05).There was significant difference in the peripheral blood T lymphocyte subsets be-tween the cryptococcal meningitis group and the simple AIDS group(P＜0.05).The levels of whole blood CD4+,CD4+/CD8+and CD8+of the cryptococcal meningitis group were lower than those of the simple AIDS group;the serum glucose(GLU)level of the cryptococcal meningitis group was lower than that of the simple AIDS group;the serum adenosine deaminase(ADA)level of the cryptococcal meningitis group was higher than that of the sim-ple AIDS group;the serum immunoglobulin A(IgA)level of the cryptococcal meningitis group was higher than that of the simple AIDS group(P＜0.05).There were no significant differences in the immunological failure,vir-ological failure and immunological failure plus virological failure between the two groups after the treatment for 6 months.CONCLUSIONS The incidence of neurological symptoms is higher among the patients with AIDS com-plicated with cryptococcal meningitis than among the patients with simple AIDS.The patients have poor treatment outcomes and more severe damage of T lymphocyte subset functions,and the levels of biochemical indexes vary a-mong the patients,which may provide bases for diagnosis of diseases and assessment of curative effect and prog-nosis.

Objective To establish mouse models exposed to different doses of neodymium oxide via tracheal instillation,and to investigate the mechanisms underlying brain tissue damage induced by neodymium oxide exposure in mice.Methods Forty-eight male C57/BL6 mice were randomly assigned to four groups:the control group,the low-dose group,the medium-dose group,and the high-dose group.The low-dose,medium-dose,and high-dose groups received 62.5 mg/mL,125 mg/mL,and 250 mg/mL neodymium oxide,respectively,via non-exposed tracheal instillation.The control group received an equivalent volume of saline using the same administration method.After 35 days,the mice were euthanized,and brain tissues were collected.RT-PCR was used to assess the mRNA expression changes of Claudin-5 and Occludin.Western blot analysis was performed to evaluate the expression changes of Claudin-5 and Occludin tight junction proteins,as well as the expression changes of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in the brain tissues.Additionally,the expression of the RhoA/ROCK2 signaling pathway and downstream cofilin protein was examined.Changes in oxidative stress markers,including MDA,T-AOC,and NO,were measured using a kit method.Results The mRNA expression of Claudin-5 was significantly reduced in the middle-dose and high-dose groups compared to the control group(P<0.05).Similarly,the mRNA expression of Occludin was significantly lower in the low-dose,medium-dose,and high-dose groups compared to the control group(P<0.05).Additionally,the protein expression of Claudin-5,MMP-2,and Occludin was significantly decreased in the low-dose,medium-dose,and high-dose groups compared to the control group(P<0.05).The protein expression of MMP-9 and RhoA was also signifi-cantly lower in the medium-dose and high-dose groups compared to the control group(P<0.05).Furthermore,the protein expression of ROCK2 and p-cofilin in the high-dose group was significantly lower than that in the control group(P<0.05).The content of MDA and T-AOC was significantly lower in the medium-dose and high-dose groups compared to the control group(P<0.05),and the content of NO in the high-dose group was significantly lower than that in the control group(P<0.05).Conclusion Exposure to neodymium oxide results in increased permeability of the blood-brain barrier in mice,leading to oxidative stress,inflammatory responses,and activation of the RhoA/ROCK2 signaling pathway.

Objective To establish mouse models exposed to different doses of neodymium oxide via tracheal instillation,and to investigate the mechanisms underlying brain tissue damage induced by neodymium oxide exposure in mice.Methods Forty-eight male C57/BL6 mice were randomly assigned to four groups:the control group,the low-dose group,the medium-dose group,and the high-dose group.The low-dose,medium-dose,and high-dose groups received 62.5 mg/mL,125 mg/mL,and 250 mg/mL neodymium oxide,respectively,via non-exposed tracheal instillation.The control group received an equivalent volume of saline using the same administration method.After 35 days,the mice were euthanized,and brain tissues were collected.RT-PCR was used to assess the mRNA expression changes of Claudin-5 and Occludin.Western blot analysis was performed to evaluate the expression changes of Claudin-5 and Occludin tight junction proteins,as well as the expression changes of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in the brain tissues.Additionally,the expression of the RhoA/ROCK2 signaling pathway and downstream cofilin protein was examined.Changes in oxidative stress markers,including MDA,T-AOC,and NO,were measured using a kit method.Results The mRNA expression of Claudin-5 was significantly reduced in the middle-dose and high-dose groups compared to the control group(P<0.05).Similarly,the mRNA expression of Occludin was significantly lower in the low-dose,medium-dose,and high-dose groups compared to the control group(P<0.05).Additionally,the protein expression of Claudin-5,MMP-2,and Occludin was significantly decreased in the low-dose,medium-dose,and high-dose groups compared to the control group(P<0.05).The protein expression of MMP-9 and RhoA was also signifi-cantly lower in the medium-dose and high-dose groups compared to the control group(P<0.05).Furthermore,the protein expression of ROCK2 and p-cofilin in the high-dose group was significantly lower than that in the control group(P<0.05).The content of MDA and T-AOC was significantly lower in the medium-dose and high-dose groups compared to the control group(P<0.05),and the content of NO in the high-dose group was significantly lower than that in the control group(P<0.05).Conclusion Exposure to neodymium oxide results in increased permeability of the blood-brain barrier in mice,leading to oxidative stress,inflammatory responses,and activation of the RhoA/ROCK2 signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVE To analyze the characteristics of 57 acquired immune deficiency syndrome(AIDS)patients complicated with cryptococcal meningitis and observe the treatment outcomes.METHODS Totally 57 AIDS pa-tients with complicated cryptococcal meningitis who were treated in Guiyang Public Health Treatment Center from Jan.2019 to Jun.2023 were continuously assigned as the cryptococcal meningitis group,meanwhile,57 patients with simple AIDS were chosen as the simple AIDS group based on a 1∶1 ratio matching case-control study.Both groups received standardized therapies on basis of the criteria.The clinical characteristics,T lymphocyte subsets,biochemical indexes and treatment outcomes were observed and compared between the two groups.RESULTS There were no significant differences in gastrointestinal reactions,fever and eye discomfort between the two groups;the incidence of neurological symptoms of the cryptococcal meningitis group was higher than that of the simple AIDS group(P＜0.05).There was significant difference in the peripheral blood T lymphocyte subsets be-tween the cryptococcal meningitis group and the simple AIDS group(P＜0.05).The levels of whole blood CD4+,CD4+/CD8+and CD8+of the cryptococcal meningitis group were lower than those of the simple AIDS group;the serum glucose(GLU)level of the cryptococcal meningitis group was lower than that of the simple AIDS group;the serum adenosine deaminase(ADA)level of the cryptococcal meningitis group was higher than that of the sim-ple AIDS group;the serum immunoglobulin A(IgA)level of the cryptococcal meningitis group was higher than that of the simple AIDS group(P＜0.05).There were no significant differences in the immunological failure,vir-ological failure and immunological failure plus virological failure between the two groups after the treatment for 6 months.CONCLUSIONS The incidence of neurological symptoms is higher among the patients with AIDS com-plicated with cryptococcal meningitis than among the patients with simple AIDS.The patients have poor treatment outcomes and more severe damage of T lymphocyte subset functions,and the levels of biochemical indexes vary a-mong the patients,which may provide bases for diagnosis of diseases and assessment of curative effect and prog-nosis.

To explore screening tools for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which are convenient for primary hospitals, it can provide basic data for formulating ASD prevention policies. This was a cross-sectional study by cluster sampling. Huyi District and Xincheng District were extracted for investigation in Xi′an City. From July 2021 to September 2022, all children aged from 3 months to 36 months who live in the two districts were subjected to primary screening. The child care physician used the routine screening tool "warning signs checklist for screening psychological, behavioral and developmental problems of children" and cartoon pictures of "early high-risk warning signs of autism", the children who were positive in the initial screening were referred to the district level maternal and child health hospital for re-screening, and those who were positive in the re-screening were referred to Xi ′an Children′s Hospital for diagnosis. The results showed that a total of 17 905 children aged from 3 months to 36 months were initially screened in the two districts, including 10 588 children aged from 18 months to 36 months, 50 children who were positive in the initial screening and 50 children who were re-screened. 23 children (18 boys and 5 girls) were diagnosed with ASD. The prevalence rate of ASD in children was 2.17‰ (95% confidence interval:1.29‰-3.06‰). 42 children were positive for "warning signs checklist" at the preliminary screening, and 19 were confirmed as ASD. 27 children were positive for "cartoon pictures" in the preliminary screening, and 23 were confirmed with ASD. The "cartoon pictures" in the preliminary screening and diagnosis of consistent rate was higher than the "warning signs checklist", two kinds of screening methods comparison were statistically significant difference in the odds of consistent (χ 2=11.01, P=0.001). In conclusion, relying on the three-level network of maternal and child health care, it is conducive to the whole process management of screening and diagnosis of children with ASD, and to guide the formulation of prevention policies. The cartoon pictures of "early high-risk warning signs of autism" can assist the identification of children with ASD based on the "warning signs checklist", which is simple, effective and suitable for promotion in the community health care.

Objective:To analyze the blood differential metabolites of patients with intrahepatic cholestasis (IHC) by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry metabolomics technology so as to find potential metabolic target.Method:Serum samples were collected from thirty patients with intrahepatic cholestasis and thirty healthy individuals after metabolomics analysis. The differential metabolites were initially screened based on the multiple differences and significance. KEGG enrichment analysis was performed on the differential metabolites to determine the candidate targets. The potential clinical application value of these characteristic metabolites was analyzed using the receiver operating characteristic curve.Result:A total of thirty patients with intrahepatic cholestasis and thirty healthy adults were included. The age difference between the two groups was not statistically significant ( P>0.05). The clinical condition was consistent with the statistically significant differences in liver biochemical indicators, blood routine, coagulation, and inflammatory indicators between the two groups ( P<0.05). Furthermore, a blood metabolomics screening analysis revealed 99 differentially expressed metabolites associated with intrahepatic cholestasis. Of these, 15 showed statistically significant differences. Glucose, lipid, and energy metabolisms were the various primary types of differential metabolites involved. The receiver operating characteristic curve>0.9 included the following twelve kinds of metabolites: 1H-indole-3-carboxaldehyde, 6-hydroxy-1H-indole-3-acetamide, phenylalanyl tryptophan, 1-methylguanosine, 2-ethoxy-5-methylpyrazine, p-hydroxybenzaldehyde, 5-(2-chlorophenyl)-3,4-dihydro-2H-pyrrole, methylthioadenosine, alanylisoleucine, anabsinthin, N-acetyl-DL-histidine monohydrate, N-methylnicotinamide, and others. The fifteen metabolites that were previously identified and calculated according to the differential quantitative value of the metabolite corresponding ratio exhibited fold-changes in the upregulated and downregulated potential biomarkers (phenylalanine tryptophan, phenylalanine, 5'-methylthioadenosine, anabsinthin, and N-methylnicotinamide) in combination with the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve>0.9. Conclusion:Phenylalanyl tryptophan, phenylalanylalanine, 5'-methylthioadenosine, anabsinthin, and N-methylnicotinamide may serve as potential metabolic markers to distinguish patients with cholestasis from healthy controls. N-methylnicotinamide, among them, is of great importance as a potential marker.

Objective To investigate the correlations of serum levels of NOD-like receptor family CARD domain containing 3 (NLRC3) and extracellular matrix protein 1 (ECM1) with the development of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in patients with sepsis. Methods A total of 133 patients with sepsis were enrolled in sepsis group, and 80 healthy individuals during the same period were included in control group. The sepsis group was further divided into ARDS group (52 cases) and non-ARDS group (81 cases) based on the presence or absence of ARDS. Serum levels of NLRC3 and ECM1 expression were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with the development of ARDS in sepsis patients. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to evaluate the predictive value of serum NLRC3 and ECM1 levels for ARDS in sepsis patients. Results Compared with the control group, the sepsis group had significantly lower serum NLRC3 level and higher ECM1 level (P < 0.05). The incidence of ARDS in the 133 sepsis patients was 39.10% (52/133). Compared with the non-ARDS group, the ARDS group had significantly lower serum NLRC3 level and higher ECM1 level (P < 0.05). Independent risk factors for the development of ARDS in sepsis patients were increased Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score, elevated blood lactate level and increased ECM1 level, while increased NLRC3 level was an independent protective factor (P < 0.05). The area under the curve for the combined prediction of serum NLRC3 and ECM1 expression in sepsis patients with ARDS was 0.887, which was greater than 0.811 and 0.792 predicted by serum NLRC3 and ECM1 expression alone (P < 0.05). Conclusion Decreased serum NLRC3 level and increased ECM1 level are closely associated with the development of ARDS in sepsis patients. The combined assessment of serum NLRC3 and ECM1 level has a high predictive value for ARDS in sepsis patients.

Malignant tumors seriously threaten human life and health. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy are the conventional methods for the clinical treatment of advanced tumors. The prognosis and efficacy are still far from satisfactory due to the radiotherapy has serious adverse effects on the body and the chemotherapy often causes problems such as tumor resistance and cell proliferationinhibition. Therefore， the search for new， safe， and effective anti-tumor drugs and the elucidation of their molecular mechanisms are effective measures for clinical treatment of tumors and improvement of patients' quality of life. Active ingredients derived from Chinese herbal medicines and natural products have gradually become a hot spot in the research and development of anti-tumor drugs due to their multi-target and multi-channel anti-tumor pharmacological activity characteristics and their advantages such as less adverse reaction on the body. Bruceine D is a class of tetracyclic triterpenoids extracted from the fruit of the Chinese herbal medicine Bruceae Fructus， with anti-inflammatory， anti-malarial， anti-parasitic， and other pharmacological activities， and its anti-tumor activity is particularly significant. Pharmacological studies have found that bruceine D can regulate various cellular physiological activities such as proliferation， apoptosis， invasion， and migration of lung cancer， liver cancer， pancreatic cancer， intestinal cancer， and other cancer cells by targeting different signaling pathways. Bruceine D can be used in combination with other chemotherapeutic drugs to improve the sensitivity of tumor cells to chemotherapeutic drugs， thereby reducing the adverse effect of chemotherapy. Clinical application practice has shown that Bruceae Fructus oil emulsion injection containing bruceine D has significant advantages in the efficacy and safety of tumor treatment. Although there are many studies on the antitumor pharmacological activity of bruceine D and its clinical efficacy is significant， the specific antitumor molecular mechanism of bruceine D is still unclear， and there is a lack of systematic review on the existing antitumor mechanism of bruceine D. Therefore， based on the research on bruceine D in China and abroad in recent years， this paper reviewed the anti-tumor effect and related molecular mechanisms of bruceine D from six aspects， namely， tumor cell proliferation， apoptosis， metastasis and invasion， glucose metabolism process， autophagy， and chemotherapy sensitivity. This paper is expected to provide a pharmacological basis and scientific reference for the antitumor drug development and clinical application of bruceine D.

Objective To explore the effect of KCNQ1OT1 gene knockout combined with bruceine D on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells. Methods Cell Counting Kit-8, wound healing, and Transwell invasion assay were used to detect the effects of bruceine D and siKCNQ1OT1 on the viability, migration, and invasion of MDA-MB-231 cells. Effect of bruceine D and siKCNQ1OT1 on the expression of KCNQ1OT1 in MDA-MB-231 cells was detected by qRT-PCR. Western blot was used to detect the effect of bruceine D and siKCNQ1OT1 on the expression of EMT-related proteins and CDC42, p-MKK7, MKK7 proteins in MDA-MB-231 cells. Results Bruceine D and siKCNQ1OT1 could significantly inhibit the viability, migration, and invasion of MDA-MB-231 cells, and the inhibitory effect was enhanced when they were combined (all P < 0.05); bruceine D downregulated the expression of KCNQ1OT1 in MDA-MB-231 cells (all P < 0.05); bruceine D combined with siKCNQ1OT1 significantly decreased CDC42, p-MKK7, N-cadherin, and Vimentin expression in MDA-MB-231 cells and increased the expression of E-cadherin (all P < 0.05). Conclusion Bruceine D combined with siKCNQ1OT1 significantly inhibit the proliferation, migration, invasion, and EMT of human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells, and its molecular mechanism may be related to the blocking of CDC42/MKK7 signaling pathway.