PURPOSE: To investigate the pathological changes of the synovium in mice with post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) treated with 4-octyl itaconate (4-OI) and evaluate the therapeutic effects of 4-OI. METHODS: In the phenotypic validation experiment, the mice were randomly divided into 3 groups: wild-type (WT) group, sham group, and destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM) group. Through MRI, micro-CT, and histological analysis, it was determined that the DMM surgery induced a mouse PTOA model with significant signs of synovitis. At 12 weeks post-DMM surgery, synovial tissues from the DMM group and WT group mice were collected for ribonucleic acid sequencing analysis. In the 4-OI treatment experiment, mice were randomly divided into the sham group, DMM group, DMM + 4-OI (50 mg/kg) group, and DMM + 4-OI (100 mg/kg) group. Von Frey tests and open field tests were conducted at intervals during the 12 weeks following the DMM surgery. After 12 weeks of surgery, the efficacy of 4-OI treatment on PTOA in mice was evaluated using MRI, micro-CT, histological analysis, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Finally, we utilized network pharmacology analysis to predict the mechanism of 4-OI in treating PTOA synovitis and conducted preliminary validation. Statistical analysis was performed using one-way ANOVA and the Kruskal-Wallis test. Difference was considered statistically significant at p < 0.05. RESULTS: The DMM surgery effectively induced a PTOA mouse model, which displayed significant symptoms of synovitis. These symptoms included a notable increase in both the number of calcified tissues and osteophytes (p < 0.001), an enlargement of the calcified meniscus and synovial tissue volume (p < 0.001), and thickening of the synovial lining layer attributable to M1 macrophage accumulation (p = 0.035). Additionally, we observed elevated histological scores for synovitis (p < 0.001). Treatment with 4-OI inhibited the thickening of M1 macrophages in the synovial lining layer of PTOA mice (p < 0.001) and reduced fibrosis in the synovial stroma (p = 0.004). Furthermore, it reduced the histological scores of knee synovitis in PTOA mice (p = 0.006) and improved the inflammatory microenvironment associated with synovitis. Consequently, this treatment alleviated pain in PTOA mice (p < 0.001) and reduced spontaneous activity (p = 0.003). Bioinformatics and network pharmacology analyses indicated that 4-OI may exert its therapeutic effects by inhibiting the differentiation of synovial Th17 cells. Specifically, compared to the lipopolysaccharide stimulation group, 4-OI reduced the levels of positive regulatory factors of Th17 cell differentiation (IL-1: p < 0.001, IL-6: p < 0.001), key effector molecules (IL-17A: p < 0.001, IL-17F: p = 0.004), and downstream effector molecules in the IL-17 signaling pathway (CCL2: p < 0.001, MMP13: p < 0.001). CONCLUSION 4-OI is effective in inhibiting synovitis in PTOA, thereby alleviating the associated painful symptoms.
Animals ; Synovitis/etiology* ; Mice ; Osteoarthritis/etiology* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Male ; Succinates/pharmacology* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; X-Ray Microtomography

OBJECTIVE: To investigate possible associations between physical function assessment scales, such as Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) and Berg Balance Scale (BBS), with all-cause mortality in acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) patients. METHODS: A total of 108 ADHF patients were analyzed from October 2020 to October 2022, and followed up to May 2023. The association between baseline clinical characteristics and all-cause mortality was analyzed by univariate Cox regression analysis, while for SPPB and BBS, univariate Cox regression analysis was followed by receiver operating characteristic curves, in which the area under the curve represented their predictive accuracy for all-cause mortality. Incremental predictive values for both physical function assessments were measured by calculating net reclassification index and integrated discrimination improvement scores. Optimal cut-off value for BBS was then identified using restricted cubic spline plots, and survival differences below and above that cut-off were compared using Kaplan-Meier survival curves and the log-rank test. The clinical utility of BBS was measured using decision curve analysis. RESULTS: For baseline characteristics, age, female, blood urea nitrogen, as well as statins, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers, or angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitors, were predictive for all-cause mortality for ADHF patients. With respect to SPPB and BBS, higher scores were associated with lower all-cause mortality rates for both assessments; similar area under the curves were measured for both (0.774 for SPPB and 0.776 for BBS). Furthermore, BBS ≤ 36.5 was associated with significantly higher mortality, which was still applicable even adjusting for confounding factors; BBS was also found to have great clinical utility under decision curve analysis. CONCLUSIONS BBS or SPPB could be used as tools to assess physical function in ageing ADHF patients, as well as prognosticate on all-cause mortality. Moreover, prioritizing the improvement of balance capabilities of ADHF patients in cardiac rehabilitation regimens could aid in lowering mortality risk.

Objective To investigate the risk factors for bronchopulmonary dysplasia(BPD)in twin preterm infants with a gestational age of<34 weeks,and to provide a basis for early identification of BPD in twin preterm infants in clinical practice.Methods A retrospective analysis was performed for the twin preterm infants with a gestational age of<34 weeks who were admitted to 22 hospitals nationwide from January 2018 to December 2020.According to their conditions,they were divided into group A(both twins had BPD),group B(only one twin had BPD),and group C(neither twin had BPD).The risk factors for BPD in twin preterm infants were analyzed.Further analysis was conducted on group B to investigate the postnatal risk factors for BPD within twins.Results A total of 904 pairs of twins with a gestational age of<34 weeks were included in this study.The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that compared with group C,birth weight discordance of>25%between the twins was an independent risk factor for BPD in one of the twins(OR=3.370,95%CI:1.500-7.568,P<0.05),and high gestational age at birth was a protective factor against BPD(P<0.05).The conditional logistic regression analysis of group B showed that small-for-gestational-age(SGA)birth was an independent risk factor for BPD in individual twins(OR=5.017,95%CI:1.040-24.190,P<0.05).Conclusions The development of BPD in twin preterm infants is associated with gestational age,birth weight discordance between the twins,and SGA birth.

Humans ; Mesothelioma/pathology* ; Mesothelioma, Malignant ; Pleural Neoplasms/diagnosis* ; Pleural Effusion, Malignant ; Pleural Effusion/pathology*

Objective: To investigate the response characteristics of patients with locally advanced/metastatic non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (nsq-NSCLC) treated with tislelizumab in combination with chemotherapy in the first line. Methods: Patients with nsq-NSCLC who achieved complete or partial remission after treatment with tislelizumab in combination with chemotherapy or chemotherapy alone in the RATIONALE 304 study, as assessed by an independent review board, were selected to analyze the response characteristics and safety profile of the responders. Time to response (TTR) was defined as the time from randomization to the achievement of first objective response. Depth of response (DpR) was defined as the maximum percentage of tumor shrinkage compared with the sum of the baseline target lesion length diameters. Results: As of January 23, 2020, 128 patients treated with tislelizumab in combination with chemotherapy achieved objective tumor response (responders), representing 57.4%(128/223) of the intention-to-treat population, with a TTR of 5.1 to 33.3 weeks and a median TTR of 7.9 weeks. Of the responders (128), 50.8%(65) achieved first remission at the first efficacy assessment (week 6), 31.3%(40) at the second efficacy assessment (week 12), and 18.0%(23) at the third and subsequent tumor assessments. The percentages of responders who achieved a depth of tumor response of 30% to <50%, 50% to <70% and 70% to 100% were 45.3%(58/128), 28.1%(36/128) and 26.6%(34/128), respectively, with median progression-free survival (PFS) of 9.0 months (95% CI: 7.7 to 9.9 months), 11.5 months (95% CI: 7.7 months to not reached) and not reached (95% CI: 11.8 months to not estimable), respectively. Tislelizumab plus chemotherapy were generally well tolerated in responders with similar safety profile to the overall safety population. Conclusion: Among responders to tislelizumab in combination with chemotherapy for nsq-NSCLC, 82.0%(105/128) achieves response within the first two tumor assessments (12 weeks) and 18.0%(23/128) achieves response at later (18 to 33 weeks) assessments, and there is a trend toward prolonged PFS in responders with deeper tumor response.
Humans ; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized/therapeutic use* ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/adverse effects* ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/pathology* ; Lung Neoplasms/pathology* ; Treatment Outcome

ObjectiveTo explore the improvement effect of Flos Puerariae， Hoveniae Semen， and their compatibility on acute alcoholic gastric mucosal injury， and lay a foundation for further development of Flos Puerariae， Hoveniae Semen， and their compatibility in the prevention and treatment of alcohol-induced multiple organ injury. MethodThe acute alcohol-induced gastric mucosal injury model of mice was established by multiple intragastric administration of 56% Hongxing Erguotou liquor （15 mL·kg^-1）. A total of 120 male ICR mice were randomly divided into 8 groups， namely， the blank group， model group， omeprazole group （0.026 g·kg^-1）， Flos Puerariae-Hoveniae Semen （compatibility） high， medium， and low-dose groups （29.2，14.6， 7.3 g·kg^-1）， Flos Puerariae group （19.5 g·kg^-1）， and Hoveniae Semen group （19.5 g·kg^-1）， with 15 mice in each group. After one week of adaptive feeding， the animals were pre-administrated with the corresponding drug at the rate of 10 mL·kg^-1 for 3 d. From the 4^th day， after 1 h of administration， Erguotou liquid was administrated at the rate of 15 mL·kg^-1 and the blank group was administrated with the same volume of deionized water to record the drunkenness and sober up time. The administration was lasted for 3 d. One hour after the last administration， the eyeballs were removed and the mice were sacrificed. The concentration of ethanol in serum was determined by gas chromatograph， and the activity of ethanol dehydrogenase （ADH） in gastric mucosa was determined by ultraviolet-vis spectrophotometer. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to observe the pathological changes in gastric mucosa. Serum inflammatory factors were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The mRNA expression of nuclear transcription factor-κB （NF-κB） p65 and NF-κB inhibitory protein α （IκBα） were detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）. ResultAs compared with the normal group， the content of interleukin-6 （IL-6）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） in serum of mice in the model group was increased （P<0.05）， the mRNA expression of NF-κB p65 in gastric mucosa tissues was increased （P<0.01）， and the mRNA expression of IκBα was decreased （P<0.01）. As compared with the model group， the drunkenness time of the omeprazole group， high and medium-dose compatibility groups， and Flos Puerariae group was prolonged （P<0.05）， the sober up time of the high and medium-dose compatibility groups was shortened （P<0.05）， the ethanol concentration in the serum of the high-dose compatibility group was decreased （P<0.05）， the ADH activity in the gastric mucosa of the omeprazole group and high and medium-dose compatibility groups was increased （P<0.05）， the macroscopic injury score of the high， medium， and low-dose compatibility groups and Flos Puerariae group was decreased （P<0.05）， the score of pathological injury in the omeprazole group， high， medium， and low-dose compatibility groups， and Flos Puerariae group was decreased （P<0.01）， the expression of IL-6 in serum of all drug groups was decreased （P<0.05）， the expression of IL-1β in serum of the omeprazole group， high， medium， and low-dose Flos Puerariae groups， and Hoveniae Semen group was decreased （P<0.05）， the expression of TNF-α in serum of high and medium-dose groups was decreased （P<0.05）， the mRNA expression of NF-κB p65 in gastric mucosa tissues of all drug groups was decreased （P<0.05）， and the mRNA expression of IκBα in gastric mucosa tissues of the omeprazole group and high， medium， and low-dose compatibility groups was increased （P<0.05）. As compared with the high-dose compatibility group， the drunkenness time in the low-dose compatibility group and Hoveniae Semen group was shortened （P<0.01）， the sober up time in the Flos Puerariae and Hoveniae Semen groups was prolonged （P<0.01）， the concentration of ethanol in the serum of the medium and low-dose compatibility groups， Flos Puerariae group， and Hoveniae Semen group increased （P<0.05）， the macroscopic injury score of the medium and low-dose compatibility groups and Hoveniae Semen group was increased （P<0.05）， the pathological injury score of the medium and low-dose compatibility groups， Flos Puerariae group， and Hoveniae Semen group was increased （P<0.01）， the content of IL-1β in serum of low-dose compatibility group， Flos Puerariae group， and Hoveniae Semen group was increased （P<0.01）， and the mRNA expression of IκBα in gastric mucosa of the Flos Puerariae group and Hoveniae Semen group was decreased （P<0.05）. As compared with the medium-dose compatibility group， the drunkenness time in the Hoveniae Semen group was shortened （P<0.05）， the sober up time in the Flos Puerariae group was prolonged （P<0.05）， the pathological injury score in the Flos Puerariae group and Hoveniae Semen group was increased （P<0.01）， and the content of IL-1β in serum of the low-dose compatibility group， the Flos Puerariae group， and Hoveniae Semen group was increased （P<0.05）. As compared with the low-dose compatibility group， the pathological injury score of the Hoveniae Semen group was increased （P<0.05）. ConclusionFlos Puerariae， Hoveniae Semen， and their compatibility play a role in preventing and treating acute alcoholic gastric mucosal injury in mice， which may be related to the inhibition of the expression of NF-κB signal pathway in gastric mucosa， and the high-dose compatibility group has the optimal effect.

Objective: To provide survival evidence of anthracycline-free neoadjuvant chemotherapy for patients with stages Ⅱ-Ⅲ human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER-2) positive and hormone receptor (HR) negative breast cancer. Methods: The prospective cohort study was conducted at the Department of Medical Oncology of Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. Patients with HER-2 positive and HR negative breast cancer in stages Ⅱ-Ⅲ were enrolled to receive neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) of dose-dense paclitaxel (175 mg/m(2)) plus carboplatin (AUC=4.0) biweekly for 6 cycles in combination with trastuzumab (PCbH), and matched patients who received standard adjuvant therapy of physicians' choice were recruited for survival and safety comparison. Results: From July 2013 to November 2019, 166 patients were included (neoadjuvant 51, adjuvant 115). Compared with those who received adjuvant therapy, patients receiving NAT were younger (<35 years: 19.6% vs 5.2%, P=0.014), had larger tumors (T3: 62.7% vs 7.8%, P<0.001) and more advanced diseases (stage ⅡA: 2.0% vs 41.7%, P<0.001). Patients in the neoadjuvant group all received surgery, and 96 (83.5%) in the adjuvant group received anthracycline-and-taxane-containing regimens. A total of 98 patients (49 pairs) were matched, and the covariates between the two groups were acceptably balanced. Within a median follow-up of 46.5 (range, 14-87) months, the 4-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) rate among patients who received NAT was 73.3% (95% CI: 59.0%-87.6%), versus 80.6% (95% CI: 67.9%-93.3%) among those in the adjuvant group without statistical difference (P=0.418). A similar result was observed for the 4-year overall survival (OS) [neoadjuvant versus adjuvant: 91.5% (95% CI: 81.7%-100.0%) vs 97.8% (95% CI: 93.5%-100.0%), P=0.314]. Compared with standard adjuvant therapy, PCbH was related to less neutropenia and better cardiac safety. Conclusions: These results support the consideration of anthracycline-free neoadjuvant chemotherapy combined with anti-HER-2 therapy for patients with stages Ⅱ-Ⅲ HER-2-positive and HR-negative breast cancer. Optimized regimens with both efficacy and safety are needed and to be further investigated.
Female ; Humans ; Anthracyclines/therapeutic use* ; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic/therapeutic use* ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use* ; Carboplatin/therapeutic use* ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Hormones/therapeutic use* ; Neoadjuvant Therapy ; Paclitaxel/therapeutic use* ; Prospective Studies ; Receptor, ErbB-2/metabolism* ; Trastuzumab/therapeutic use* ; Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms/drug therapy*

Objective: To provide survival evidence of anthracycline-free neoadjuvant chemotherapy for patients with stages Ⅱ-Ⅲ human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER-2) positive and hormone receptor (HR) negative breast cancer. Methods: The prospective cohort study was conducted at the Department of Medical Oncology of Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. Patients with HER-2 positive and HR negative breast cancer in stages Ⅱ-Ⅲ were enrolled to receive neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) of dose-dense paclitaxel (175 mg/m(2)) plus carboplatin (AUC=4.0) biweekly for 6 cycles in combination with trastuzumab (PCbH), and matched patients who received standard adjuvant therapy of physicians' choice were recruited for survival and safety comparison. Results: From July 2013 to November 2019, 166 patients were included (neoadjuvant 51, adjuvant 115). Compared with those who received adjuvant therapy, patients receiving NAT were younger (<35 years: 19.6% vs 5.2%, P=0.014), had larger tumors (T3: 62.7% vs 7.8%, P<0.001) and more advanced diseases (stage ⅡA: 2.0% vs 41.7%, P<0.001). Patients in the neoadjuvant group all received surgery, and 96 (83.5%) in the adjuvant group received anthracycline-and-taxane-containing regimens. A total of 98 patients (49 pairs) were matched, and the covariates between the two groups were acceptably balanced. Within a median follow-up of 46.5 (range, 14-87) months, the 4-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) rate among patients who received NAT was 73.3% (95% CI: 59.0%-87.6%), versus 80.6% (95% CI: 67.9%-93.3%) among those in the adjuvant group without statistical difference (P=0.418). A similar result was observed for the 4-year overall survival (OS) [neoadjuvant versus adjuvant: 91.5% (95% CI: 81.7%-100.0%) vs 97.8% (95% CI: 93.5%-100.0%), P=0.314]. Compared with standard adjuvant therapy, PCbH was related to less neutropenia and better cardiac safety. Conclusions: These results support the consideration of anthracycline-free neoadjuvant chemotherapy combined with anti-HER-2 therapy for patients with stages Ⅱ-Ⅲ HER-2-positive and HR-negative breast cancer. Optimized regimens with both efficacy and safety are needed and to be further investigated.
Female ; Humans ; Anthracyclines/therapeutic use* ; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic/therapeutic use* ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use* ; Carboplatin/therapeutic use* ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Hormones/therapeutic use* ; Neoadjuvant Therapy ; Paclitaxel/therapeutic use* ; Prospective Studies ; Receptor, ErbB-2/metabolism* ; Trastuzumab/therapeutic use* ; Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms/drug therapy*

Infection of pregnant women by Asian lineage Zika virus(ZIKV)is more likely to cause microcephaly in infants than African lineage ZIKV.To further clarify the differences in infectivity and stability between Asian and African lineage ZIKV,we selected Asian lineage SZ01 and African lineage MR766 strains for study in glial cells.First,we examined the differ-ence in infectivity between SZ01 and MR766 on U251 and U87 astrocytes,and T98G glioblastoma cells,by using CCK8 assays.Subsequently,we examined the tolerance of SZ01 and MR766 to 37 ℃ and 40 ℃ in the free and infected cell states,by using qRT-PCR or viral plaque assays.Finally,we examined the effect of repeated freezing and thawing on the stability of SZ01 and MR766 with viral plaque assays.ZIKV had higher infectivity in U251 and U87 than T98G,and SZ01 was more infectious to as-trocytes than MR766.SZ01 tolerated 40 ℃ better than MR766 in the free state.SZ01 proliferated faster than MR766 in glial cells at 40 ℃.The tolerance of SZ01 to repeated freezing and thawing was higher than that of MR766.The above findings sug-gest that the infectivity and stability of Asian lineage ZIKV are significantly higher than those of African lineage ZIKV,possi-bly because of its persistent infection and pathogenicity.

Acupuncture-moxibustion is remarkably effective on encephalopathy, but its mechanism is unclear. With the continuous development of imaging technology, the in vivo brain imaging technology has been used increasingly in life science research and it also becomes a more effective tool for the basic research of acupuncture-moxibustion in treatment of encephalopathy. The paper summarizes the application of its technology in the basic research of acupuncture-moxibustion for encephalopathy and the characteristics of imaging, as well as the advantages and shortcomings. It is anticipated that the references may be provided for the basic research of acupuncture-moxibustion in treatment of encephalopathy and be conductive to the modernization of acupuncture-moxibustion.
Humans ; Moxibustion ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Acupuncture ; Brain Diseases/therapy* ; Neuroimaging