Based on the theory of "cold qi generates turbidity" described in the Inner Canon of Yellow Emperor （《黄帝内经》）， together with the physiological characteristics of children， who are considered to have an inherent insufficiency of the lung， spleen， and kidney， and the clinical features of recurrent refractory nephrotic syndrome （RNS）， this article proposes that the pathogenesis of RNS in children is characterized by yang deficiency with internal cold， turbidity arising from cold， latent turbidity transforming into toxin， activation by newly contracted pathogens， and turbid toxins damaging the collaterals. The core pathogenesis is identified as yang deficiency， turbidity coagulation， and collateral damage. Accordingly， the general treatment principle is warming yang and eliminating turbidity， with coordination of three methods including warming yang to strengthen the body's foundation， promoting yang to relieve constraint， and raising yang while replenishing qi. Zhenwu Decoction （真武汤） is employed as the basic prescription with modification according to syndrome differentiation， to achieve an effect eliminating turbidity and arresting leakage， restoring kidney function by unblocking the collaterals， and consolidating recovery to prevent relapse.

Background: The genetic basis for hyperglycaemia in pregnancy remain unclear. This study aimed to uncover the genetic determinants of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and investigate their applications. Methods: We performed a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for GDM in Chinese women (464 cases and 1,217 controls), followed by de novo replications in an independent Chinese cohort (564 cases and 572 controls) and in silico replication in European (12,332 cases and 131,109 controls) and multi-ethnic populations (5,485 cases and 347,856 controls). A polygenic risk score (PRS) was derived based on the identified variants. Results: Using the genome-wide scan and candidate gene approaches, we identified four susceptibility loci for GDM. These included three previously reported loci for GDM and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) at MTNR1B (rs7945617, odds ratio [OR], 1.64; 95% confidence interval [CI],1.38 to 1.96]), CDKAL1 (rs7754840, OR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.13 to 1.58), and INS-IGF2-KCNQ1 (rs2237897, OR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.23 to 1.79), as well as a novel genome-wide significant locus near TBR1-SLC4A10 (rs117781972, OR, 2.05; 95% CI, 1.61 to 2.62; Pmeta=7.6×10-9), which has not been previously reported in GWAS for T2DM or glycaemic traits. Moreover, we found that women with a high PRS (top quintile) had over threefold (95% CI, 2.30 to 4.09; Pmeta=3.1×10-14) and 71% (95% CI, 1.08 to 2.71; P=0.0220) higher risk for GDM and abnormal glucose tolerance post-pregnancy, respectively, compared to other individuals. Conclusion Our results indicate that the genetic architecture of glucose metabolism exhibits both similarities and differences between the pregnant and non-pregnant states. Integrating genetic information can facilitate identification of pregnant women at a higher risk of developing GDM or later diabetes.

Background: The genetic basis for hyperglycaemia in pregnancy remain unclear. This study aimed to uncover the genetic determinants of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and investigate their applications. Methods: We performed a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for GDM in Chinese women (464 cases and 1,217 controls), followed by de novo replications in an independent Chinese cohort (564 cases and 572 controls) and in silico replication in European (12,332 cases and 131,109 controls) and multi-ethnic populations (5,485 cases and 347,856 controls). A polygenic risk score (PRS) was derived based on the identified variants. Results: Using the genome-wide scan and candidate gene approaches, we identified four susceptibility loci for GDM. These included three previously reported loci for GDM and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) at MTNR1B (rs7945617, odds ratio [OR], 1.64; 95% confidence interval [CI],1.38 to 1.96]), CDKAL1 (rs7754840, OR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.13 to 1.58), and INS-IGF2-KCNQ1 (rs2237897, OR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.23 to 1.79), as well as a novel genome-wide significant locus near TBR1-SLC4A10 (rs117781972, OR, 2.05; 95% CI, 1.61 to 2.62; Pmeta=7.6×10-9), which has not been previously reported in GWAS for T2DM or glycaemic traits. Moreover, we found that women with a high PRS (top quintile) had over threefold (95% CI, 2.30 to 4.09; Pmeta=3.1×10-14) and 71% (95% CI, 1.08 to 2.71; P=0.0220) higher risk for GDM and abnormal glucose tolerance post-pregnancy, respectively, compared to other individuals. Conclusion Our results indicate that the genetic architecture of glucose metabolism exhibits both similarities and differences between the pregnant and non-pregnant states. Integrating genetic information can facilitate identification of pregnant women at a higher risk of developing GDM or later diabetes.

Background: The genetic basis for hyperglycaemia in pregnancy remain unclear. This study aimed to uncover the genetic determinants of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and investigate their applications. Methods: We performed a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for GDM in Chinese women (464 cases and 1,217 controls), followed by de novo replications in an independent Chinese cohort (564 cases and 572 controls) and in silico replication in European (12,332 cases and 131,109 controls) and multi-ethnic populations (5,485 cases and 347,856 controls). A polygenic risk score (PRS) was derived based on the identified variants. Results: Using the genome-wide scan and candidate gene approaches, we identified four susceptibility loci for GDM. These included three previously reported loci for GDM and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) at MTNR1B (rs7945617, odds ratio [OR], 1.64; 95% confidence interval [CI],1.38 to 1.96]), CDKAL1 (rs7754840, OR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.13 to 1.58), and INS-IGF2-KCNQ1 (rs2237897, OR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.23 to 1.79), as well as a novel genome-wide significant locus near TBR1-SLC4A10 (rs117781972, OR, 2.05; 95% CI, 1.61 to 2.62; Pmeta=7.6×10-9), which has not been previously reported in GWAS for T2DM or glycaemic traits. Moreover, we found that women with a high PRS (top quintile) had over threefold (95% CI, 2.30 to 4.09; Pmeta=3.1×10-14) and 71% (95% CI, 1.08 to 2.71; P=0.0220) higher risk for GDM and abnormal glucose tolerance post-pregnancy, respectively, compared to other individuals. Conclusion Our results indicate that the genetic architecture of glucose metabolism exhibits both similarities and differences between the pregnant and non-pregnant states. Integrating genetic information can facilitate identification of pregnant women at a higher risk of developing GDM or later diabetes.

BACKGROUND:Recent research indicates that disc degeneration is closely related to abnormal stress load,and mechanotransduction proteins play a key role in it. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the role and mechanism of mechanotransduction proteins in the mechanotransduction process induced by abnormal mechanical stimulation in disc degeneration,and to summarize the current treatment strategies targeting mechanotransduction to delay intervertebral disc degeneration. METHODS:Using"intervertebral disc,nucleus pulposus,annulus fibrosus,cartilaginous endplate,cell,mechanics,signal transduction,protein,biomechanics"as Chinese search terms,and"intervertebral disc,nucleus pulposus,annulus fibrosus,cartilaginous endplate,cell,mechanical stimulation,signal transduction,protein,biomechanics"as English search terms,relevant literature in the PubMed and CNKI databases was searched.A total of 88 articles were ultimately included for review. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Disc cells can sense external mechanical stimulation through various mechanotransduction proteins and convert it into biological responses within the cells.These transduction proteins mainly include collagen proteins in the extracellular matrix,cell membrane surface receptors(such as integrins and ion channels),and cytoskeleton structural proteins.Their regulation of mechanotransduction processes primarily involves the activation of multiple pathways,such as the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway,nuclear factor-kB signaling pathway,and Ca2+/Calpain2/Caspase3 pathway.Mechanotransduction proteins play a key role in the mechanotransduction of disc cells.Abnormal expression of these proteins or resulting changes in the extracellular matrix environment can disrupt the mechanical balance of disc cells,leading to disc degeneration.In-depth study of the expression and regulatory mechanisms of mechanotransduction proteins in disc cells,and identification of key pathological links and therapeutic targets,is of significant importance for developing treatment strategies for disc degeneration.Current strategies to delay intervertebral disc degeneration by targeting mechanotransduction mainly include regulation of transduction proteins and improvement of the extracellular matrix.However,research in this area is still in its early stages.As research continues,new breakthroughs are expected in the regulation of disc degeneration by mechanotransduction proteins.

Background: The genetic basis for hyperglycaemia in pregnancy remain unclear. This study aimed to uncover the genetic determinants of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and investigate their applications. Methods: We performed a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for GDM in Chinese women (464 cases and 1,217 controls), followed by de novo replications in an independent Chinese cohort (564 cases and 572 controls) and in silico replication in European (12,332 cases and 131,109 controls) and multi-ethnic populations (5,485 cases and 347,856 controls). A polygenic risk score (PRS) was derived based on the identified variants. Results: Using the genome-wide scan and candidate gene approaches, we identified four susceptibility loci for GDM. These included three previously reported loci for GDM and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) at MTNR1B (rs7945617, odds ratio [OR], 1.64; 95% confidence interval [CI],1.38 to 1.96]), CDKAL1 (rs7754840, OR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.13 to 1.58), and INS-IGF2-KCNQ1 (rs2237897, OR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.23 to 1.79), as well as a novel genome-wide significant locus near TBR1-SLC4A10 (rs117781972, OR, 2.05; 95% CI, 1.61 to 2.62; Pmeta=7.6×10-9), which has not been previously reported in GWAS for T2DM or glycaemic traits. Moreover, we found that women with a high PRS (top quintile) had over threefold (95% CI, 2.30 to 4.09; Pmeta=3.1×10-14) and 71% (95% CI, 1.08 to 2.71; P=0.0220) higher risk for GDM and abnormal glucose tolerance post-pregnancy, respectively, compared to other individuals. Conclusion Our results indicate that the genetic architecture of glucose metabolism exhibits both similarities and differences between the pregnant and non-pregnant states. Integrating genetic information can facilitate identification of pregnant women at a higher risk of developing GDM or later diabetes.

Objective To investigate the effect of allicin on the replication of hepatitis B virus(HBV)and to pre-liminarily elucidate its underlying molecular mechanisms.Methods HepG 2.2.15 cells were treated with different concentrations of allicin and the levels of HBsAg and HBeAg were assessed by ELISA.Cell viability was evaluated using the CCK-8 assay to determine the optimal concentration of allicin;HepG2-NTCP cells were incubated with the optimal concentration of allicin for 48 hours,and the expression of HBV-related markers was detected by RT-qPCR;The activity of four HBV promoters(Enh I/Xp,SP1,SP2,and CP)was analyzed using a dual-lucif-erase reporter gene experiment.The effect of allicin on promoter activity was assessed;Gene-regulation tools were used to predict potential transcription factor that might bind to the promoter.After over-expressing the transcription factor,cells were incubated with allicin and the effect on promoter activity was examined;Finally,ChIP was used to confirm whether these transcription factors bind to the HBV promoters and whether allicin treatment affects this binding.Results Allicin significantly reduced the expression of HBsAg and slightly lowered the expression of HBeAg(P＜0.001);A concentration of 40 μmol/L allicin significantly inhibited HBV DNA replication and tran-scription(P＜0.05),without affecting cell viability;Allicin also significantly suppressed the activity of the HBV promoter SP2(P＜0.001).Further investigation revealed that the transcription factor SP1 could bind to the DNA se-quence of the HBV promoter SP2,and this binding was significantly inhibited after allicin treatment(P＜0.001).Conclusions Allicin inhibits the binding of the transcription factor SP1 to HBV promoter SP2,thereby reducing the transcriptional activity of HBV and suppressing viral replication.

Objective:To identify key genes involved in LPS-induced acute lung injury(ALI)using GEO database,to eluci-date its pathogenesis and discover potential therapeutic drugs.Methods:Gene expression data from LPS-induced ALI was collected by GEO database,and microbiotics online analysis platform was employed to identify differential expression genes,from which core genes were obtained.Metascape and DAVID were used for GO and KEGG enrichment analysis of these core genes to identify pathways associated with ALI.GSEA and protein interaction analysis were performed for these pathways for identification of core targets.Poten-tial therapeutic drug,kaempferol-3-O-α-L-(4″-E-p-coumaroyl)-rhamnoside(KAE)was validated by animal experiments.Results:Two GEO datasets were incorporated and 261 core genes with differential expression were identified.Data visualization indicated that LPS-induced ALI predominantly involved inflammatory pathways,such as TNF and NF-κB.In vivo validation was conducted in mice on two core targets within this pathway:NF-κB and NLRP3,potential therapeutic drug KAE was administered,which was found to mitigate LPS-induced lung tissue damage.Further investigations demonstrated that KAE could effectively improve ALI by reducing expressions of p-NF-κB,NLRP3 and other proteins.Conclusion:This study markes screening of LPS-induced ALI model within GEO database.Above findings reveal predominant involvement of NF-κB and NLRP3 within TNF and NF-κB signaling pathways in LPS-in-duced ALI.KAE has potential for ALI treatment by down-regulating expressions of p-NF-κB,NLRP3 and other proteins,expecting to be a candidate drug for ALI treatment.

Objective:To identify key genes involved in LPS-induced acute lung injury(ALI)using GEO database,to eluci-date its pathogenesis and discover potential therapeutic drugs.Methods:Gene expression data from LPS-induced ALI was collected by GEO database,and microbiotics online analysis platform was employed to identify differential expression genes,from which core genes were obtained.Metascape and DAVID were used for GO and KEGG enrichment analysis of these core genes to identify pathways associated with ALI.GSEA and protein interaction analysis were performed for these pathways for identification of core targets.Poten-tial therapeutic drug,kaempferol-3-O-α-L-(4″-E-p-coumaroyl)-rhamnoside(KAE)was validated by animal experiments.Results:Two GEO datasets were incorporated and 261 core genes with differential expression were identified.Data visualization indicated that LPS-induced ALI predominantly involved inflammatory pathways,such as TNF and NF-κB.In vivo validation was conducted in mice on two core targets within this pathway:NF-κB and NLRP3,potential therapeutic drug KAE was administered,which was found to mitigate LPS-induced lung tissue damage.Further investigations demonstrated that KAE could effectively improve ALI by reducing expressions of p-NF-κB,NLRP3 and other proteins.Conclusion:This study markes screening of LPS-induced ALI model within GEO database.Above findings reveal predominant involvement of NF-κB and NLRP3 within TNF and NF-κB signaling pathways in LPS-in-duced ALI.KAE has potential for ALI treatment by down-regulating expressions of p-NF-κB,NLRP3 and other proteins,expecting to be a candidate drug for ALI treatment.

Objective To explore the effect of endoplasmic reticulum stress activating transcription factor 6(ATF6)on the expression of reproduction related gene heat shock protein family A member 1 like(HSPA1L)and preliminari-ly clarify its regulatory molecular mechanism.Methods The ATF6 over-expression plasmid was transfected into HEK-293T cells and the over-expression efficiency was verified by RT-qPCR and Western blot.The transcriptome sequen-cing information of testis tissue of male ATF6 knockout mice was used to screen five reproduction related genes down-stream of ATF6.The dual luciferase reporter assay selected the downstream genes with high promoter activity and de-tected the effect of over-expression of ATF6 on the promoter activity of downstream genes.The possible binding sites of ATF6 and downstream gene promoters were predicted by gene-regulation.RT-qPCR and Western blot were used to detect the effect of over-expression of ATF6 on downstream gene expression in HEK-293T cells.Whether ATF6 binds to downstream gene promoters was determined by electrophoretic mobility shift assay(EMSA).Results The expres-sion of ATF6 mRNA(P＜0.001)and protein(P＜0.001 and P＜0.05)in HEK-293T cells was significantly increased after transfection.HSPA1L(P＜0.001 and P＜0.05),a reproductive related gene downstream of ATF6 was screened by transcriptome sequencing and dual luciferase reporter assay.ATF6 promoted the truncated promoter activity of HSPA1L(P＜0.001).After over-expression of ATF6,the expression of HSPA1L was significantly increased(P＜0.001).The differences were statistically significant.ATF6 protein could bind to the aagtcgtcac DNA sequence of HSPA1L promoter.Conclusions ATF6,a key molecule of endoplasmic reticulum stress,regulates the expression of reproduction related gene HSPA1L by binding to the promoter of HSPA1L.This result will lay a foundation for further research on the prevention or treatment of endoplasmic reticulum stress(ERS)related male infertility.