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.

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

Proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) represent a promising class of drugs that can target disease-causing proteins more effectively than traditional small molecule inhibitors can, potentially revolutionizing drug discovery and treatment strategies. However, the links between in vitro and in vivo data are poorly understood, hindering a comprehensive understanding of the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) of PROTACs. In this work, ¹⁴C-labeled vepdegestrant (ARV-471), which is currently in phase III clinical trials for breast cancer, was synthesized as a model PROTAC to characterize its preclinical ADME properties and simulate its clinical pharmacokinetics (PK) by establishing a physiologically based pharmacokinetics (PBPK) model. For in vitro-in vivo extrapolation (IVIVE), hepatocyte clearance correlated more closely with in vivo rat PK data than liver microsomal clearance did. PBPK models, which were initially developed and validated in rats, accurately simulate ARV-471's PK across fed and fasted states, with parameters within 1.75-fold of the observed values. Human models, informed by in vitro ADME data, closely mirrored postoral dose plasma profiles at 30 mg. Furthermore, no human-specific metabolites were identified in vitro and the metabolic profile of rats could overlap that of humans. This work presents a roadmap for developing future PROTAC medications by elucidating the correlation between in vitro and in vivo characteristics.

Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics and management status of children with Turner syndrome (TS) in China.Methods:As a cross-sectional study, 1 089 TS patients were included in the database of the National Collaborative Alliance for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Turner Syndrome from August 2019 to November 2023. Clinical characteristics (growth development, sexual development, organ anomalies, etc.), karyotypes, auxiliary examinations, and treatments were collected and analyzed.Results:Among the 1 089 TS cases, 809 were recorded karyotypes. The karyotype distribution was as follows: 45, X in 317 cases (39.2%), X chromosome structural variants (including partial deletions of p or q arm, ring chromosome, and marker chromosome) in 89 cases (11.0%), 45, X/46, XX mosaicism in 158 cases (19.5%), mosaicism with X chromosome structural variants in 209 cases (25.8%), and presence of Y chromosome material in 36 cases (4.4%). Among the 824 TS cases, the age of diagnosis was 9.7(6.4, 12.2) years, with a height standard deviation score (HtSDS) of -3.1±1.2. Five hundred and fifty three cases underwent growth hormone (GH) stimulation test, and 352 cases (63.7%) had GH peak values <10 μg/L and 75.9% (577/760) had low IGF1 levels, with IGF1 SDS ≤-2 accounting for 38.2% (290 cases). Among 471 cases aged ≥8 years, 132 cases (28.0%) showed spontaneous sexual development (mean bone age (11.0±1.7) years), 10 cases had spontaneous menarche (mean bone age (12.0±2.2) years), and 2 cases had regular menstrual cycles. Common physical features included cubitus valgus (311 cases (28.5%)), neck webbing (188 cases (17.2%)), low posterior hairline (185 cases (17.0%)), shield chest (153 cases (14.0%)), high arched palate (127 cases (11.6%)), short fourth metacarpal (43 cases (3.9%)), and spinal abnormalities (38 cases (3.5%)). Congenital cardiovascular and urogenital anomalies occurred in 91 cases (19.4%) and 66 cases (12.0%)respectively. Abdominal ultrasound in 33 cases (7.2%) indicated fatty liver, hepatomegaly, intrahepatic bile duct stones, and splenomegaly. Among 23 cases undergoing oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) test, 2 were diagnosed with diabetes mellitus and 4 with impaired glucose tolerance. Following diagnosis, 669 cases (80.7%) received rhGH treatment at a chronological age of (9±4) years and bone age of (8.3±3.2) years. Additionally, 112 cases (19.4%) received sex hormone replacement therapy starting at the age of (14±4) years and bone age of (12.6±1.2) years.Conclusions:The karyotypes of 45, X and mosaicism were most common in Chinese children with TS. The clinical manifestations were mainly short stature and gonadal dysplasia. However, a few TS children could be in the normal range of height, and some cases among those aged of ≥8 years old had spontaneous sexual development. Some exhibited physical features, congenital cardiovascular and urogenital anomalies, and dysfunction of the hypothalamic-pituitary-IGF1 axis. Moreover, a few of them developed impaired glucose tolerance and diabetes mellitus. Following diagnosis, most of the patients received rhGH treatment, and a few of them received sex hormone replacement therapy.

Severe asthma accounts for 5%-10%of the overall asthma population,resulting in a substantial decline in patients'quality of life and a significant financial burden.Despite there are some treatment options,such as combining high-dose inhaled corticosteroids with long-acting β2 agonists or oral corticosteroids,some patients continue to struggle with symptom control;in addition,prolonged steroid use can lead to various adverse effects.Recent years have witnessed continuous advancements in the diagnosis and treatment approaches for severe asthma,offering clinicians numerous novel alternatives.This article reviews their research progress encompassing disease assessment,medication therapy,and bronchoscopic interventions.

AIM:To observe the effect of curcumin on a C57BL/6J mouse liver cancer model induced by N-ni-trosodiethylamine(DEN)combined with carbon tetrachloride(CCl4),and to explore its mechanism.METHODS:Forty young male C57BL/6J mice were intraperitoneally injected with DEN(25 mg/kg)14 d after birth and randomly divided in-to the following 4 groups at the 4th week(10 in each group):model control group and curcumin(100,200 and 400 mg/kg)groups.Ten male mice of the same age were used as normal control group.The mice in model group and curcumin groups were gavaged with 10%CCl4(5 mL/kg)twice a week from the 8th week on.At the same time,the mice in curcumin groups were gavaged with curcumin,and the mice in normal control group were gavaged with the same volume of distilled water once a day for 14 weeks.After administration,the mice were sacrificed,the liver surface was observed,and the number of tumor nodules was compared.The activity of alanine aminotransferase(ALT)and aspartate aminotransferase(AST)in serum was detected by an automatic biochemical instrument.The pathological changes of liver tissues were ob-served by HE staining.The mRNA expression levels of heme oxygenase-1(HO-1)and NAD(P)H-quinone oxidoreductase 1(NQO1)were detected by RT-qPCR,and the protein expression levels of HO-1,NQO1 and Ki67 were detected by Western blot and immunohistochemistry.RESULTS:Compared with normal control group,the body weight of the mice in model group was decreased significantly(P＜0.01),the liver index was increased significantly(P＜0.01),and the se-rum levels of ALT and AST were increased obviously(P＜0.01).There was no significant difference in the mRNA expres-sion levels of HO-1 and NQO1(P＞0.05),the protein levels of HO-1 and NQO1 were increased distinctly(P＜0.05),and the positive expression rate of Ki67 was increased significantly(P＜0.05).After curcumin treatment,the body weight of the mice was significantly increased(P＜0.01),the liver index was not changed(P＞0.05),and the number of tumor nodules in the liver was decreased significantly(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01).The serum level of AST was decreased significantly(P＜0.01),the mRNA and protein expression levels of HO-1 and NQO1 were decreased significantly(P＜0.05),and the posi-tive expression rate of Ki67 was decreased significantly(P＜0.05).CONCLUSION:Curcumin significantly protects against liver cancer in a C57BL/6J mouse model induced by DEN combined with CCl4,and its mechanism may be related to the inhibition of HO-1 and NQO1 expression.

Objective:To evaluate the effect of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (ASCT) on the treatment of relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) with chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy.Methods:A retrospective cohort study. The clinical data of 168 patients with RRMM who underwent CAR-T therapy at the Department of Hematology, Xuzhou Medical University Hospital from 3 January 2020 to 13 September 2022 were analyzed. Patients were classified into a transplantation group (TG; n=47) and non-transplantation group (NTG; n=121) based on whether or not they had undergone ASCT previously. The objective response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and the levels of CD3, CD4, CD8, CD19, CD56 and natural killer (NK) cells before CAR-T infusion were analyzed by χ2 test, Kaplan-Meier method and independent sample t-test. Results:Among 168 patients with RRMM, 98 (58.3%) were male. The median age of onset was 57 (range 30-70) years. After CAR-T therapy, the ORR of patients was 89.3% (92/103) in the NTG and 72.9% (27/73) in the TG. The ORR of the NTG was better than that of the TG ( χ2=5.71, P=0.017). After 1 year of CAR-T therapy, the ORR of the NTG was 78.1% (75/96), and that of the TG was 59.4% (19/32). The ORR of the NTG was better than that of the TG ( χ2=4.32, P=0.038). The median OS and PFS in the NTG were significantly longer than those in the TG (OS, 30 vs. 20 months; PFS, 26 vs. 12 months; both P<0.05). The CD4 level before CAR-T infusion in the TG was significantly lower than that in the NTG (25.65±13.56 vs. 32.64±17.21; t=-2.15, P=0.034), and there were no significant differences in the counts of CD3, CD8, CD19, CD56, and NK cells between the TG and NTG (all P>0.05). Conclusion:Among patients suffering from RRMM who received CAR-T therapy, patients who did not receive ASCT had significantly better outcomes than those who had received ASCT previously, which may have been related to the CD4 level before receiving CAR-T therapy.

Alzheimer's disease(AD)is the most common neurodegenerative disease,typically affecting individuals aged 65 and older.Mild cognitive impairment is generally regarded as a precursor stage of AD.The underlying molecular and cellular processes of AD can be visualized in vivo using PET/CT technology.Multi-modal imaging based on Aβ PET,tau PET,and FDG PET within the ATN framework can effectively characterize the core neuropathological features of AD.Many novel PET tracers have recently been developed and applied to deeply probe the pathophysiological dysfunction and internal environmental alterations in AD.Therefore,this review will summarize the recent advances of amyloid,tau protein,FDG,and neuroinflammatory PET probes in AD research within the ATN framework.

Objective:To investigate the effects of breast milk to total milk intake ratio during hospitalization on the duration of antibiotic therapy in preterm infants less than 34 weeks of gestation.Methods:Clinical data of preterm infants ( n=1 792) less than 34 gestational weeks were retrospectively collected in 16 hospitals of Jiangsu Province Neonatal-Perinatal Cooperation Network from January 1, 2019, to December 31, 2021. The days of therapy (DOT) were used to evaluate the duration of antibiotic administration. The median DOT was 15.0 d (7.0-27.0 d). The patients were divided into four groups based on the quartiles of DOT: Q 1 (DOT≤7.0 d), Q 2 (7.0 d27.0 d) groups. According to the breast milk intake ratio (breast milk intake to total milk intake during hospitalization×100%), they were also divided into four groups: very-low-ratio breastfeeding group (breast milk intake ratio≤25%), low-ratio breastfeeding group (25%75%). Univariate analysis ( Chi-square test and Kruskal-Wallis rank-sum test) was used to analyze the factors influencing DOT. Spearman correlation analysis and trend Chi-square test were used to explore the relationship between breast milk intake ratio and DOT. After using multiple imputations to address missing data, two models were constructed after adjusting for different factors, and multinomial logistic regression model was applied to evaluate the effects of the breast milk intake ratio on DOT. Finally, sensitivity analysis was conducted to assess the stability of the models. Results:(1) Of the 1 792 preterm infants, there were 507 (28.3%) in the Q 1 group, 422 (23.5%) in the Q 2 group, 438 (24.4%) in the Q 3 group and 425 (23.7%) in the Q 4 group. (2) The median values of DOT in the very-low-ratio, low-ratio, medium-ratio and high-ratio breastfeeding groups were 20.0 d (11.0-31.0 d), 20.0 d (11.0-32.0 d), 13.0 d (6.0-25.8 d) and 10.0 d (4.0-21.0 d), respectively. Compared with the very-low-ratio and low-ratio breastfeeding groups, the medium-ratio and high-ratio breastfeeding groups had shorter DOT (all P<0.05). (3) After adjusting for factors with P<0.1 (prenatal glucocorticoid exposure, antimicrobial use within 24 h before delivery, gestational age at delivery, birth weight, Apgar score≤7 at 1 min, neonatal respiratory distress syndrome, infectious pneumonia and early-onset neonatal sepsis) between the DOT quartile groups, it showed that medium-ratio and high-ratio breastfeeding were protective factors in contrast to very-low-ratio breastfeeding in the Q 2, Q 3 and Q 4 groups as compared with the Q 1 group [Q 2 group: OR=0.50 (95% CI: 0.30-0.85) and OR=0.36 (95% CI: 0.26-0.51); Q 3 group: OR=0.31 (95% CI: 0.18-0.55) and OR=0.20 (95% CI: 0.14-0.29); Q 4 group: OR=0.22 (95% CI: 0.12-0.42) and OR=0.17 (95% CI: 0.12-0.26)]. Conclusion:Breast milk intake accounting for over 50% of total milk intake has a positive impact on reducing DOT in premature infants requiring antibiotics, which suggests that breastfeeding should be actively encouraged.

Objective:To investigate the therapeutic effect and safety of pomadomide combined with cyclophosphamide and dexamethasone (PCD) in the treatment of relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (MM).Methods:The clinical data of 20 relapsed/refractory MM patients receiving PCD regimen in the Second People's Hospital of Lianyungang Affiliated to Bengbu Medical College from March 2021 to June 2022 were retrospectively analyzed; and 29 relapsed/refractory MM patients receiving other regimens including DECP (dexamethasone+etoposide+cyclophosphamide+cisplatin, 13 cases) and VCD (bortezomib+ cyclophosphamide+ dexamethasone, 16 cases) during the same period were treated as the control group. The efficacy and adverse effects of both groups were compared after 4 cycles of treatment.Results:After 4 cycles of treatment, the overall response rate (ORR) and the clinical benefit rate (CBR) of 20 cases in PCD group was 70.0% (14/20) and 85.0% (17/20), respectively; among 20 cases, there were 5 cases of complete response (CR), 4 cases of very good partial remission (VGPR), 5 cases of partial remission (PR), 3 cases of minimal remission (MR), 2 cases of stable disease (SD), 1 case of the progression of the disease (PD). ORR and CBR of 29 cases in the control group was 41.4% (12/29) and 65.5% (19/29), respectively; among 29 cases, there were 2 cases of CR, 3 cases of VGPR, 7 cases of PR, 7 cases of MR, 5 cases of SD, 5 cases of PD. There was a statistically significant difference in ORR of both group ( χ2 = 3.89, P = 0.048), while the difference in CBR of both group was not statistically significant ( χ2 = 2.30, P = 0.129). There were 2 patients with renal impairment achieving CR in PCD group and 1 patient with renal impairment achieving CR in the control group ( P = 0.152); 1 genetically high-risk patient achieved CR in PCD group and none of patients in the control group achieved CR, and the difference was statistically significant ( P>0.05). The common hematological adverse effects of two groups were anemia, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia; the common non-hematological adverse effects were malaise, infection and fatigue, and the differences were statistically significant (all P>0.05). The incidence of grade 3-4 infection was 25.0% (5/20) in PCD group and the disease was under the control after anti-infective therapy, and the incidence of grade 3-4 infection was 24.1% (7/29) in the control group; and the difference was not statistically significant ( P > 0.05). Conclusions:PCD regimen has good clinical efficacy and safety in treatment of relapsed/refractory MM.