ObjectiveTo observe the effects of Yangjing Zhongyutang （YJZYT） on mitochondrial biogenesis and oxidative stress damage mediated by the silent information regulator 1 （SIRT1）/peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1alpha （PGC-1α） signaling pathway in cyclophosphamide （CTX）-induced rats with diminished ovarian reserve （DOR）， and to explore its mechanism in improving ovarian reserve function and follicular development. MethodsForty-two 8-week-old female SD rats with normal estrous cycles were randomly divided into a blank control group （n=7） and a model group （n=35）. Rats in the model group received a single intraperitoneal injection of CTX （90 mg·kg^-1） to establish the DOR model. After modeling， estrous cycles were monitored for 7 consecutive days， and model success was confirmed based on criteria for estrous cycle disruption. After successful modeling， rats were divided into groups for intervention： estradiol valerate group （0.09 mg·kg^-1）， and YJZYT high-， medium-， and low-dose groups （19.98， 9.99， 5.00 g·kg^-1）. The blank control group and model group were given an equal volume of distilled water by gavage. All groups received daily gavage once for 4 consecutive weeks. The general state， body weight， and ovarian wet weight of rats were observed and recorded， and the ovarian organ index was calculated. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to measure serum levels of follicle-stimulating hormone （FSH）， luteinizing hormone （LH）， estradiol （E₂）， anti-Müllerian hormone （AMH）， superoxide dismutase （SOD）， and glutathione peroxidase （GSH-Px）. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was performed to observe ovarian histomorphological changes and follicular development status. Immunofluorescence was used to detect reactive oxygen species （ROS） expression levels. Colorimetric assays were employed to measure adenosine triphosphate （ATP） and malondialdehyde （MDA） content in ovarian tissues. Quantitative Real-time polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to detect mitochondrial DNA （mtDNA） copy number and the mRNA expression levels of key genes including SIRT1， PGC-1α， nuclear respiratory factor 1 （NRF1）， and mitochondrial transcription factor A （TFAM）. Western blot was performed to detect the protein expression levels of SIRT1， PGC-1α， NRF1， and TFAM. ResultsCompared with the blank group， rats in the model group exhibited disrupted estrous cycles， obviously reduced body weight， and decreased ovarian index （P<0.05）. Ovarian histopathology revealed cortical thinning， loose structure， and a significant reduction in both primordial and growing follicles （P<0.01）. Serum FSH and LH levels were significantly elevated （P<0.01）， while E₂ and AMH levels were obviously reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ATP content and mtDNA copy number decreased in ovarian tissue （P<0.01）， ROS expression increased， MDA levels rose， while SOD and GSH-Px activities obviously decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）， mRNA and protein expression levels of SIRT1， PGC-1α， NRF1， and TFAM were obviously downregulated （P<0.05， P<0.01）. After treatment， compared with the model group， body weight and ovarian index obviously recovered in rats administered various doses of YJZYT （P<0.05）， serum E₂ and AMH levels increased， while FSH and LH levels obviously decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）， ovarian tissue ATP content and mtDNA copy number were up-regulated， ROS and MDA levels decreased， and antioxidant enzymes SOD and GSH-Px activity obviously increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）， Gene and protein expression levels related to the SIRT1/PGC-1α /NRF1/TFAM signaling pathway were obviously up-regulated compared to the model group （P<0.05， P<0.01）， HE staining revealed that ovarian structure gradually recovered to integrity in all treatment groups， with a obviously increase in the number of primordial and growing follicles （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Granulosa cells were neatly arranged， indicating marked improvement in ovarian function. ConclusionYJZYT may improve ovarian function and follicular development in rats with diminished ovarian reserve by activating the SIRT1/PGC-1α signaling pathway， promoting mitochondrial biogenesis， enhancing mitochondrial function， and alleviating oxidative stress damage.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of Huanglian Jiedutang （HLJDT） on cognitive function in mice with ischemic stroke （IS） and to elucidate whether its neuroprotective effects are mediated by inhibition of the nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB） signaling pathway and subsequent suppression of NF-κB-regulated neuronal apoptosis. MethodsAn IS model was established using middle cerebral artery occlusion （MCAO）. Sixty C57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned to five groups （n =12 per group）， i.e.， sham operation， model， HLJDT low-dose （3.9 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， HLJDT high-dose （7.8 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， and Ginkgo biloba extract （GBE， 31.2 mg·kg^-1·d^-1）. Post-operatively， neurological deficit scores （Longa score）， cerebral infarct volume assessed by 2，3，5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride （TTC） staining， and brain water content were evaluated. Learning and memory were assessed using new object recognition （NOR） and fear conditioning （FC） tests. Hippocampal pathology was examined via hematoxylin and eosin （HE） staining. Immunofluorescence detected expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein （GFAP， astrocyte marker）， cellular oncogene Fos （c-Fos， neuronal activation marker）， and glutamate decarboxylase 65 （GAD65）. Western blot measured nuclear factor-κB inhibitor protein α （IκBα）， phosphorylated IκBα （p-IκBα）， NF-κB p65， phosphorylated NF-κB p65 （p-NF-κB p65）， ionic calcium binding adapter molecule 1 （Iba-1）， tumor necrosis factor （TNF）-α， interleukin （IL）-1β， and apoptosis-related proteins， such as cleaved cysteinyl aspartate-specific protease 3 （Caspase-3）， B-cell lymphoma 2 （Bcl-2）， and Bcl-2-associated X protein （Bax）. Real-time quantitative PCR （Real-time PCR） was used to assess mRNA levels of Iba-1， TNF-α， IL-1β， NF-κB p65， cleaved Caspase-3， Bax， and Bcl-2. ResultsCompared with the sham group， the model group exhibited significantly increased neurological deficit scores， brain water content， and cerebral infarct volume （P<0.01）. Hippocampal CA1 neurons were disorganized， showing nuclear pyknosis and karyolysis. NOR exploration time and FC freezing time were significantly reduced （P<0.01）. GFAP and c-Fos expression were increased， while GAD65 expression was decreased （P<0.01）. Cleaved Caspase-3 and Bax were upregulated， Bcl-2 was downregulated， and the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio was elevated （P<0.01）. Expression levels of p-IκBα， p-NF-κB p65， IL-1β， TNF-α， and Iba-1 were significantly increased （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， HLJDT high-dose， low-dose， and GBE groups showed significant improvements in all parameters （P<0.01）. Among them， the HLJDT high-dose group showed the most pronounced neuronal structural recovery and superior performance in NOR and FC tests （P<0.01）. In this group， GFAP and c-Fos decreased， GAD65 increased （P<0.01）， apoptosis-related protein expression was reversed， and NF-κB signaling and related inflammatory factor expression were suppressed （P<0.01）. ConclusionHLJDT ameliorates cognitive dysfunction in mice after IS， potentially by inhibiting the NF-κB signaling pathway， thereby reducing neuroinflammation and hippocampal neuronal apoptosis.

The KCNQ potassium channels play a crucial role in modulating neural excitability, and their dysfunction is closely associated with epileptic disorders. While variants in KCNQ2 have been extensively studied, KCNQ3-related disorders have rarely been reported. With advances in next-generation sequencing technologies, an increasing number of cases of KCNQ3-related disorders have been identified. However, the correlation between genotype and phenotype remains poorly understood. In this study, we established a variant library consisting of 24 missense mutations in KCNQ3 and introduced these mutations into three different template types: KCNQ3, KCNQ3-A315T (Q3*), and KCNQ3-KCNQ2 tandem (Q3-Q2). We then analyzed the effects of these mutations on the KCNQ3 channel function using patch-clamp recording. The most informative parameter across all three backgrounds was the current density of the mutant channels. The current density patterns in the Q3* and Q3-Q2 backgrounds were similar, with most mutations resulting in an almost complete loss of function (LOF), they were concentrated in the pore-forming domain of KCNQ3. In contrast, mutations in the voltage-sensing domain or C-terminus did not show significant differences from the wild-type channel. Interestingly, these LOF mutations were typically associated with self-limited familial neonatal epilepsy, while neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) were more closely associated with mutations that did not significantly differ from the wild-type. V_1/2, another important parameter of the electrophysiological properties, could not be accurately determined in the majority of KCNQ3 mutations due to its nearly complete LOF in the Q3* and Q3-Q2 backgrounds. Intriguingly, the V_1/2 of functional mutations were primarily leftward shifted, indicating a gain-of-function (GOF) effect, which was typically associated with NDD. In addition to previously reported mutations, we identified G553R as a novel GOF mutation. In the co-transfection background, parameters such as V_1/2 could be determined, but the dysfunctional effects of these mutations were mitigated by the co-expression of wild-type KCNQ3 and KCNQ2 subunits, resulting in no significant differences between most mutations and the wild-type channel. Furthermore, we applied KCNQ modulators to reverse the electrophysiological abnormalities caused by KCNQ3 variants. The LOF mutations were reversed by the application of Pynegabine (HN37), a KCNQ opener, while the GOF mutation responded well to Amitriptyline (AMI), a KCNQ inhibitor. These findings provide essential insights into the pathogenic mechanisms underlying KCNQ3-related disorders and may inform clinical decision-making.
KCNQ3 Potassium Channel/genetics* ; Humans ; Mutation, Missense/genetics* ; KCNQ2 Potassium Channel/genetics* ; Patch-Clamp Techniques ; HEK293 Cells ; Animals ; Phenylenediamines/pharmacology* ; Carbamates

Therapeutic resistance in cancer is responsible for numerous cancer deaths in clinical practice. While target mutations are well recognized as the basis of genetic resistance to targeted therapy, nontarget mutation resistance (or nongenetic resistance) remains poorly characterized. Despite its complex and unintegrated mechanisms in the literature, nongenetic resistance is considered from our perspective to be a collective response of innate or acquired resistant subpopulations in heterogeneous tumors to therapy. These subpopulations, e.g., cancer stem-like cells, cancer cells with epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, and drug-tolerant persisters, are protected by their resistance traits at cellular and molecular levels. This review summarizes recent advances in the research on resistant populations and their resistance traits. NOTCH signaling, as a central regulator of nongenetic resistance, is discussed with a special focus on its canonical maintenance of resistant cancer cells and noncanonical regulation of their resistance traits. This novel view of canonical and noncanonical NOTCH signaling pathways is translated into our proposal of reshaping therapeutic strategies targeting NOTCH signaling in resistant cancer cells. We hope that this review will lead researchers to study the canonical and noncanonical arms of NOTCH signaling as an integrated resistant mechanism, thus promoting the development of innovative therapeutic strategies.
Neoplasms/metabolism* ; Receptors, Notch/metabolism* ; Disease Resistance/physiology* ; Signal Transduction/physiology* ; Humans ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm/physiology* ; Molecular Targeted Therapy/methods*

Objective To investigate the mechanism by which angiopoietin-like protein 8(ANGPTL8)regulates vascular smooth muscle cell(VSMCs)apoptosis.Methods An in vitro abdominal aortic aneurysm cell model was established by stimulating human VSMCs(HUSMCs)with angiotensin Ⅱ(AngⅡ).Stable ANGPTL8 knockdown and over-expression VSMC cell strains were generated using lentiviral transfection.TUNEL staining was used to de-tect apoptosis.Western blot analysis was performed to measure the protein expression of ANGPTL8,caspase9,caspase3,Bcl-2,Bax,p53,and PUMA,while RT-qPCR was used to assess mRNA expression of ANGPTL8,Bcl-2 and Bax.Results AngⅡ significantly induced ANGPTL8 expression in HVSMCs in a time-and dose-de-pendent manner(P＜0.05).ANGPTL8 knockdown significantly reduced the expression of apoptosis-related proteins caspase9,caspase3,and Bax,while increased the expression of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2(P＜0.05).Con-versely,ANGPTL8 over-expression markedly induced HVSMCs apoptosis,which was significantly suppressed by treatment with the p53 pathway inhibitor pifithrin-α(PFT-α).Conclusions ANGPTL8 may promote VSMC apop-tosis by activation of p53 signaling pathway.

Objective:To summarize the experience of repairing partial areolar necrosis following reduction mammaplasty.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical data from patients who experienced partial areola necrosis after reduction mammaplasty. These patients were treated or consulted at the Department of Plastic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, between January 2017 and February 2023. Preoperatively, daily dressing changes were performed on the necrotic areola wounds until the boundaries of necrosis were clearly defined. Debridement and repair were then carried out by resecting bilateral breast glandular tissue through the original incision to reduce breast volume, followed by narrowing the areola radius. If no areola defect remained after narrowing, direct suturing was performed; if defects persisted, the resected normal areola skin was used for grafting. Postoperative follow-up was conducted to observe areola recovery and complications. At the 6-month postoperative mark, patient satisfaction was evaluated using a 5-level scale (very satisfied, satisfied, neutral, dissatisfied, very dissatisfied). An experienced plastic physician, not involved in the surgery, assessed areolar outcomes based on four criteria: color, softness, shape, and scarring, with each criterion scored from 1 to 4 (higher scores indicating better outcomes).Results:Eight female patients (9 necrotic areolas) were included in the study, with a mean age of (31.8±5.4) years and a mean body mass index of (24.1±1.8) kg/m 2. Among the 9 necrotic areolas, 3 had defect areas greater than 50% of the total areola area, while 6 had defects less than 50%. Direct suturing after areola narrowing was performed in 3 areolas, while free areola skin grafting was used in 6 areolas. Postoperatively, 2 cases exhibited mild epidermal erosion at the graft site, which improved with dressing changes. No complications such as infection, bleeding, hematoma, or seroma occurred. At the 6-month follow-up, all 8 patients demonstrated good wound healing, and all 9 areolas survived. The areolas exhibited consistent shape and color bilaterally, without significant pigmentation changes, depigmentation, or irregular shapes. In the 6 grafted areolas, the grafted skin color closely matched the surrounding native areola tissue, with no obvious demarcation or scar hyperplasia. Patient satisfaction was rated as very satisfied in 3 cases and satisfied in 5 cases. According to the physician’s evaluation, the scores for color, softness, shape, and scarring were (3.7±0.5), (3.8±0.4), (3.3±0.7) and (3.2±0.7) points, respectively. Conclusion:Partial areola necrosis following reduction mammaplasty can be effectively repaired by further reducing breast volume and narrowing the areola for direct suturing or by grafting excess areola skin to the defect site. A satisfactory appearance can be achieved after surgery.

Objective This study aimed to develop an automated method for syndrome element differenti-ation in Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM).Methods We first constructed and trained an Instruction-tuned Multi-Task TCM text embedding model(Instr-MT-TCM)using four distinct TCM task datasets,including domain knowledge,synonymous terminology,syndrome differentiation and treatment,and TCM case labels.Subsequently,five TCM diagnostics experts holding master's degrees or higher were organized to screen a real-world TCM case dataset and annotate symptoms and signs.The purpose was to evaluate the F1-score of the proposed method—the combination of Instr-MT-TCM and a Large Language Model(LLM)—by comparing its performance against the manual annotation result on the syndrome element differentiation task.Finally,to validate its feasibility in real-world clinical settings,the method was applied to 48 prostate cancer cases to calculate the syndrome element scores.Results The Instr-MT-TCM model showed rapid performance improvement in its early training phase,achieving a Recall@1(R@1)of 0.848.Experts curated a dataset of 1,793 real-world clinical cases,covering 34 common diseases and 66 syndrome patterns.In the syndrome element differentiation task,the collaborative framework of LLM and Instr-MT-TCM achieved a mean F1-score of 0.927,outperforming the 0.512 from manual annota-tion.The syndrome element analysis revealed that the predominant elements of disease nature were fire(heat)and yin deficiency,while the main elements of disease location were bladder and kidney.Conclusion This study proposes and validates a novel method for automated TCM syndrome element dif-ferentiation based on the synergy between LLM and our custom Instr-MT-TCM model.Achieving a high F1-score(0.927)on real-world data,the method demonstrates excellent accuracy and generalization ability.Its application in prostate cancer analysis highlights its significant clinical potential,offering effective technical support,and a new research direction for intelligent TCM syndrome element differentiation.

Objective This study aimed to develop an automated method for syndrome element differenti-ation in Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM).Methods We first constructed and trained an Instruction-tuned Multi-Task TCM text embedding model(Instr-MT-TCM)using four distinct TCM task datasets,including domain knowledge,synonymous terminology,syndrome differentiation and treatment,and TCM case labels.Subsequently,five TCM diagnostics experts holding master's degrees or higher were organized to screen a real-world TCM case dataset and annotate symptoms and signs.The purpose was to evaluate the F1-score of the proposed method—the combination of Instr-MT-TCM and a Large Language Model(LLM)—by comparing its performance against the manual annotation result on the syndrome element differentiation task.Finally,to validate its feasibility in real-world clinical settings,the method was applied to 48 prostate cancer cases to calculate the syndrome element scores.Results The Instr-MT-TCM model showed rapid performance improvement in its early training phase,achieving a Recall@1(R@1)of 0.848.Experts curated a dataset of 1,793 real-world clinical cases,covering 34 common diseases and 66 syndrome patterns.In the syndrome element differentiation task,the collaborative framework of LLM and Instr-MT-TCM achieved a mean F1-score of 0.927,outperforming the 0.512 from manual annota-tion.The syndrome element analysis revealed that the predominant elements of disease nature were fire(heat)and yin deficiency,while the main elements of disease location were bladder and kidney.Conclusion This study proposes and validates a novel method for automated TCM syndrome element dif-ferentiation based on the synergy between LLM and our custom Instr-MT-TCM model.Achieving a high F1-score(0.927)on real-world data,the method demonstrates excellent accuracy and generalization ability.Its application in prostate cancer analysis highlights its significant clinical potential,offering effective technical support,and a new research direction for intelligent TCM syndrome element differentiation.

Objective:To summarize the experience of repairing partial areolar necrosis following reduction mammaplasty.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical data from patients who experienced partial areola necrosis after reduction mammaplasty. These patients were treated or consulted at the Department of Plastic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, between January 2017 and February 2023. Preoperatively, daily dressing changes were performed on the necrotic areola wounds until the boundaries of necrosis were clearly defined. Debridement and repair were then carried out by resecting bilateral breast glandular tissue through the original incision to reduce breast volume, followed by narrowing the areola radius. If no areola defect remained after narrowing, direct suturing was performed; if defects persisted, the resected normal areola skin was used for grafting. Postoperative follow-up was conducted to observe areola recovery and complications. At the 6-month postoperative mark, patient satisfaction was evaluated using a 5-level scale (very satisfied, satisfied, neutral, dissatisfied, very dissatisfied). An experienced plastic physician, not involved in the surgery, assessed areolar outcomes based on four criteria: color, softness, shape, and scarring, with each criterion scored from 1 to 4 (higher scores indicating better outcomes).Results:Eight female patients (9 necrotic areolas) were included in the study, with a mean age of (31.8±5.4) years and a mean body mass index of (24.1±1.8) kg/m 2. Among the 9 necrotic areolas, 3 had defect areas greater than 50% of the total areola area, while 6 had defects less than 50%. Direct suturing after areola narrowing was performed in 3 areolas, while free areola skin grafting was used in 6 areolas. Postoperatively, 2 cases exhibited mild epidermal erosion at the graft site, which improved with dressing changes. No complications such as infection, bleeding, hematoma, or seroma occurred. At the 6-month follow-up, all 8 patients demonstrated good wound healing, and all 9 areolas survived. The areolas exhibited consistent shape and color bilaterally, without significant pigmentation changes, depigmentation, or irregular shapes. In the 6 grafted areolas, the grafted skin color closely matched the surrounding native areola tissue, with no obvious demarcation or scar hyperplasia. Patient satisfaction was rated as very satisfied in 3 cases and satisfied in 5 cases. According to the physician’s evaluation, the scores for color, softness, shape, and scarring were (3.7±0.5), (3.8±0.4), (3.3±0.7) and (3.2±0.7) points, respectively. Conclusion:Partial areola necrosis following reduction mammaplasty can be effectively repaired by further reducing breast volume and narrowing the areola for direct suturing or by grafting excess areola skin to the defect site. A satisfactory appearance can be achieved after surgery.

Objective:To investigate the Kub stage classification of clinical renal tuberculosis and provide a reference for disease evaluation and management.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical data from 180 patients diagnosed with renal tuberculosis who were admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Dali University between January 2011 and December 2022. The 180 cases included 82 males and 98 females. The average age was (44.56±9.62) years. The tuberculosis lesions of 101 cases were on left kidney, while that of 79 cases were on right kidney. Localized/multiple lesions were observed in 118 cases, whereas extensive destruction was found in 62 cases. Moreover, the ureters were involved in 165 cases, and bladder invasion occurred in 139 cases. For patients undergoing renal preservation treatment, a comprehensive approach was employed, including ureteral stricture stenting and regular replacement of double-J stent, percutaneous nephrostomy, excision of tuberculosis lesions or partial nephrectomy, ureter reconstruction, and sigmoidocystoplasty. In cases requiring nephrectomy, either laparoscopic or open surgical approaches are utilized. Based on the results of patient imaging and endoscopy, staging and classification were performed based on the extent of tuberculosis lesions involving the kidneys (K), ureters (u), and bladder (b). The state for each above organ was divided into four stages: K stage (K 1-4), u stage (u 0-u 3), and b stage (b 0-b 3), which were then combined with the actual disease condition for further categorization. The classifications included local intrarenal type(K 1-2u 0b 0), local renal-ureteral involvement type(K 1-2u 1-2b 0-2), multiple renal-ureteral invasion type(K 3u 1-3b 0-2) and extensive destruction type(K 4u 1-3b 1-3). Further analysis was conducted on kidney preservation and subsequent disease progression among patients with different subtypes. Results:Among the 180 patients, 15 cases of local intrarenal type underwent kidney-preserving treatment. Out of these cases, 6 patients (4 patients in stage K 1u 0b 0 and 2 patients in stage K 2bu 0b 0) achieved clinical cure after receiving a pure durative anti-tuberculosis for two years. Additionally, 4 patients in stage K 2au 0b 0 attained clinical cure following anti-tuberculosis drugs combined with partial nephrectomy after two years of follow-up. Furthermore, 5 patients in stage K 2bu 0b 0 underwent ureteroscopy and D-J stent placement for regular stent replacement. The stents were subsequently removed after two years, and the patients remained clinically stable. Among the 47 cases with localized renal-ureteral involvement type, all initially underwent kidney-preserving treatment. Of these, 5 patients in stage K 1u 1b 0-2 achieved clinical remission, while disease progression necessitated nephrectomy for 3 patients in stage K 2au 1-2b 0-2 and 7 patients in stage K 2bu 1-2b 0-2. The remaining patients maintained stable conditions. Among the 56 cases of multiple renal-ureteral invasion type, stable conditions were observed in 9 out of 24 patients with stage K 3u 1-2b 0-2, while disease progression necessitated nephrectomy in 15 cases. Nephrectomy was performed for all 32 patients with stage K 3u 3b 0-2. In instances of extensive destruction type, nephrectomy was conducted for all 62 cases. The progression rates of the local renal-ureteral involvement type and the multiple renal-ureteral invasion type were 21.28% (10/47) and 48.39% (15/31), and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05). The kidney preservation rates of the local renal-ureteral involvement type and multiple renal-ureteral invasion type were 78.72% (37/47) and 16.07% (9/56), and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.001). Conclusions:The Kub stage classification can provide reference to management and monitoring for renal tuberculosis. The patients in the local intrarenal type and local renal-ureteral involvement type are often treated with anti-tuberculosis plus ureteral stent implantation or partial nephrectomy or ureteral reconstruction. The patients in the multiple renal-ureteral invasion type and extensive destruction type are mostly managed by nephrectomy.