OBJECTIVE To focus on the classic NOD-like receptor protein 3 （NLRP3）/Caspase-1/gasdermin D （GSDMD） pyroptosis pathway and explore the mechanism by which Huatan qushi huoxue formula （HQHF） inhibits macrophage pyroptosis to ameliorate metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis （MASH）. METHODS RAW264.7 cells were divided into 5 groups： Control group （10% blank serum）， Model group [10% blank serum+5 μg/mL lipopolysaccharide （LPS）]， HQHF-L group （2.5% drug-containing serum+7.5% blank serum+5 μg/mL LPS）， HQHF-M group （5% drug-containing serum+5% blank serum+5 μg/mL LPS）， and HQHF-H group （10% drug-containing serum+5 μg/mL LPS）. After 24 h of routine culture post-administration， cells and supernatants were collected for assays. Cell morphology was observed via scanning electron microscopy and phase-contrast microscopy； localization and expression of gasdermin D-N （GSDMD-N） were observed by immunofluorescence. Interleukin-1β （IL-1β） and IL-18 contents in supernatants were detected by ELISA； mRNA and protein expressions of NLRP3， Caspase-1， and GSDMD were measured using real-time PCR and Western blot. RESULTS Compared with the Control group， the Model group showed typical pyroptotic morphology （cell membrane bulging and pore formation）， increased aggregation and fluorescence intensity of GSDMD-N on the cell membrane （ P ＜0.05）， significantly increased the contents of IL-1β and IL-18 in cell supernatants （ P ＜0.05）， and significantly up-regulated mRNA and protein expressions of NLRP3， Caspase-1， and GSDMD in cells （ P ＜0.05）. Compared with the Model group， the HQHF-L， HQHF-M and HQHF-H groups showed improved pyroptotic morphology， reduced membrane localization and significantly weakened fluorescence intensity of GSDMD-N （ P ＜0.05）， significantly decreased the contents of IL-1β and IL-18 in cell supernatants （ P ＜0.05）， and significantly down-regulated mRNA and protein expressions of NLRP3， Caspase-1， and GSDMD in cells （ P ＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS HQHF inhibits LPS-induced macrophage pyroptosis， and its mechanism of improving MASH may be associated with the suppression of the activation of the classical NLRP3/Caspase-1/GSDMD pyroptosis pathway.

Acute leukemia is a common hematological malignancy.Conventional chemotherapy,targe-ted drug therapy,hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and other treatment methods have made progress,but the mortality rate of patients after recurrence is still high.Adoptive cell therapy(ACT)has emerged as an effective therapeutic option for acute leukemia,particularly chimeric antigen receptor(CAR)T-cell therapy,which has demonstrated remarkable efficacy in treating B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia(B-ALL)and ma-lignant lymphoma.However,CAR-T cell therapy may induce cytokine release syndrome.Recent studies have highlighted the potent anti-leukemia effects of CAR-NK cell therapy.This review summarizeed the research progress of ACT employing various immune cells targeting different antigens in the treatment of acute leukemia.

ObjectiveTo investigate the association between serum creatinine/cystatin C ratio （CCR） and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease （NAFLD） based on the NHANES database， and to evaluate the potential significance of CCR as an indicator reflecting the metabolic status of the body. MethodsBased on the data from the NHANES database in 1999‍ ‍—‍ ‍2004， a total of 4 217 participants were enrolled and divided into NAFLD group with 1 726 participants and non-NAFLD group with 2 491 participants. CCR was compared between the two groups， and the association between CCR and NAFLD was analyzed. The Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used for comparison of continuous data between two groups， and the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. The multivariate logistic regression model was used to investigate the association between CCR and NAFLD； CCR was divided into 4 groups based on quartiles， and odds ratio （OR） and 95% confidence interval （CI） in the regression model was calculated with the first quartile as reference. In addition， the restricted cubic spline analysis was used to investigate whether there was a non-linear relationship between CCR and NAFLD， and interaction items were introduced into the Logistic regression model to perform an interaction analysis. Subgroup analyses were performed based on the stratification of variables to investigate the difference in the association between CCR and NAFLD in different populations. ResultsThe non-NAFLD group had a significantly higher CCR than the NAFLD group （Z=-4.76，P<0.01）. The Logistic regression analysis showed that in model 1 without adjustment of variables， CCR was negatively associated with NAFLD （OR=0.993，95%CI：0.989‍ ‍—‍ ‍0.996，P<0.01）， and in model 3 with adjustment of all variables， CCR was still negatively associated with NAFLD （OR=0.986，95%CI：0.981‍ ‍—‍ ‍0.991，P<0.01）. The analysis of CCR based on quartiles showed a significant association between the increase in CCR and the reduction in the risk of NAFLD. In model 3， compared with the individuals with the lowest quartile of CCR， the individuals with the highest quartile of CCR had a significantly lower risk of NAFLD （OR=0.426，95%CI：0.316‍ ‍—‍ ‍0.574，P<0.01）. Further interaction and subgroup analyses showed that the interaction between CCR and age/sex had a statistical significance （P_interaction<0.01 and P_interaction=0.04）. The subgroup analysis based on age showed a more significant association between CCR and NAFLD in the middle-aged population （≤60 years） （OR=0.982，95%CI：0.976‍ ‍—‍ ‍0.987）， and the subgroup analysis based on sex showed a stronger association between CCR and NAFLD in women （OR=0.979，95%CI：0.972‍ ‍—‍ ‍0.986）. ConclusionThis study shows a significant negative association between CCR and NAFLD， and such association is more significant in middle-aged individuals and women.

Epigenetic mechanisms play a crucial role in the development and progression of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease （NAFLD）， especially among lean individuals. The research on related epigenetic mechanisms has provided new clues and directions for revealing the underlying causes and treatment strategies of NAFLD. This article introduces the role of epigenetics in the development and progression of NAFLD among lean individuals in recent years， analyzes the latest research advances in the epigenetics of NAFLD in this population， and briefly describes the basic concepts of epigenetics， including DNA methylation， histone modifications， and non-coding RNA regulation. This article also discusses how epigenetic alterations impact the pathogenesis， disease progression， and treatment strategies of NAFLD in lean individuals.

Objective To explore the relevant factors for infection in patients with non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC)during chemotherapy period,and construct a prediction model.Methods 387 NSCLC chemotherapy pa-tients who admitted to a hospital from May 2020 to January 2023 were selected as the modeling set.They were di-vided into an infection group and a control group based on the occurrence of infection during chemotherapy period.General data,diagnosis and treatment information,and biochemical examination results of patients were collected for univariate analysis.Items with statistically significant differences were included in logistic regression analysis,and factors related to infection were screened out.A infection risk prediction model for NSCLC chemotherapy pa-tients was constructed using the RMS package in R-based software.The discrimination and consistency of the model in infection prediction were validated through the area under the curve(AUC)of the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve and the calibration curve.Clinical benefits were evaluated through the decision curve analysis(DCA).A total of 165 NSCLC chemotherapy patients who admitted to the hospital from February 2023 to October 2024 were included as the validation set,and external validation of the model was conducted.Results Among the 387 patients in the modeling set,93 cases developed infection during chemotherapy period,with an infection rate of 24.03％.The main infection sites were respiratory system(39.79％)and digestive system(24.73％).There were statistically significant differences in age,combined chronic respiratory disease,tumor-node-metastasis-based(TNM)staging system,chemotherapy cycle,combined radiotherapy,episode number of invasive procedures,and glucocorticoid use between two groups of patients in the modeling set(all P＜0.05).Logistic regression analysis showed 6 major risk factors for co-infection in NSCLC chemotherapy patients,namely age,TNM stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ,long chemotherapy cycle,combined radiotherapy,more than 2 episodes of invasive procedures,and glucocorticoid use.A risk prediction model for the infection in NSCLC chemotherapy patients was constructed using the 6 predictive indi-cators.The results showed that the AUCs of the modeling set and the validation set were 0.792 and 0.773,respec-tively.The predicted probability of infection was close to the actual probability.The HL test of goodness of fit of the modeling set showed x2 value of 8.760 and P value of 0.316,and those of the modeling set were 9.013 and 0.287,respectively.DCA revealed a high clinical benefit of the model.Conclusion A nomogram prediction model based on age,TNM stage,chemotherapy cycle,combined radiotherapy,episodes of invasive procedures,and glu-cocorticoid use can effectively predict co-infection in NSCLC chemotherapy patients.

Objective:To summarized the clinical characteristics of intracranial germ cell tumors（iGCTs）in children, with the ultimate goal of facilitating early tumor identification and guiding the prompt selection of appropriate treatment strategies.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on pediatric patients with primary iGCTs admitted to Beijing Tiantan Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University between March 2021 and June 2022. Patient age, gender, clinical manifestations, tumor marker levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood, imaging features, and histopathological examination results were meticulously collected and statistically analyzed.Results:A total of 126 pediatric patients with iGCTs were included in the study, of which 86 cases (68.3%) were male,and 40 cases (31.7%) were female.The average age was (10.0 ± 3.5) years old. The mean age of onset was found between 6~14 years old(80.1%), with a male-to-female ratio of 2.2:1.The tumors were predominantly located in the sellar region (30.2%), basal ganglia (23.8%), and pineal region (19.8%). Notably, there were distinct differences in tumor location across different age groups: pineal region tumors were most prevalent in preschool children (71.4%), basal ganglia tumors were more common in school-age children (41.9%), and sellar region involvement was highest among adolescent patients(44.8%). Based on molecular marker analysis and biopsy diagnosis, 79 cases were classified as germinoma, 3 as teratoma, 2 as yolk sac tumor, 1 as choriocarcinoma, and 41 as mixed germinoma.All children underwent head CT and MRI examinations. Among them, 99 cases showed high-density lesions on CT,while 27 cases showed mixed density,including 39 cases of calcification and 35 cases of hydrocephalus.MRI revealed atrophy of the cerebral peduncle, caudate nucleus head, or cerebral cortex in 38 cases, involvement of the basal ganglia in 33 cases, and midbrain involvement in 5 cases.Blood β-human chorionic gonadotropin (β-HCG) and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels were examined in all patients, while CSF tumor marker levels were analyzed in 103 cases. There were 76 cases with elevated β-HCG in blood and/or cerebrospinal fluid, and 24 cases with elevated AFP in blood and/or CSF.Additionally, all 86 male patients underwent genital ultrasound, revealed testicular microlithiasis in 12 cases and testicular cysts in 6 cases.Conclusion:The clinical presentation of iGCTs in pediatric patients exhibits significant heterogeneity in terms of epidemiology, classification, tumor location, and molecular markers. Notably, CSF β-HCG and AFP levels are equally crucial diagnostic indicators alongside blood tumor markers.Histological examination should be performed as early as possible in clinically suspected cases with negative tumor markers. Clinicians should remain vigilant for early imaging negative potential cases. In addition, male children with testicular microlithiasis or cysts should be closely followed up.

Objective To evaluate the acute toxicity and acute eye irritation of hydroquinone. Methods i) Acute toxicity test. Specific pathogen-free (SPF) Kunming mice were randomly divided into four dose groups, 10 mice per group with equal number of males and females. Hydroquinone was administered as a single exposure via oral gavage and intraperitoneal injection at doses of 0.00, 100.00, 250.00, and 500.00 mg/kg body weight. The mice were observed for 14 days. The toxic symptoms were recorded, and median lethal dose (LD₅₀) was calculated. ii) In vitro eye irritation test. Fertilized chicken embryos were randomly divided into four dose groups, with six embryos in each group. The chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay was used to evaluate the acute eye irritation potential of hydroquinone in vitro. iii) SPF Kunming mice were randomly divided into three doses groups, 10 mice per group with equal numbers of males and females. Hydroquinone was administered via tail vein injection at doses of 0.00, 25.00, and 50.00 mg/kg body weight. Blood alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), methemoglobin (MetHb), and cholinesterase levels were measured using colorimetric methods after one hour exposure. Organ coefficients of the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys in mice were calculated. Results i) Following oral administration of 500.00 mg/kg body weight hydroquinone, the mice rapidly developed severe toxic symptoms, including agitation, cyanosis of the lips, eye closure, and limb convulsions. Trunk rigidity and curling occurred within 15-60 mins, ended up with death. After intraperitoneal injection at 500.00 mg/kg body weight hydroquinone, toxic reactions occurred more rapidly, with all mice died within five mins. The LD₅₀ values for acute oral and intraperitoneal exposure were 356.64 and 275.90 mg/kg body weight, respectively. Female mice had higher LD₅₀ values for acute intraperitioneal exposure than males (316.58 vs 276.38 mg/kg body weight). ii) The in vitro eye irritation test results showed an irritation score of 3.05 at a dose of 100.00 mg/kg body weight, indicating mild eye irritation, accompanied by vascular congestion and edema in the embryos. iii) Tail vein injection results showed that mouse serum ALT activity increased with increasing hydroquinone doses (all P<0.05), and ALT activity was higher in males than in females (P<0.01). Serum AST activity of mice in the 25.00 and 50.00 mg/kg body weight groups was higher than that in the 0.00 mg/kg body weight group (both P<0.05). With increasing hydroquinone-exposed doses, whole bood MetHb levels increased and cholinesterase activity decreased in both male and female mice (both P<0.05). Male mice had higher MetHb levels than females at corresponding doses among 25.00 and 50.00 mg/kg body weight groups (all P<0.05). Serum cholinesterase levels in male mice were higher than that in females at corresponding doses among 0.00 and 25.00 mg/kg body weight groups (both P<0.05). As the hydroquinone exposure dose increased, the liver organ coefficients decreased in both female and male mice (both P<0.05). The liver organ coefficient in male mice at the 50.00 mg/kg body weight group was higher than that in female mice (P<0.05). Compared to mice of the same sex in the 25.00 mg/kg body weight group, the kidney organ coefficients decreased in both female and male mice in the 0.00 mg/kg body weight group (all P<0.05), and decreased in the 50.00 mg/kg body weight group (all P<0.05). The male mice had lower kidney organ coefficient than female mice at 25.00 mg/kg body weight group (P<0.05). Conclusion Hydroquinone is classified as a moderately toxic substance. Increasing exposure doses result in pronounced eye irritation and affect hepatic and renal functions of mice.

Objective To investigate the predictive value of edema metabolic and hematoma dynamics changes on motor and cog-nitive recovery outcomes in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage(ICH).Methods The CT data of ICH patients were collected to evaluate hematoma volume changes from admission to day 3.On day 3,multivoxel magnetic resonance spectroscopy(MRS)was per-formed with region of interest located in the edema region and contralateral normal tissue.Motor and cognitive function recovery was assessed using the simplified F-M scale and the Montreal cognitive assessment(MoCA)on day 3 and at the 3-month follow-up,respec-tively.Overall clinical outcomes were assessed using the Glasgow outcome scale(GOS),and all patients were divided into good and poor outcome groups.Clinical data and metabolic differences in the edema region between the two groups were compared,respec-tively.Logistic regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves were used to identify and evaluate independent prognostic factors.Subgroup analysis were performed via stratification of hematoma location.Results The logistic regression analy-sis indicated that intraventricular extension,hematoma changes,and the ratio of N-acetyl aspartate(NAA)around the hematoma to contralateral normal brain parenchyma NAA(rNAA)were inde-pendent prognostic factors for poor outcomes(P＜0.05).The area under the curve(AUC)for each factor and the combined model were 0.69,0.73,0.79,and 0.82,respectively.In patients with ICH in the basal ganglia region,△F-M was negatively correlated with hematoma changes and positively correlated with rNAA value(P＜0.001).In patients with ICH in the thalamic and lobar regions,△MoCA was not significantly correlated with hematoma changes(P＞0.05),but was positively correlated with rNAA value(P＜0.001).Conclusion The rNAA holds predictive value for motor and cognitive recovery outcomes following standard treatment.

Objective Cheng's Juanbi Decoction(CSJBD)is a classic traditional Chinese medicine formula for treating rheumatoid arthritis(RA),exhibiting significant clinical efficacy,but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear.We investigated whether CSJBD inhibited RA pathology by blocking the WTAP-Wnt7b-Wnt/β-catenin signaling axis using a collagen-induced arthritis(CIA)mouse model and fibroblast-like synoviocytes(FLSs)derived from RA patients(RA FLSs)and examined the underlying mechanisms.Methods We conducted in vivo experiments.Male C57BL/6 mice weighing 17 to 20 g were used to establish the CIA model.The mice were assigned to 6 groups,including the normal group,the model(CIA)group,the model+CSJBD-L(8.1 g/kg)group,the model+CSJBD-M(16.2 g/kg)group,the model+CSJBD-H(32.4 g/kg)group,and the model+leflunomide(LEF)(0.05 mg/10 g)group,with 10 mice in each group.CSJBD was administered twice daily via gastric gavage,while LEF was administered once daily via gastric gavage,for a duration of 28 days.We also conducted in vitro experiments.RA FLSs were assigned to 4 groups,including the RA FLSs+CSJBDS-L group receiving 10%CSJBDS-containing serum,the RA FLSs+CSJBDS-M group receiving 15%CSJBDS-containing serum,the RA FLSs+CSJBDS-H group receiving 20%CSJBDS-containing serum,and the RA FLSs+NC group(negative control).To study whether WTAP regulated Wnt7b,RA FLSs were divided into the RA FLSs group,the RA FLSs+si-WTAP#3 group,the RA FLSs+si-WTAP#3+Wnt7b-OE group,and the RA FLSs+si-WTAP#3+Wnt7b-NC group.To study the underlying mechanism by which CSJBT affected RA FLSs,RA FLSs were divided into the RA FLSs group,the RA FLSs+CSJBDS-M group,the RA FLSs+CSJBDS-M+Wnt7b-OE group,and the RA FLSs+CSJBDS-M+NC group.We used ultra-high performance liquid chromatography(UPLC)to identify and quantify key monomer compounds from CSJBD as quality criteria for CSJBD preparation.Bioinformatics,CCK-8,RT-qPCR,Western blot,immunofluorescence,and related methods were employed to assess the therapeutic efficacy and underlying mechanisms of CSJBD in treating RA.Results According to the UPLC analysis,ferulic acid,osthole,mulberroside A,notopterol,and gentiopicroside were identified as quality control standards for the preparation of CSJBD formula.CSJBD improved RA pathology in CIA mice,reduced the levels of interleukin(IL)-6,IL-1β,IL-8,and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)in their serum,and decreased the expression of RA pathological genes MMP3 and fibronectin,with the difference between groups being statistically significant.Bioinformatics analysis suggested that CSJBD might inhibit RA pathology by suppressing the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway through Wnt7b.Experimental results showed that the expression of WTAP and Wnt7b was significantly increased in RA.After knocking down WTAP,the expression of Wnt7b was significantly reduced,and the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway was also inhibited,with the difference between groups being statistically significant(P<0.05),confirming that WTAP regulated the pathway via Wnt7b.According to experimental verification,CSJBD significantly inhibited the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and the proliferation of RA FLSs.Wnt7b overexpression reversed the inhibitory effect of CSJBD on the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and the proliferation of RA FLSs,indicating that Wnt7b is the direct target of CSJBD.Conclusion CSJBD inhibits RA pathology by blocking the WTAP-Wnt7b-Wnt/β-catenin signaling axis,with Wnt7b identified as a direct therapeutic target of CSJBD.

To explore the clinical characteristics of primary intracranial germ cell tumors (iGCT) and analyze the risk factors for the occurrence of neuroendocrine dysfunction.Methods:A case series study was conducted. The data of 130 children diagnosed with iGCT who were admitted to the Department of Pediatrics, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, from February 2021 to December 2023 was collected. The clinical characteristics of iGCT were summarized, including general information, clinical manifestations, imaging findings, laboratory tests and outcomes. Children were divided into groups aged 0-9 and 10-18 years, and divided into group non-neuroendocrine dysfunction, group partial neuroendocrine dysfunction and group combined hypothalamic and pituitary-target gland axis dysfunction. Multivariate Logistic regression was employed for statistical analysis to identify risk factors for neuroendocrine dysfunction in iGCT children.Results:A total of 130 iGCT children were included, with an age of (10±3) years, 87 males and 43 females. Among them, 82 children (63.1%) had germinoma and 48 children (36.9%) had non-germinomatous germ cell tumors (NGGCT). One hundred and ten children (84.6%) had single lesions, including 47 cases in the sellar region, 29 cases in the pineal region and 34 cases in the basal ganglia region. Multi-leisions presented in the 20 children (15.4%), with 10 cases in the sellar+pineal region, 6 cases in the sellar+basal ganglia region, 3 cases in the pineal+ganglia region and 1 case in the sellar+pineal+basal ganglia region. Dissemination was presented to 26 children (20.0%). Initial clinical manifestations presented with symptoms of cranial hypertension like headache and vomiting in 75 cases, vision changes in 28 cases, limb movement disorders in 42 cases, diabetes insipidus in 67 cases, precocious puberty in 23 cases, growth retardation in 22 cases and delayed puberty in 2 cases. Among the 72 children aged 0-9 years, 37 cases (51.4%) had germinoma and 35 cases (48.6%) had NGGCT, while among the 58 children aged 10-18 years, 45 cases (77.6%) had germinoma and 13 cases (22.4%) had NGGCT. Non neuroendocrine dysfunction group included 39 children, partial neuroendocrine dysfunction group 54 children, and combined hypothalamic and pituitary-target gland axis dysfunction group 37 children. Univariate analysis showed statistical difference in gender, disease duration, tumor location, and serum human chorionic gonadotropin level among the 3 groups (all P<0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis revealed that girl ( OR=5.29, 95% CI 1.54-18.16) and long disease duration ( OR=1.07, 95% CI 1.01-1.14) were risk factors for neuroendocrine dysfunction in iGCT patients (both P<0.05). Conclusions:iGCT occurs in children of all ages, with a higher incidence in males. The proportions of germinoma and NGGCT are similar in children aged 0-9 years, while germinoma is more common in patients aged 10-18 years. The clinical symptoms are atypical and diverse. Female gender and longer disease duration demonstrate the presence of neuroendocrine dysfunction in iGCT.