ObjectiveTo systematically compare the differential regulation of the maternal-fetal interface cell lineages and communication networks in the CBA/J×DBA/2 mouse model of recurrent pregnancy loss （RPL） by the two classic therapeutic methods-tonifying the kidney to stabilize the fetus and invigorating the spleen to stabilize the fetus （Shoutai Wan， Juyuan Jian）-of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） at the single-cell resolution and clarify their modern scientific connotations. MethodsFemale non-pregnant CBA/J mice were caged with male BALB/c （blank group） and DBA/2 （modeling group） mice separately. Pregnant mice in the modeling group were randomly grouped as follows： high/low-dose Shoutai Wan， high/low-dose Juyuan Jian， model （RPL）， and positive control （dydrogesterone）， with 10 mice in each group. Starting from the day after the detection of the vaginal plug， mice were administrated with drugs or an equal volume of normal saline by gavage for 10 consecutive days. After the intervention， the following indicators were measured. ① Macroscopic evaluation： general conditions， uterine wet weight， embryo loss rate， four coagulation parameters ［prothrombin time （PT）， activated partial thromboplastin time （APTT）， fibrinogen （FIB）， and thrombin time （TT）］， and peripheral blood estradiol （E₂） and progesterone （Pg） levels. The decidua with embryos was stained with hematoxylin-eosin （HE） and evaluated by transmission electron microscopy （TEM）. The expression of B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2）， vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF）， angiotensin Ⅱ （AngⅡ）， matrix metalloproteinase-2 （MMP-2）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， leukemia inhibitory factor （LIF）， CXC chemokine ligand 12 （CXCL12）， and microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 homolog （LC3）Ⅰ/Ⅱ was quantified by Western blot. ② Mechanism analysis at the single-cell level： The decidua with embryos from the blank， model， high-dose Shoutai Wan， and high-dose Juyuan Jian groups （6 mice per group， with 3 single-cell samples per group， totaling 24 mice） were analyzed by the BD Rhapsody™ platform， and the whole-cell atlas was drawn by uniform manifold approximation and projection （UMAP） dimensionality reduction clustering combined with the single-cell mouse cell atlas （scMCA）. The differentially expressed genes （DEGs） and cell interaction networks were analyzed via Gene Ontology （GO）， Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG）， and CellChat， and the protein-protein interaction （PPI） map of subtype cells was constructed. The CytoTRACE pseudo-temporal analysis was performed to explore the developmental trajectories of core immune cells （natural killer cells， NK cells） from maternal and fetal sources. Results① Pathological and Western blot results indicated that compared with the blank group， the RPL group showed an increase in the embryo loss rate （P<0.01）， down-regulated expression of Bcl-2， LIF， MMP-2， and Vegf in the decidua with embryos （P<0.05）， up-regulated protein levels of CXCL-12， AngⅡ， and IL-6 （P<0.05）， blocked angiogenesis， apoptosis-inflammation imbalance， and coagulation dysfunction. Both prescriptions dose-dependently reduced the abortion rate and restored the angiogenesis-inflammation balance， and Shoutai pill showed superior performance in restoring the E₂ level to the Pg level （P<0.05）. ② Single-cell transcriptome analysis indicated that compared with the blank group， the RPL group showed differences in multiple key cell populations such as decidual cells， trophoblast cells， endothelial cells， erythroblasts， NK cells， and macrophages at the maternal-fetal interface. Immunity and angiogenesis were the key links in RPL. Compared with the RPL group， high-dose Shoutai Wan reversed the changes of NK cells in the embryonic layer （upregulating the mRNA levels of 17 genes and downregulating the mRNA levels of 29 genes） and macrophages （upregulating the mRNA levels of 117 genes and downregulating the mRNA levels of 53 genes） through the regulation of gene expression. High-dose Shoutai pill regulated the immune cells to affect unfolded proteins， cell adhesion， and programmed cell death， thereby promoting decidualization and angiogenesis and modulating embryo-membrane development. High-dose Juyuan Jian regulated the key subgroups of NK cells （up-regulating the mRNA levels of 9 genes and down-regulating the mRNA levels of 17 genes） and macrophages （up-regulating the mRNA levels of 110 genes and down-regulating the mRNA levels of 81 genes）， which affected decidual inflammation and apoptosis and intervened in glycolysis. ③ The pseudo-temporal analysis and communication network indicated that the communication frequency of the RPL group decreased. High-dose Shoutai Wan restored maternal-fetal tolerance through pathways such as NKG2D， CDH5， GDF， and FASLG. High-dose Juyuan Jian enhanced the IL-6/LIFR/JAK/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 （STAT3） and desmosome/SEMA6/tumor necrosis factor-like weak inducer of apoptosis （TWEAK） signaling to improve endometrial receptivity. The RPL group showed an increased proportion of toxic dNK7， a decreased proportion of reparative dNK4， and blocked embryo fNK1. High-dose Shoutai Wan down-regulated dNK7 and up-regulated dNK4. High-dose Juyuan Jian inhibited the terminal differentiation of dNK7 and up-regulated LILRB1， thus restoring the balance of cytotoxicity and repair. ConclusionBoth the kidney-tonifying and spleen-invigorating methods are effective in treating RPL. NK and macrophages are the key immune cells in the interaction between the embryo and the membrane. The kidney-tonifying method （Shoutai Wan） has an advantage in regulating the phenotypes of unfolded protein， cell adhesion， and programmed cell death， and shows expression characteristics closer to the physiological state in the regulation of NKG2D and CDH5 signals. The spleen-invigorating method （Juyuan Jian） has an advantage in regulating epithelial-mesenchymal transition （EMT）， angiogenesis， and glycolysis and shows higher communication intensity in the IL-6 and LIFR pathways.

In recent years, with the endless emergence of meibomian gland dysfunction(MGD)diagnostic equipment, rich treatment methods, and in-depth clinical and basic research on MGD at home and abroad, the understanding of MGD has entered a new stage. MGD-related dry eye is considered to be the main cause of lipid abnormal dry eye, and its occurrence and development is a chronic and multi-factorial pathological process. This article reviews the pathogenesis, imaging analysis and clinical treatment progress of MGD-related dry eye, in order to provide scientific evidence and ideas for clinical diagnosis and therapy of MGD-related dry eye.

Efferocytosis refers to the process of phagocytes engulfing and clearing the cells after programmed cell death. In recent years, an increasing number of studies have shown that the mechanisms of efferocytosis are closely related to drug-induced liver injury, hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury, viral hepatitis, cholestatic liver diseases, metabolic-associated fatty liver disease, alcoholic liver disease, and other liver disorders. This review summarized the research progress on the role of efferocytosis in liver diseases, with the hope of providing new targets for the prevention and treatment of liver diseases.
Humans ; Liver Diseases/metabolism* ; Animals ; Phagocytosis/physiology* ; Phagocytes ; Efferocytosis

Objective:To observe the clinical progression of low-risk papillary thyroid microcarcinoma（LR-PTMC）, analyze the influencing factors of its oncological outcomes, and explore the feasibility of active surveillance（AS） of LR-PTMC. Methods:This study adopted a prospective observational research design. A total of 85 subjects diagnosed with LR-PTMC during health checkup in Health Management Center of our hospital from March 2021 to October 2022 were enrolled as the research subjects, for at least 2 years of AS follow-up observation. The clinical progress and oncological outcomes were recorded, disease progression was defined as any increase in nodule diameter ≥3 mm or the appearance of new lesions or lymph node metastasis or distant metastasis, and the oncological outcome was use disease progression defining. Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to analyze the influencing factors of oncological outcomes in LR-PTMC patients. Results:A total of 85 LR-PTMC patients who underwent physical examinations were included in this study. The median follow-up time was 2 years, and a total of 23 patients（27.06%） experienced disease progression. Among them, 18 patients（21.18%） had enlarged lesions（any nodule diameter increased by ≥3 mm）, and 5 patients（5.88%） had abnormal or metastatic cervical lymph nodes. The 2-year cumulative disease progression rate was 9.41%. The incidence age of LR-PTMC patients was younger, with a higher proportion of ≤45 years old. The proportion of baseline nodules with a maximum diameter greater than 5 mm is higher, and the proportion of baseline TPO Ab positivity was higher. Ultrasound showed a higher proportion of microcalcifications compared to the non progression group, and the differences were statistically significant（all P<0.05）. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis showed that age of onset ≤45 years RR 95% CI 1.052（1.018-1.088） and ultrasound showing microcalcifications RR 95% CI 3.361（1.379-8.194） were independent risk factors affecting disease progression during AS in LR-PTMC patients（P<0.05）. Conclusion:Most LR-PTMC patients maintain stable lesion size and low lymph node metastasis rate during the AS process, with good oncological outcomes in the short term. AS can be considered as a safe and effective alternative to surgical treatment for LR-PTMC patients. But for patients with onset age ≤45 years and microcalcifications, the follow-up interval can be shortened for close observation.
Humans ; Thyroid Neoplasms/pathology* ; Disease Progression ; Prospective Studies ; Carcinoma, Papillary/pathology* ; Female ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Watchful Waiting ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Risk Factors

Traditional development of small protein scaffolds has relied on display technologies and mutation-based engineering, which limit sequence and functional diversity, thereby constraining their therapeutic and application potential. Protein design tools have significantly advanced the creation of novel protein sequences, structures, and functions. However, further improvements in design strategies are still needed to more efficiently optimize the functional performance of protein-based drugs and enhance their druggability. Here, we extended an evolution-based design protocol to create a novel minibinder, BindHer, against the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). It not only exhibits super stability and binding selectivity but also demonstrates remarkable properties in tissue specificity. Radiolabeling experiments with ^99mTc, ⁶⁸Ga, and ¹⁸F revealed that BindHer efficiently targets tumors in HER2-positive breast cancer mouse models, with minimal nonspecific liver absorption, outperforming scaffolds designed through traditional engineering. These findings highlight a new rational approach to automated protein design, offering significant potential for large-scale applications in therapeutic mini-protein development.

Objective:To investigate the effect of Xuebijing injection against blood-brain barrier(BBB)damage in the mice with anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor(NMDAR)encephalitis,and to elucidate its regulatory effect on the imbalance of helper T cells 17(Th17)/regulatory T cells(Treg).Methods:The active immunization models of anti-NMDAR encephalitis in the mice were established using glutamate receptor N1 subunit(GluN1)356-385 antigen peptide,and the serum anti-NMDAR immunoglobulin G(IgG)antibody levels were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).The healthy mice without modeling were served as control group,and the mice with successful modeling were randomly divided into model group,low dose of Xuebijing injection(XBJ-L)group,and high dose of Xuebijing injection(XBJ-H)group,with 10 mice in each group.After modeling,the mice in XBJ-L and XBJ-H groups were intraperitoneally injected with 5 and 10 mL·kg-1 Xuebijing injection,respectively.The Longa score was used to assess the neurological impairment of the mice in various groups;evans blue(EB)staining was used to determine the BBB permeability;immunofluorescence staining was used to detect the expressions of zonula occludens 1(ZO-1)and Occludin in cerebral cortex of the mice in various groups;Western blotting method was used to determine the expression levels of ZO-1,Occludin,Claudin-5,and neuron-specific nuclear protein(NeuN)in cerebral cortex of the mice in various groups;ELISA method was used to determine the levels of Th17-and Treg-related cytokines including interleukin(IL)-17,IL-22,and IL-10 in serum of the mice;flow cytometry was used to determine the percentages of Th17 and Treg cells in peripheral blood of the mice in various groups,and the Th17/Treg ratio was calculated.Results:The serum of the mice induced with the GluN1 356-385 antigen peptide was positive for NMDAR IgG antibodies,indicating that the models were successfully established.Compared with control group,the neurological impairment score of the mice in model group was significantly increased(P＜0.05),and the EB level in brain tissue was significantly increased(P＜0.05);the fluorescence staining intensities of ZO-1 and Occludin in the cerebral cortex were decreased,and the expression levels of ZO-1,Occludin,Claudin-5,and NeuN proteins in the cerebral cortex were significantly decreased(P＜0.05);the serum levels of IL-17 and IL-22 were significantly increased(P＜0.05),while the IL-10 level was significantly decreased(P＜0.05);the percentage of Th17 cells in peripheral blood was significantly increased(P＜0.05),while the percentage of Treg cells was significantly decreased(P＜0.05),and the Th17/Treg ratio was significantly increased(P＜0.05).Compared with model group,the neurological impairment scores of the mice in XBJ-L and XBJ-H groups were significantly decreased(P＜0.05),the EB levels in brain tissue were significantly decreased(P＜0.05),the fluorescence staining intensities of ZO-1 and Occludin in cerebral cortex were increased,and the expression levels of ZO-1,Occludin,Claudin-5,and NeuN proteins were significantly increased(P＜0.05);the levels of IL-17 and IL-22 in serum were significantly decreased(P＜0.05),and the level of IL-10 was significantly increased(P＜0.05);the percentages of Th17 cells in peripheral blood were significantly decreased(P＜0.05),the percentages of Treg cells were significantly increased(P＜0.05),and the Th17/Treg ratios were significantly decreased(P＜0.05).Compared with XBJ-L group,the neurological function injury score of the mice in XBJ-H group was significantly decreased(P＜0.05),the EB level in brain tissue was significantly decreased(P＜0.05);the fluorescence staining intensities of ZO-1 and Occludin in the cerebral cortex were increased,and the expression levels of ZO-1,Occludin,Claudin-5,and NeuN proteins were significantly increased(P＜0.05);the serum levels of IL-17 and IL-22 were significantly decreased(P＜0.05),and the level of IL-10 was significantly increased(P＜0.05);the percentage of Th17 cells in peripheral blood was significantly decreased(P＜0.05),the percentage of Treg cells was significantly increased(P＜0.05),and the Th17/Treg ratio was significantly decreased(P＜0.05).Conclusion:Xuebijing injection can improve BBB injury,regulate Th17/Treg balance,and thereby alleviate the neurological functional damage in anti-NMDAR encephalitis.

Objective:To discuss the effect of Xuebijing on brain tissue damage and immune imbalance of helper T lymphocyte 17(Th17)/regulatory T lymphocyte(Treg)in cerebrospinal fluid(CSF)of the N-methyl-D-aspartate(NMDA)receptor encephalitis model mice,and to clarify its therapeutic effect.Methods:Sixty healthy male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into control group,model group,low dose of Xuebijing group,and high dose of Xuebijing group,and there were 15 mice in each group.Except for control group,the mice in the other three groups were injected with the antigen combined with immunostimulation to establish the NMDA receptor encephalitis models.The mice in low and high doses of Xuebijing groups were injected intraperitoneally with 5 and 10 mL·kg-1 of Xuebijing injection,respectively.HE staining was used to observe the pathomorphology of brain tissue of the mice in various groups;TUNEL assay was used to detect the apoptotic rates of the neurons in hippocampus CA1 region of brain tissue of the mice in various groups;enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)method was used to detect the levels of interleukin(IL)-6,IL-10,IL-17,and transforming growth factor β(TGF-β)in serum of the mice in various groups;flow cytometry was used to detect the percentages of Th17 and Treg cells in CSF of the mice in various groups;Western blotting method was used to detect the expression levels of retinoic acid-related orphan receptor γt(RORγt),forkhead box protein 3(Foxp3),IL-10,and IL-17 proteins in brain tissue of the mice in various groups;immunohistochemistry method was used to detect the rates of IL-17 and Foxp3 positive cells in brain tissue of the mice in various groups.Results:The HE staining results showed that the hippocampus CA1 region of brain tissue of the mice in control group had a clear structure without obvious lesions;compared with control group,the mice in model group showed partial pyramidal cell shrinkage,elongation of apical dendrites,loss of a few neurons,and sparse tissue in the hippocampus CA1 region of brain tissue;compared with model group,the mice in low and high doses of Xuebijing groups showed that the damage of the cells in the hippocampus CA1 region of brain tissue was decreased,and the morphological recovery,more orderly arrangement,and more significant improvement could be seen in hippocampus CA1 region of the mice in high dose of Xuebijing group.The TUNEL assay results showed that compared with control group,the apoptotic rate of the neurons in hippocampus CA1 region of brain tissue of the mice in model group was significantly increased(P<0.05);compared with model group,the apoptotic rate of the neurons in hippocampus CA1 region of brain tissue of the mice in low and high doses of Xuebijing groups were significantly decreased(P<0.05);compared with low dose of Xuebijing group,the apoptotic rate of the neurons in hippocampus CA1 region of brain tissue of the mice in high dose of Xuebijing group was significantly decreased(P<0.05).The ELISA results showed that compared with control group,the levels of IL-6 and IL-17 in serum of the mice in model group were significantly increased(P<0.05),while the levels of IL-10 and TGF-β were significantly decreased(P<0.05);compared with model group,the levels of IL-6 and IL-17 in serum of the mice in low and high doses of Xuebijing groups were significantly decreased(P<0.05),while the levels of IL-10 and TGF-β were significantly increased(P<0.05);compared with low dose of Xuebijing group,the levels of IL-6 and IL-17 in serum of the mice in high dose of Xuebijing group were significantly decreased(P<0.05),while the levels of IL-10 and TGF-β were significantly increased(P<0.05).The flow cytometry results showed that compared with control group,the percentage of CD4+IL-17A+Th17 cells in CSF of the mice in model group was significantly increased(P<0.05),while the percentage of CD25+Foxp3+Treg cells was significantly decreased(P<0.05);compared with model group,the percentages of CD4+IL-17A+Th17 cells in CSF of the mice in low and high doses of Xuebijing groups were significantly decreased(P<0.05),while the percentage of CD25+Foxp3+Treg cells was significantly increased(P<0.05);compared with low dose of Xuebijing group,the percentage of CD4+IL-17A+Th17 cells in CSF of the mice in high dose of Xuebijing group was significantly decreased(P<0.05),while the percentage of CD25+Foxp3+Treg cells was significantly increased(P<0.05).The Western blotting results showed that compared with control group,the expression levels of RORγt and IL-17 proteins in brain tissue of the mice in model group were significantly increased(P<0.05),while the expression levels of Foxp3 and IL-10 proteins were significantly decreased(P<0.05);compared with model group,the expression levels of RORγt and IL-17 proteins in brain tissue of the mice in low and high doses of Xuebijing groups were significantly decreased(P<0.05),while the expression levels of Foxp3 and IL-10 proteins were significantly increased(P<0.05);compared with low dose of Xuebijing group,the expression levels of RORγt and IL-17 proteins in brain tissue of the mice in high dose of Xuebijing group were significantly decreased(P<0.05),while the expression levels of Foxp3 and IL-10 proteins were significantly increased(P<0.05).The immunohistochemistry results showed that compared with control group,the rate of IL-17 positive cells in brain tissue of the mice in model group was significantly increased(P<0.05),while the rate of Foxp3 positive cells was significantly decreased(P<0.05);compared with model group,the rates of IL-17 positive cells in brain tissue of the mice in low and high doses of Xuebijing groups were significantly decreased(P<0.05),while the rates of Foxp3 positive cells were significantly increased(P<0.05);compared with low dose of Xuebijing group,the rate of IL-17 positive cells in brain tissue of the mice in high dose of Xuebijing group was significantly decreased(P<0.05),while the rate of Foxp3 positive cells was significantly increased(P<0.05).Conclusion:Xuebijing can effectively ameliorate the brain tissue injury,regulate the cytokine levels,and intervene in immune imbalance of Th17/Treg in the mice with anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis.

By conducting retrospective analysis, this study aim to investigate the resistance mechanism of quinolones in non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS). A total of 105 strains of NTS isolated from clinical specimens from the Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University from May 2020 to February 2021 were used as research objects. VITEK2 Compact automatic identification drug sensitivity analysis system and serological test were used to identify the strains. The sensitivity of the strains to ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin and nalidixic acid was detected by AGAR dilution method. The whole genome of 105 strains of NTS was sequenced. Abricate and other softwares were used to analyze drug-resistant genes, including plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance gene (PMQR) and Quinolone resistance determination region (QRDR). Serotypes and ST types were analyzed using SISTR and MLST, and phylogenetic trees were constructed. The results showed that the NTS isolated in this region were mainly ST34 Salmonella typhimurium (53.3%). The drug sensitivity results showed that the drug resistance rates of NTS to ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin and nalidixic acid were 30.4%, 1.9% and 22.0%, respectively, and the intermediate rates of ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin were 27.6% and 54.2%.A total of 46 (74.2%) of the 62 quinolone non-susceptible strains carried the PMQR gene, mainly qnrS1 (80.4%), followed by aac(6′)-Ib-cr(15.2%); there were 14 NTS and 8 NTS had gyrA and parC gene mutations, respectively. The gyrA was mutations at the amino acid position 87, Asp87Tyr, Asp87Asn, Asp87Gly, and Thr57Ser mutations were detected in parC. In conclusion, this study found that NTS had relatively high resistance to quinolones, carrying qnrS1 gene mainly resulted in decreased sensitivity of NTS to ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin, and gyrA:87 mutation mainly resulted in NTS resistance to Nalidixic acid; Salmonella typhimurium in clinical isolates showed clonal transmission and required further epidemiological surveillance.

Objective To investigate the effect of Huangzhi oral liquid on ferroptosis and apoptosis of hepatocytes in acute hyperlipidemia mice based on abnormal lipid metabolism.Methods Forty SPF grade C57BL/6 mice were randomly assigned to the normal control group,the model group,Huangzhi oral liquid low-dose and high-dose groups,and fenofibrate group,with 8 mice in each group.All administration groups were given Huangzhi oral liquid and fenofibrate by gavage at corresponding doses,while the normal control group and the model group were given the same dose of distilled water for a period of 5 days.on the third day of administration,in addition to the normal control group,other groups were injected intramuscularly with Triton WR-1339 to establish a hyperlipidemia model.After the administration,the serum lipid levels and liver function in mice were detected.The pathological changes of liver were observed by HE staining and lipid accumulation was observed by oil red O staining.The iron content in liver tissues was detected by tissue iron assay kit.The changes in protein expression of ABCA1,ABCG5,LXRα,ASGR1,cleaved-PARP,cleaved-caspase 3,Bcl2,Bax,TFR1,SLC7A11,GCLM,GPX4 and FTH1 in liver were detected by Western Blot.Results Compared with the model group,Huangzhi oral liquid could reduce the lipid vacuoles in liver tissues,alleviate the degree of lipid degeneration,reduce the content of TC,TG,LDL-C,AST and ALT in serum,increase the content of HDL-C,increase the protein expression levels of ABCA1,ABCG5,LXRα,Bcl-2,SLC7A11,GCLM,GPX4 and FTH1 in mice liver tissues,reduce the protein expression levels of ASGR1,cleaved-PARP,cleaved-caspase 3,Bax and TFR1.Conclusion Huangzhi oral liquid can alleviate the abnormal lipid metabolism in acute hyperlipidemia mice,thus alleviates hepatocyte apoptosis and ferroptosis.

Objective To summarize the experience of integrative palliative care at Peking Union Medi-cal College Hospital and provide a reference for promoting the integrative palliative care model.Methods Twenty cases receiving integrative palliative care at Peking Union Medical College Hospital were collected.The clinical characteristics,reasons for initiating integrative palliative care,the process of integrative palliative care,and feedback from these cases were summarized.Results Insomnia(11 cases,55％)and pain(9 cases,45％)were the most common symptoms requiring control in the 20 cases.The integrative palliative care team assisted in medical decision-making for 17 cases(85％),prepared end-of-life for 9 cases(45％),assisted in the transfer for 3 cases(15％),and provided comfort care for all the 20 cases(100％).Conclusions The integrative palliative care model can help alleviate suffering in end-of-life patients and provide support to patients'families and the original medical teams.This model is worth further promotion within class A tertiary hospitals.