ObjectiveTo investigate the possible mechanism by which Zhiqiao Gancao Decoction （枳壳甘草汤， ZGD） delays intervertebral disc degeneration （IDD） based on the Hippo-yes-associated protein （YAP）/transcriptional co-activator with PDZ-binding motif （TAZ） signaling pathway. MethodsA total of 50 SD rats were randomly divided into sham surgery group， model group， low-dose ZGD group， high-dose ZGD group， and high-dose ZGD + inhibitor group， with 10 rats in each group. In the sham surgery group， the rats were pierced in the skin and muscle at the Co6/7/8 segments of the tail with a 21G needle （depth approximately 2 mm） without damaging the intervertebral disc. In the other groups， rats were injected with a 21G needle at the Co6/7/8 segments of the tail to establish an IDD model by piercing the tail intervertebral disc 5 mm. One week after modeling， rats in the low-dose and high-dose ZGD groups were given 6.24 and 12.24 g/（kg·d） of the decoction via gastric gavage， respectively. The high-dose ZGD + inhibitor group was given 12.24 g/（kg·d） of the decoction and an intraperitoneal injection of YAP/TAZ inhibitor Verteporfin 10 mg/kg. The sham surgery and model groups were given 5 ml/（kg·d） of normal saline via gavage. The gavage was given once a day， and the intraperitoneal injection was given every other day. After 4 weeks of continuous intervention， the pathological changes of the tail intervertebral discs were observed using HE staining， Oil Red O-Green staining， and Toluidine Blue staining. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of aggrecan and MMP3 in the nucleus pulposus. TUNEL fluorescence staining was performed to detect apoptosis in the nucleus pulposus， and the apoptosis rate was calculated. Western blot was used to detect the Hippo-YAP/TAZ signaling pathway， including YAP， phosphorylated YAP （p-YAP）， phosphorylated MST1/2 （p-MST1/2）， phosphorylated TAZ （p-TAZ） and apoptosis-related proteins， such as Cleaved Caspase 3， P53， Bcl-2 and Bax. ResultsCompared with sham surgery group， the rats in the model group showed significant degenerative changes in the intervertebral disc. The levels of aggrecan， Bcl-2， and YAP proteins in the nucleus pulposus decreased， while the levels of p-MST1/2， p-YAP， p-TAZ， P53， Bax， Cleaved Caspase 3， MMP3 proteins， and the apoptosis rate increased （P < 0.01）. Compared with the model group， the drug intervention groups showed partial recovery in intervertebral disc degeneration. The levels of aggrecan， Bcl-2， and YAP proteins increased， while the levels of p-MST1/2， p-YAP， p-TAZ， P53， Bax， Cleaved Caspase 3， MMP3 proteins， and the apoptosis rate decreased （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. The high-dose ZGD group showed more significant recovery in intervertebral disc degeneration compared to the low-dose ZGD group， with a decrease in the levels of p-MST1/2， p-YAP， p-TAZ， P53， Bax， Cleaved Caspase 3， MMP3 proteins， and apoptosis rate， and an increase in the levels of aggrecan， Bcl-2， and YAP proteins （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Compared with the high-dose ZGD group， the high-dose ZGD + inhibitor group showed a reduced recovery in intervertebral disc degeneration， with an increase in the levels of p-MST1/2， p-YAP， p-TAZ， P53， Bax， Cleaved Caspase 3， MMP3 proteins， and apoptosis rate， and a decrease in the levels of aggrecan， Bcl-2， and YAP proteins （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. ConclusionZGD may delay intervertebral disc degeneration by inhibiting the phosphorylation of YAP in the nucleus pulposus， maintaining the function of the Hippo-YAP/TAZ signaling pathway， and reducing apoptosis of nucleus pulposus cells.

OBJECTIVE: Myocardial inflammation during myocardial infarction (MI) could be inhibited by regulating arachidonic acid (AA) metabolism. Recent studies demonstrated that Sini Decoction (SND) was identified to be an effective prescription for treating heart failure (HF) caused by MI. But the anti-inflammatory mechanism of SND remained unclear. The work was designed to investigate the anti-inflammatory mechanism of SND through the AA metabolism pathway in vitro and in vivo experiments. METHODS: An inflammatory injury model of H9c2 cells was established by lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated macrophage-conditioned medium (CM). The MI model was built by the ligation of left anterior descending (LAD) branch of coronary artery in rat. Meanwhile, the rats were divided into five groups: sham group, MI group, MI + Celecoxib group, MI + low-dose SND group (SND-L) and MI + high-dose SND group (SND-H). Cardiac function, histopathological changes and serum cytokines were examined four weeks later. Western blot analysis was conducted to verify the key enzymes levels in the AA metabolic pathway, including phospholipase A2 (PLA2), cyclooxygenases (COXs) and lipoxygenases (LOXs). RESULTS: These in vivo results demonstrated that SND could improve the cardiac function and pathological changes of rats with MI, and regulate the key inflammatory molecules in the AA metabolism pathway, including sPLA2, COX-1, COX-2, 5-LOX and 15-LOX. In vitro, SND could decrease the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines including TNF-α and IL-6 and inhibit cell apoptosis in CM-induced H9c2 cells. Moreover, SND could protect H9c2 cells from the damage of CM by regulating nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) signal pathway and the expression of COX-2. CONCLUSION SND may be a drug candidate for anti-inflammatory treatment during MI by regulating the multiple targets in the AA metabolism pathway.

Extensive epigenetic reprogramming involves in memory CD8+ T-cell differentiation. The elaborate epigenetic rewiring underlying the heterogeneous functional states of CD8+ T cells remains hidden. Here, we profile single-cell chromatin accessibility and map enhancer-promoter interactomes to characterize the differentiation trajectory of memory CD8+ T cells. We reveal that under distinct epigenetic regulations, the early activated CD8+ T cells divergently originated for short-lived effector and memory precursor effector cells. We also uncover a defined epigenetic rewiring leading to the conversion from effector memory to central memory cells during memory formation. Additionally, we illustrate chromatin regulatory mechanisms underlying long-lasting versus transient transcription regulation during memory differentiation. Finally, we confirm the essential roles of Sox4 and Nrf2 in developing memory precursor effector and effector memory cells, respectively, and validate cell state-specific enhancers in regulating Il7r using CRISPR-Cas9. Our data pave the way for understanding the mechanism underlying epigenetic memory formation in CD8+ T-cell differentiation.
CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/metabolism* ; Cell Differentiation ; Chromatin/immunology* ; Animals ; Mice ; Immunologic Memory ; Epigenesis, Genetic ; SOXC Transcription Factors/immunology* ; NF-E2-Related Factor 2/immunology* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Gene Regulatory Networks ; Enhancer Elements, Genetic

Objective:To explore the relationship between Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection, hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation and clinical features and prognosis in HBV-infected non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) patients and influencing factors of HBV reactivation.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted. A total of 80 NHL patients with hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positive (which was defined as HBV positive) who were admitted to the Second People's Hospital of Lianyungang and Jiangsu Province Hospital from December 2012 to October 2022 were selected. All patients were divided into EBV-positive group and EBV-negative group according to EBV DNA results, and further grouped into the HBV reactivation group and the non-reactivation group according to whether HBV were reactivated after chemotherapy. The clinical characteristics of patients among groups were compared. Multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyze the factors influencing HBV reactivation. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to evaluate the progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of patients, and the log-rank test was used for inter-group comparison.Results:Among NHL patients with HBV positive, 27 cases (33.8%) were EBV-positive and 29 cases (36.3%) were HBV reactivation. Compared with the EBV-negative group, the proportion of patients with Ann Arbor stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ [92.6% (25/27) vs. 66.0% (35/53)], elevated β 2-microglobulin level [88.9% (24/27) vs. 62.3% (33/53)], bone marrow involvement [40.7% (11/27) vs. 15.1% (8/53)], and HBV reactivation [51.9% (14/27) vs. 28.3% (15/53)] was higher in the EBV-positive group, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in the composition of patients stratified by age, gender, pathological type, B symptom, lactate dehydrogenase level, international prognostic index score, number of extranodal involvements, liver involvement, hepatitis outbreak, prophylactic anti-HBV therapy, hepatitis B surface antibody (HBsAb), rituximab therapy, and the last chemotherapy effects between the 2 groups (all P > 0.05). Compared with the HBV non-reactivation group, the proportion of patients undergoing hepatitis outbreak [48.3% (14/29) vs. 17.6% (9/51)], not receiving prophylactic anti-HBV therapy [65.5% (19/29) vs. 39.2% (20/51)], HBsAb negative [79.3% (23/29) vs. 21.6% (11/51)], EBV positive [48.3% (14/29) vs. 25.5% (13/51)], receiving rituximab [82.8% (24/29) vs. 60.8% (31/51)] was higher in the HBV reactivation group, and the differenves were statistically significant (all P < 0.05); while there were no statistically significant differences in the composition of patients stratified by the other clinical characteristics between the 2 groups (all P > 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that EBV-positivity was an independent risk factor for HBV reactivation after chemotherapy in NHL patients with HBsAg positive ( OR = 7.073, 95% CI: 1.613-31.010, P = 0.009), while HBsAb positive ( OR = 0.038, 95% CI: 0.008-0.186, P < 0.001) and preventive anti-HBV therapy ( OR = 0.172, 95% CI: 0.039-0.756, P = 0.020) were independent protective factors. The last follow-up was in December 2023 and the median follow-up time was 36.5 months. There were no statistically significant differences in PFS and OS between the EBV-positive group and the EBV-negative group, HBV reactivation group and the non-reactivation group (all P > 0.05). Conclusions:Among HBV-infected NHL patients, those with concurrent EBV infection have a more advanced clinical stage and are very prone to bone marrow invasion, and they also show a higher probability of HBV reactivation; HBV reactivation may be related to whether receiving preventive anti-HBV therapy and rituximab therapy. EBV infection may increase the risk of HBV reactivation in NHL patients; EBV infection and HBV reactivation may not be relevant to the prognosis of patients.

Acute T-lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is a hematopoietic malignancy, and in recent years, with the advancement of combined chemotherapy and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, the prognosis of T-ALL has improved significantly, but for patients with primary drug resistance or relapsed/refractory disease the prognosis is still poor. The plant homeodomain finger 6 (PHF6) is a tumor suppressor protein, it plays a pivotal role in T cell differentiation, epigenetic regulation and oncogenic pathway synergy, and its mutations and deletions are commonly associated with the development of T-lymphocytic leukemia. However, the underlying mechanism of PHF6 in the pathogenesis of T-ALL remains unclear. This article reviews the structure, function and mechanism of action of PHF6 in T-ALL, the important coexisting genes associated with the progression of T-ALL, and the research progress in targeted therapy.

Asthma is essentially a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways,and the proposed"gut-lung axis"provides a new idea for exploring its pathogenesis and therapeutic targets.A number of studies have confirmed that gut microbiota dysbiosis may affect the immune-inflammatory response through metabolites,which were involved in the disease process of asthma.Fecal microbiota transplantation(FMT)is a method that can efficiently reconstruct the gut microbiota of patients.It has been used to treat gastrointestinal diseases,central nervous system diseases,inflammatory diseases,and so on.Standardized operational protocols have been established.The use of probiotics or prebiotics in treating and preventing asthma and applying FMT in mice models of asthma have pointed the way for new prevention and treatment strategies.This article reviews the relationship between gut microbiota and asthma,and the feasibility of FMT in treating and preventing asthma.

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of fire needling in treating lumbar disc herniation(LDH)of cold-damp type under the guidance of meridian sinew theory.Methods A total of 70 cases of patients with LDH of cold-damp type were randomly divided into observation group and control group,35 cases in each group,the control group was given conventional acupuncture treatment,and the observation group was treated with fire needling under the guidance of meridian sinew theory on the basis of the treatment of the control group,and the course of treatment covered three courses,one week as a course.After three courses of treatment,the clinical efficacy of the two groups was evaluated,and the changes in the Visual Analogue Scale(VAS)scores of pain,the Japanese Orthopedic Association(JOA)scores,and traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome scores of patients in the two groups before and after treatment were observed.Results(1)During the study,there were three cases in the observation group and five cases in the control group were failed to follow-up.Finally,32 cases in the observation group and 30 cases in the control group were included in the efficacy statistics.(2)The total effective rate was 93.75%(30/32)in the observation group and 86.67%(26/30)in the control group.The clinical efficacy of the observation group was superior to that of the control group,and the difference being statistically significant(P<0.05).(3)After treatment,the VAS and JOA scores of patients in the two groups improved significantly(P<0.05),and the improvement in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group,the difference being statistically significant(P<0.05).(4)After treatment,the TCM scores of the two groups of patients improved significantly(P<0.05),and the improvement in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group,the difference being statistically significant(P<0.05).Conclusion Under the guidance of the meridian sinew theory,fire needling in treating LDH of cold-damp type can significantly reduce the degree of pain,improve the lumbar function,alleviate LDH-related symptoms,so as to improve the patients'quality of life.

ObjectiveTo analyze the trends in life expectancy and cause-eliminated life expectancy of the registered residents in Qingpu District, Shanghai from 2002 to 2021, and to identify the major diseases causing life expectancy loss in the area, so as to provide a theoretical basis for strengthening disease prevention and interventions and optimizing health resources allocation. MethodsUsing the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10 classification of death causes, average life expectancy and cause-eliminated life expectancy were calculated with the abbreviated life table and the cause-eliminated life expectancy table. A trend forecast of life expectancy from 2022 to 2029 was made. ResultsFrom 2002 to 2021, the life expectancy of Qingpu District residents showed an increasing trend, with an average annual growth of 0.32 years (AAPC=0.39%, P<0.001). Among the seven major causes of death, the cause-eliminated expected life expectancy for circulatory system diseases showed the most significant upward trend (AAPC=0.53%, P<0.001), rising from the third leading cause of death in 2002 to the first in 2021. The life expectancy loss rate due to circulatory system diseases increased from 3.79% to 7.97%. Respiratory system diseases showed the largest decline, decreasing from the first leading cause of death in 2002 to the fourth in 2021, with the life expectancy loss rate decreasing from 6.83% to 0.99%. ConclusionLife expectancy of the registered residents in Qingpu District has reached a leading level in China. Future efforts should focus on effectively increasing the life expectancy of male residents, strengthening the comprehensive prevention and treatment of chronic diseases such as cerebrovascular diseases, diabetes, and malignant tumors, and improving health promotion policies for residents to achieve a steady long-term increase in regional life expectancy.

Objective:To investigate the impact of donor human leukocyte antigen (HLA) -Bw4 expression on natural killer (NK) cell reconstitution and transplant outcomes in recipients undergoing haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) from maternal or related donors without ex vivo T-cell depletion.Methods:This study prospectively enrolled 32 patients who received T-replete haploidentical HSCT from maternal or collateral donors (cohort 1) to evaluate the facilitating effect of donor HLA-Bw4 expression on NK cell reconstitution. Furthermore, a retrospective analysis was conducted on 278 patients who underwent T-replete haploidentical HSCT from maternal or collateral donors (cohort 2) to analyze the impact of donor HLA-Bw4 expression on HSCT outcomes. Thus, a comparison was made between the effects of donor HLA-Bw4 expression on HSCT outcomes in patients receiving or not receiving post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PT-Cy) conditioning.Results:Donors expressing HLA-Bw4 alleles facilitated NK cell reconstitution and functional recovery, which remained unaffected by PT-Cy. Donors with HLA-Bw4 expression were associated with reduced transplant-related mortality (TRM), particularly mortality related to infections. The use of PT-Cy did not impact the ability of donor HLA-Bw4 to decrease TRM.Conclusion:In haploidentical HSCT from maternal or related donors without ex vivo T-cell depletion, the presence of donor HLA-Bw4 expression promotes rapid NK cell reconstitution and functional recovery and is significantly associated with lower TRM, especially infection-related mortality. These findings underscore the clinical significance of donor HLA-Bw4 expression in patients who underwent HSCT. Hence, the consideration of donor HLA-Bw4 in recipient selection and HSCT strategies holds important clinical implications.

Lipotoxicity is a pivotal factor that initiates and exacerbates liver injury and is involved in the development of metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). However, there are few reported lipotoxicity inhibitors. Here, we identified a natural anti-lipotoxicity candidate, HN-001, from the marine fungus Aspergillus sp. C1. HN-001 dose- and time- dependently reversed palmitic acid (PA)-induced hepatocyte death. This protection was associated with IRE-1α-mediated XBP-1 splicing inhibition, which resulted in suppression of XBP-1s nuclear translocation and transcriptional regulation. Knockdown of XBP-1s attenuated lipotoxicity, but no additional ameliorative effect of HN-001 on lipotoxicity was observed in XBP-1s knockdown hepatocytes. Notably, the ER stress and lipotoxicity amelioration was associated with PLA2. Both HN-001 and the PLA2 inhibitor MAFP inhibited PLA2 activity, reduced lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) level, subsequently ameliorated lipotoxicity. In contrast, overexpression of PLA2 caused exacerbation of lipotoxicity and weakened the anti-lipotoxic effects of HN-001. Additionally, HN-001 treatment suppressed the downstream pro-apoptotic JNK pathway. In vivo, chronic administration of HN-001 (i.p.) in mice alleviated all manifestations of MAFLD, including hepatic steatosis, liver injury, inflammation, and fibrogenesis. These effects were correlated with PLA2/IRE-1α/XBP-1s axis and JNK signaling suppression. These data indicate that HN-001 has therapeutic potential for MAFLD because it suppresses lipotoxicity, and provide a natural structural basis for developing anti-MAFLD candidates.