Background: Adrenocortical hormones, particularly 11-oxygenated androgens, are pivotal in female reproductive health and fertility. Standardized detection kits and population-specific reference intervals are lacking in China, hindering related clinical applications. Methods: A HPLC-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) pipeline was developed, rigorously validated, and applied to simultaneously quantify corticosterone, cortisone, cortisol, 18-OH cortisol, androstenedione (A4), 11β-hydroxyandrostenedione (11-OH A4), dehydroepiandrosterone, and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate in serum samples from 455 reproductive-aged women (18–45 yrs) in Guangxi, China. Age-dependent concentration trends were analyzed, and reference intervals stratified by age (2.5th to 97.5th percentiles) were established. Correlations with body-composition metrics, ethnicity, and the menstrual cycle were investigated. Results: The HPLC-MS/MS method demonstrated high precision (intra- and inter-assay CVs < 15%), accuracy, and sensitivity. All eight hormones exhibited significant age-related declines (P < 0.001 for seven hormones; P = 0.001 for 11-OH A4). Notably, 11-OH A4 levels were significantly lower in the 35–45-yr (3.05 nmol/L) and 25–34-yr (3.09 nmol/L) age groups than in the 18–24-yr (3.57 nmol/L) age group, whereas no significant difference was observed between the 35–45-yr and 25–34-yr age groups. Weak negative correlations were observed between the body mass index and corticosterone and cortisone levels, whereas ethnicity and the menstrual cycle showed no significant associations with hormone levels. Conclusions We developed an HPLC-MS/MS-based method for simultaneously quantifying eight adrenocortical hormones, including 11-OH A4, and defined age-specific reference intervals for reproductive-aged Chinese women. These findings advance the clinical utility of adrenocortical hormones in diagnosing and managing reproductive disorders.

OBJECTIVE: Huachansu injection (HCSI), a promising anti-cancer Chinese medicine injection, has been reported to have the potential for reducing the toxicity of chemotherapy and improving the quality of life for colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. The objective of this study is to explore the synergistic and detoxifying effects of HCSI when used in combination with irinotecan (CPT-11). METHODS: To investigate the effect of HCSI on anti-CRC efficacy and intestinal toxicity of CPT-11, we measured changes in the biological behavior of LoVo cells in vitro, and anti-tumor effects in LoVo cell xenograft nude mice models in vivo. Meanwhile, the effect of HCSI on intestinal toxicity and the uridine diphosphate-glucuronosyltransferase 1A1 (UGT1A1) expression was investigated in the CPT-11-induced colitis mouse model. Subsequently, we measured the effect of HCSI and its 13 constituent bufadienolides on the expression of UGT1A1 and organic anion transporting polypeptides 1B3 (OATP1B3) in HepG2 cells. RESULTS: The combination index (CI) results showed that the combination of HCSI and CPT-11 exhibited a synergistic effect (CI < 1), which significantly suppressing the LoVo cell migration, enhancing G2/M and S phase arrest, and inhibiting tumor growth in vivo. Additionally, the damage to intestinal tissues was attenuated by HCSI in CPT-11-induced colitis model, while the increased expression of UGT1A1 in HepG2 cells and in mouse was observed. CONCLUSION The co-therapy with HCSI alleviated the intestinal toxicity induced by CPT-11 and exerted an enhanced anti-CRC effect. The detoxifying mechanism may be related to the increased expression of UGT1A1 and OATP1B3 by HCSI and its bufadienolides components. The findings of this study may serve as a theoretical insights and strategies to improve CRC patient outcomes. Please cite this article as: Jiang B, Meng ZY, Hu YJ, Chen JJ, Zong L, Xu LY, Zhang XQ, Zhang JX, Han YL. Huachansu injection enhances anti-colorectal cancer efficacy of irinotecan and alleviates its induced intestinal toxicity through upregulating UGT1A1-OATP1B3 expression in vitro and in vivo. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(5):576-590.
Irinotecan/therapeutic use* ; Animals ; Glucuronosyltransferase/genetics* ; Humans ; Colorectal Neoplasms/metabolism* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Mice, Nude ; Mice ; Up-Regulation/drug effects* ; Male ; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Hep G2 Cells ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Intestines/drug effects* ; Amphibian Venoms

ObjectiveTo investigate the application of the novel inflammatory factor adsorption column CA280 combined with low-dose plasma exchange （LPE） in patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure （ACLF）. MethodsA prospective cohort study was designed， and a total of 93 ACLF patients who were admitted to The Ninth Hospital of Nanchang from June 2023 to January 2025 were enrolled and randomly divided into DPMAS+LPE group with 50 patients and CA280+LPE group with 43 patients. In addition to comprehensive medical treatment， the patients in the DPMAS+LPE group received DPMAS and LPE treatment， and those in the CA280+LPE group received CA280 and LPE treatment. The two groups were observed in terms of routine blood test results， liver function parameters， renal function markers， electrolytes， coagulation function parameters， cytokines， adverse events， and 28-day prognosis before surgery （baseline）， during surgery （DPMAS or CA280）， and after surgery （after sequential LPE treatment）. The paired t-test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data before and after treatment within each group， and the independent-samples t test was used for comparison between groups； the Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data before and after treatment within each group， and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison between groups. The chi-square test or the Fisher’s exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups， and the Spearman test was used for correlation analysis. ResultsAfter CA280 treatment， the ACLF patients had significant reductions in the levels of cytokines （IL-6， IL-8， IL-10， TNF-α， and IFN-γ）， liver function parameters （ALT， AST， ALP， TBil， DBil， Alb， and glutathione reductase）， and the renal function marker urea nitrogen （all P<0.05）， and in terms of coagulation function parameters， there were significant increases in prothrombin time， activated partial thromboplastin time （APTT）， thrombin time， and international normalized ratio （INR） and significant reductions in prothrombin activity （PTA） and fibrinogen （FIB） （all P<0.05）. Compared with the DPMAS+LPE group， the CA280+LPE group showed better improvements in the serum cytokines IL-8 （Z=-2.63， P=0.009）， IL-10 （Z=-3.94， P<0.001）， and TNF-α （Z=-1.53， P=0.023）， and the two artificial liver support systems had a similar effect in improving liver function （ALT， AST， GGT， GR， TBil， and DBil） （all P >0.05）， but the CA280+LPE group showed a significantly greater reduction in Alb （Z=-2.08， P=0.037）. CA280+LPE was more effective in reducing uric acid （Z=-2.97， P=0.003）. Compared with DPMAS+LPE， CA280+LPE treatment resulted in a significant reduction in INR （Z=-4.01， P<0.001）， a significant increase in APTT （Z=-2.53， P=0.011）， and significant greater increases in PTA （Z=-6.28， P<0.001） and FIB （Z=-3.93， P<0.001）. There were no significant differences in the incidence rates of adverse reactions and the rate of improvement at discharge between the two groups （all P>0.05）. The Spearman correlation analysis showed that IL-6 was significantly correlated with WBC （r=0.22， P=0.042）， TBil （r=0.29， P=0.005）， and FIB （r=-0.33， P=0.003）； IL-8 was positively correlated with APTT （r=0.37， P<0.001） and INR （r=0.25， P=0.013）； TNF-α was significantly correlated with WBC （r=0.40， P<0.001） and TBil （r=0.34， P<0.001）. ConclusionCompared with DPMAS， CA280 combined with LPE can effectively clear proinflammatory cytokines and improve liver function in ACLF patients， but it has a certain impact on Alb and coagulation function. This regimen provides a new option for the individualized treatment of ACLF and can improve the short-term prognosis of patients， but further studies are needed to verify its long-term efficacy.

ObjectiveTo investigate and analyze an outbreak of rotavirus infectious diarrhea in a prison in Chongqing Municipality, to provide a basis for adult rotavirus surveillance and prevention, and to explore the public health problems in special settings. MethodsA retrospective survey was conducted to collect and analyze data on individual cases with diarrheal disease on-site. The clinical characteristics, as well as the temporal, spatial and geographical distribution patterns of the epidemic were described. Multi-pathogen detection tests were conducted both on diarrhea cases and environmental samples, with viral genotyping performed on positive samples. A case-control analysis was performed to identify the causes of the outbreak, and an SEIR model was adopted to predict the outbreak trend and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions. ResultsA total of 65 cases were found among the inmates, with an attack rate of 2.03%. The predominant clinical manifestations included diarrhea (89.23%), watery stool (73.85%), and dehydration (18.46%). The epidemic curve indicated a “human-to-human” transmission pattern, with an average incubation period of 5‒6 days. The attack rates among chefs in the main canteen (80.00%, 8/10) and caterers (28.33%, 17/60) were significantly higher than those of other inmates （P<0.05）. Multi-pathogen polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing detected positive for group A rotavirus, with the viral genotyping identified as G9P [8] strain. Factors such as unprotected "bare-handed" food distribution among cases with diarrhea (OR=9.512, 95%CI: 4.261‒21.234) and close contact with diarrhea cases (OR=3.656, 95%CI: 1.719‒7.778) were the possible cause of the outbreak. The SEIR model (r₀=5, α=0.3, β₁=0.08, β₂=0.04) was constructed using prison inmates as susceptible population, aiming at fitting the initial transmission trend of the outbreak, and the epidemic rate declined rapidly after intervention measures were implemented (r_t≈0). ConclusionThis rare rotavirus infection diarrhea outbreak among adults in confined settings suggests that the construction of public health prevention and control systems in prison may be overlooked. Cross infection during meal processing and distribution in the canteens of such settings is likely to be the cause of the outbreak. Given the potential neglect of public heath system construction in special settings, it is imperative to enhance the surveillance and monitoring of rotavirus and other intestinal multi-pathogens among adults, as well as the construction of public health prevention and control systems in these special settings.

Objective To investigate the relationship between deep medullary vein(DMV)score and enlarged perivascular space(EPVS)score with cranial MRI to explore the mechanisms of EPVS occurrence and development.Methods Totally 118 patients with cerebral small vessel disease in some hospital had their clinical and imaging data analyzed retrospectively.On T2-weighted images,EPVS scores ranging from 0 to 4 were assigned to the basal ganglia and centrum semiovale regions based on the number of EPVS.For DMV scoring on magnetic susceptibility weighted images,the brain lobes were divided into six regions,including bilateral frontal,parietal and occipital lobes,and scored according to the significance and continuity of the DMV signals(0 to 3 points),and the scores of the regions were summed up as the total DMV score(0 to 18 points).Spearman correlation analysis was employed to investigate the correlation between DMV and EPVS scores.Kruskal-Wallis test was used to analyze the differences among groups with different EPVS scores.Additionally,multinomial ordinal regression analysis was conducted to explore the factors influencing EPVS.Results No significant correlation was found between EPVS scores in centrum semiovale and DMV scores(r2=0.015,P=0.191),while DMV scores and EPVS scores in basal ganglia showed a significant positive correlation(r2=0.558,P<0.000 1).Univariate analysis revealed statisti-cally significant differences in age,hypertension and DMV scores when different scoring groups of EPVS in the basal ganglia region were compared(P<0.05);multinomial ordinal regression analysis showed that age,hypertension and DMV scores were independently correlated with EPVS scores in the basal ganglia region.Conclusion There is a positive correlation between DMV scores and EPVS scores in the basal ganglia.Age,hypertension,and DMV score are independent influe-ncing factors for EPVS in the basal ganglia region.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2025,46(4):52-56]

Purpose The study aimed to analyze the relationship between MET gene variants and clinicopathologi-cal features in patients with non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC).Methods Next-generation sequencing technology was used to detect MET gene variants in NSCLC specimens.The association between MET gene variant status and clini-copathological features was then analyzed.Results Among 1 633 cases of NSCLC,the overall MET mutation rate was 4.53％(74/1 633).Variants were mainly observed in male patients,never-smokers,those older than 60 years,ade-nocarcinoma histology,and patients with TNM stage Ⅲ+Ⅳ disease(P＜0.05).MET gene variant status showed no significant assocication with patient age,sex,smoking history,or pathological subtype(P＞0.05),but was statistical-ly correlated with clinical stage and presence of distant metastasis(P＜0.05).The two major variant types were MET exon 14 skipping and MET amplification,which together accounted for 71.62％of all variants.In addition,MET am-plification was positively correlated with EGFR(P=0.003,rs=0.340)and TP53 mutations(P=0.002,rs=0.362),but showed no correlation with KRAS or ALK gene mutations.In contrast,MET exon 14 skipping was nega-tively correlated with EGFR gene mutations(P＜0.001,rs=-0.409),and showed no significant correlation with KRAS,ALK,or TP53 mutations.Conclusion Different types of MET gene variants(amplification,exon 14 skip-ping,fusion,and others)are significantly associated with clinical advanced clinical stage and distant metastasis in NSCLC,but are independent of patient age,sex,smoking history,and pathological subtype.MET amplification fre-quently co-occur with EGFR and TP53 co-mutations.

Objective To evaluate the safety and efficacy of valve-in-valve transcatheter mitral valve replacement(ViV-TMVR)in patients with bioprosthetic valve degeneration who are at high surgical risk.Methods This study is a multi-center,retrospective cohort analysis of 20 consecutive patients who underwent transseptal ViV-TMVR using the Edwards SAPIEN 3 transcatheter heart valve(THV).The primary endpoints include technical success and procedural success,both defined according to the Mitral Valve Academic Research Consortium(MVARC)criteria,as well as mortality and functional change assessed based on New York Heart Association(NYHA)classification at 30-days and six months post-procedure.Clinical follow-up assessments are conducted at 30-days and six months.Results From February 2021 to October 2022,a total of 20 patients with symptoms of bioprosthetic valve degeneration were enrolled across nine sites in China.The patients had a mean age of(73.5±5.5)years,with 85.0％being females and 70.0％classified as NYHA class Ⅲ/Ⅳ.The study achieved a 100.0％technical success rate and a 90.0％procedural success rate finally.All patients remained alive during the 30-day follow-up period.However,six months post-intervention,two patients(10.0％)were re-hospitalized due to heart failure,and sadly,one of them(5.0％)died.None of the patients reported any adverse events related to ViV-TMVR during the follow-up period.Notably,there was a significant improvement in NYHA class compared to baseline(P=0.0004)at six-month follow-ups.Conclusions The transseptal ViV-TMVR technique proved to be highly successful and was associated with significant improvement in NYHA class function.These findings strongly suggest that it serves as a safe and efficient treatment alternative for high-risk patients suffering from bioprosthetic valve degeneration.

Purpose The study aimed to analyze the relationship between MET gene variants and clinicopathologi-cal features in patients with non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC).Methods Next-generation sequencing technology was used to detect MET gene variants in NSCLC specimens.The association between MET gene variant status and clini-copathological features was then analyzed.Results Among 1 633 cases of NSCLC,the overall MET mutation rate was 4.53％(74/1 633).Variants were mainly observed in male patients,never-smokers,those older than 60 years,ade-nocarcinoma histology,and patients with TNM stage Ⅲ+Ⅳ disease(P＜0.05).MET gene variant status showed no significant assocication with patient age,sex,smoking history,or pathological subtype(P＞0.05),but was statistical-ly correlated with clinical stage and presence of distant metastasis(P＜0.05).The two major variant types were MET exon 14 skipping and MET amplification,which together accounted for 71.62％of all variants.In addition,MET am-plification was positively correlated with EGFR(P=0.003,rs=0.340)and TP53 mutations(P=0.002,rs=0.362),but showed no correlation with KRAS or ALK gene mutations.In contrast,MET exon 14 skipping was nega-tively correlated with EGFR gene mutations(P＜0.001,rs=-0.409),and showed no significant correlation with KRAS,ALK,or TP53 mutations.Conclusion Different types of MET gene variants(amplification,exon 14 skip-ping,fusion,and others)are significantly associated with clinical advanced clinical stage and distant metastasis in NSCLC,but are independent of patient age,sex,smoking history,and pathological subtype.MET amplification fre-quently co-occur with EGFR and TP53 co-mutations.

Objective:To construct bacterial cytoplasmic membrane nanovesicles(BMV)with overexpressing programmed death 1(PD-1),denoted as BMV-PD-1 and evaluate the targeting efficacy of BMV-PD-1 towards transplanted lung tumor tissues in mice.Methods:The fusion plasmid ClyA-PD-1-EGFP fused by PD-1 and Cytolysin A(ClyA)was transferred into Escherichia coli BL21-Codonplus through plasmid transformation.Laser confocal microscopy,SDS-PAGE,and WB were used to detect the expression of the fusion protein ClyA-PD-1-EGFP.Bacterial membranes were extracted and processed with an extruder to generate BMV-PD-1.TEM and NTA were utilized to assess the morphology,size distribution,and zeta potential of BMV-PD-1,while WB was used to verify the presence of PD-1 protein.Laser confocal imaging was conducted to monitor the uptake of BMV-PD-1 by Lewis lung cancer cells.A C57BL/6J mouse subcutaneous transplant tumor model of LLC lung cancer cells was constructed,and the tumor targeting of BMV-PD-1 was evaluated by small animal imaging system.Results:Laser confocal microscopy images demonstrated that the plasmid ClyA-PD-1-EGFP was transferred into BL21-Codonplus and successfully expressed into protein.SDS-PAGE results suggested that ClyA-PD-1-EGFP was overexpressed in BL21-Codonplus.WB analysis indicated that PD-1 was expressed in bacteria and highly expressed in BMV-PD-1(P<0.001).NTA and TEM analyses revealed that BMV-PD-1 were spherical vesicles with a diameter of(145±14)nm and a negative surface charge.Laser confocal imaging showed that the high expression of PD-1 significantly increased the uptake of BMV-PD-1 by lung cancer cells(P<0.01).In vivo imaging of small animals further confirmed that the high expression of PD-1 can effectively improve cancer targeting of BMV-PD-1(P<0.01).Conclusion:In this study,bacterial plasma membrane nanovesicles BMV-PD-1 with high PD-1 expression are successfully constructed,and it is found that PD-1 overexpression markedly improve the mouse lung cancer xenograft tissue targeting specificity of BMV-PD-1,laying the groundwork for further development of BMV-PD-1 as a carrier for targeted drug delivery systems in tumors.

AIM To optimize the extraction process for total polyphenols from Conioselinum vaginatu(Spreng.)Thell.,make component analysis,and evaluate their anti-oxidant,hypoglycemic activities.METHODS The effects of ultrasound,enzymatic hydrolysis,acid hydrolysis,alcohol extraction and hydrolysis processes on the extraction quantity of total polyphenols were investigated,respectively.With extraction temperature,extraction time,ethanol concetration and liquid-solid ratio as influencing factors,extraction quantity of total polyphenols as an evaluation index,the extraction process was optimized by response surface method.HPLC was adopted in the identification of polyphenolic composition and determination of their contents.Subsequently,total polyphenols' scavenging capacities on DPPH,ABTS,OH free radicals,total reducing power and inhibitory capacity on α-glucosidase were determined.RESULTS The highest extraction quantity of total polyphenols was observable when extraction process was employed.The optimal conditions were determined to be 62 ℃ for extraction temperature,54 min for extraction time,69％for ethanol concentration,and 50∶1 for liquid-solid ratio,the extraction quantity of total polyphenols was(9.51±0.2)mg GAE/g.Seven constituents existed in C.vaginatu,among which ferulic acid demonstrated the highest content,followed by that of myricetin,while D-tryptophan content was the lowest.At the concentration of 7.61 mg/L,total polyphenols displayed the scavenging rates on DPPH,ABTS,OH free radicals of 80.70％,85.97％,28.60％,total reducing power of 0.22,and inhibition rate on α-glucosidase of 77.23％,respectively.CONCLUSION This stable and reliable method can be used for the extraction of total polyphenols from C.vaginatum with strong anti-oxidant,hypoglycemic activities.