Background Previous studies have found that exposure to benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) can lead to functional impairment of the human pancreas. Pancreatic and duodenal homeobox factor 1 (PDX-1) may play a role in regulating mitochondrial function. It is hypothesized that BaP exposure may interfere with PDX-1 expression in human pancreatic ductal epithelial cells (H6C7), thereby affecting mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM). This process could induce mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) damage, disrupt pancreatic development and function, and elevate the risk of diabetes onset. Objective To investigate the mechanism of BaP-induced mtDNA damage through disruption of the PDX-1/TFAM pathway in a H6C7 cell model. Methods A H6C7 cell injury model was established using different concentrations of BaP. Cell viability was determined using cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8). After 24 h of BaP exposure (5,10, and 20 μmol·L⁻¹), cell morphological and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) changes were observed via confocalmicroscopy, and PDX-1/TFAM protein expression levels were assessed. Bioinformatics analysis combined with dual-luciferase reporter assays was used to confirm PDX-1 directly targeting the TFAM promoter. Following PDX-1 overexpression or silencing in BaP treated cells, flow cytometry was used to evaluate viability and apoptosis, while Western blot and quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) measured PDX-1/TFAM expression and mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNA-cn). Results The cell injury model demonstrated that, compared with the control group, BaP exposure reduced cell viability, disrupted membrane integrity, induced nuclear fragmentation, and decreased MMP. Protein expression levels of PDX-1 and TFAM were significantly downregulated in the 10 and 20 μmol·L⁻¹ groups (P<0.05). Dual-luciferase reporter assays confirmed that PDX-1 overexpression upregulated TFAM levels. Flow cytometry revealed that PDX-1 overexpression significantly reduced apoptosis rate (P<0.001), whereas PDX-1 silencing increased apoptosis rate (P<0.001). Compared with the BaP-only group, BaP+PDX-1 overexpression elevated TFAM protein and mRNA expression as well as mtDNA-cn (P<0.01), while BaP+siRNA-PDX-1 suppressed these parameters (P<0.001). Conclusion BaP exposure promotes apoptosis in human pancreatic cells. PDX-1, a key gene in pancreatic development, regulates the expression of TFAM, a core regulator of mitochondrial function. This interaction triggers changes in MMP and mtDNA-cn, activates the PDX-1/TFAM/mtDNA axis, and ultimately leads to pancreatic cell injury.

Background Previous studies have found that exposure to benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) can lead to functional impairment of the human pancreas. Pancreatic and duodenal homeobox factor 1 (PDX-1) may play a role in regulating mitochondrial function. It is hypothesized that BaP exposure may interfere with PDX-1 expression in human pancreatic ductal epithelial cells (H6C7), thereby affecting mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM). This process could induce mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) damage, disrupt pancreatic development and function, and elevate the risk of diabetes onset. Objective To investigate the mechanism of BaP-induced mtDNA damage through disruption of the PDX-1/TFAM pathway in a H6C7 cell model. Methods A H6C7 cell injury model was established using different concentrations of BaP. Cell viability was determined using cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8). After 24 h of BaP exposure (5,10, and 20 μmol·L⁻¹), cell morphological and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) changes were observed via confocalmicroscopy, and PDX-1/TFAM protein expression levels were assessed. Bioinformatics analysis combined with dual-luciferase reporter assays was used to confirm PDX-1 directly targeting the TFAM promoter. Following PDX-1 overexpression or silencing in BaP treated cells, flow cytometry was used to evaluate viability and apoptosis, while Western blot and quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) measured PDX-1/TFAM expression and mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNA-cn). Results The cell injury model demonstrated that, compared with the control group, BaP exposure reduced cell viability, disrupted membrane integrity, induced nuclear fragmentation, and decreased MMP. Protein expression levels of PDX-1 and TFAM were significantly downregulated in the 10 and 20 μmol·L⁻¹ groups (P<0.05). Dual-luciferase reporter assays confirmed that PDX-1 overexpression upregulated TFAM levels. Flow cytometry revealed that PDX-1 overexpression significantly reduced apoptosis rate (P<0.001), whereas PDX-1 silencing increased apoptosis rate (P<0.001). Compared with the BaP-only group, BaP+PDX-1 overexpression elevated TFAM protein and mRNA expression as well as mtDNA-cn (P<0.01), while BaP+siRNA-PDX-1 suppressed these parameters (P<0.001). Conclusion BaP exposure promotes apoptosis in human pancreatic cells. PDX-1, a key gene in pancreatic development, regulates the expression of TFAM, a core regulator of mitochondrial function. This interaction triggers changes in MMP and mtDNA-cn, activates the PDX-1/TFAM/mtDNA axis, and ultimately leads to pancreatic cell injury.

ObjectiveTo explore the sequential effects of hypoxic exercising on miR-27/PPARγ and lipid metabolism target gene and protein expression levels in the obesity rats’ liver. Methods13-week-old male diet-induced obesity rats were randomly divided into three groups (n＝10): normal oxygen concentration quiet group (N), hypoxia quiet group (H), hypoxic exercise group (HE). Exercise training on the horizontal animal treadmill for 1 h/d, 5 d/week for a total of 4 week, and the intensity of horizontal treadmill training was 20 m/min (hypoxic concentration was 13.6%). Comparison of the weights of perirenal fat and epididymal fat in rats across different groups and calculation of Lee’s index based on body weight and body length of rats in each group were done. And the serum concentrations of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels were detected. RT-PCR and Western Blot were used to detect the levels of miR-27, PPARγ, CYP7A1 and CD36. ResultsHypoxic exercise decreased the expression levels of miR-27 in the obese rats’ liver, however, the expression level of PPARγ was gradually increased. The expression levels of miR-27 in HE group were significantly lower than N group (P<0.05). The expression levels of PPARγ mRNA in N group were significantly lower than H group (P<0.05), especially lower than HE group (P<0.01). The protein expression of PPARγ protein in N group was significantly lower than that other groups (P<0.01). The expression of lipid metabolism-related genes and proteins increased in the obese rats’ liver. The expression of CYP7A1 mRNA in N group was significantly lower than H group (P<0.05), especially lower than HE group (P<0.01). The expression of CYP7A1 protein in the obese rats’ liver in N group was extremely lower than H group and HE group (P<0.01). The protein expression of CD36 in N group was significantly lower than that in HE group (P<0.05). Hypoxia exercise improved the related physiological and biochemical indexes of lipid metabolism disorder. The perirenal fat weight of obese rats in HE group was extremely lower than N group and H group (P<0.01), and the perirenal fat weight in N group was significantly higher than H group (P<0.05). The epididymal fat weight in N group was significantly higher than H group (P<0.05), and extremely higher than HE group (P<0.01). The Lee’s index in HE group was extremely lower than N group and H group (P<0.01). The serum concentration of TC in obese rats in HE group was extremely lower than N group and H group (P<0.01). The serum concentration of TG in HE group was extremely lower than N group and H group (P<0.01). The serum concentration of LDL-C in N group was extremely higher than HE group (P<0.01). The serum concentration of HDL-C in N group was extremely lower than H group (P<0.01). ConclusionHypoxia and hypoxia exercise may negatively regulate the levels of PPARγ by inhibiting miR-27 in the obese rats’ liver, thereby affecting the expression of downstream target genes CYP7A1 and CD36, and promoting cholesterol, fatty acid oxidation and HDL-C transport in the liver, and ultimately the lipid levels in obese rats were improved. The effect of hypoxia exercise on improving blood lipid is better than simple hypoxia intervention.

Objective To observe the value of advanced patient motion correction(APMC)technology for improving imaging quality of low-dose pediatric chest CT.Methods Ninety-six children who received low-dose chest CT scan were retrospectively enrolled.CT images were reconstructed using full reconstruction technique(FULL)or APMC for both lung window and mediastinal window.Then the imaging qualities were subjectively evaluated according to image clarity,degree of motion artifacts,sharpness of structural edges and overall quality.The indexes of objective evaluation of imaging quality included the mean CT values of unit density pixel within ROI on lung window and mediastinal window,the standard deviation of CT values(SDCT)representing image noise,as well as signal-to-noise ratio(SNR).Sobel operator edge detection was performed on images,recording the mean gray level(G)and the standard deviation of gray value in Sobel(SDsobel)within ROI.Comparisons were made between FULL reconstruction and corrected images with APMC reconstruction in terms of subjective and objective evaluations,as well as parameters obtained from Sobel output images.Results Compared to FULL reconstruction,APMC corrected images showed reduced motion artifacts,improved edge structure sharpness and enhanced overall image quality(all P＜0.05),while there was no significant difference of image clarity(P＞0.05).Meanwhile,with APMC reconstructions,the mean CT values,SDCT on lung window and SDCT on mediastinal window increased(all P＜0.05),but there was no significant difference for the mean CT values on mediastinal window(P＞0.05),and SNR on both lung window and mediastinal window decreased(both P＜0.05).Besides,for Sobel output images,compared to FULL reconstruction,APMC reconstruction had increased G and SDsobel on both lung window and mediastinal window(all P＜0.05).Conclusion APMC technology applicated in low-dose chest CT scan of children could effectively reduce motion artifacts,improve edge clarity and imaging quality,hence enhance diagnostic sensitivity.

Objective To analyze the application effect of blunt dissection for myotomy of incision in single-port thoracoscopic lung wedge resection.Methods Patients who underwent single-port thoracoscopic lung wedge resection in our hospital from January to June 2024 were selected and divided into the observation group(32 cases,received blunt dissection for myotomy of incision during the surgery)and the control group(35 cases,received electrosurgical knife for myotomy of incision during the surgery)according to random number table method.The anesthesia time,operation time,intraoperative blood loss,the earliest time to get out of bed after the operation,the dosage of dezocine,and the resting and cough visual analogue scale(VAS)scores in each postoperative period of patients in the two groups were compared.Results There was no significant difference in terms of anesthesia time,operation time,intraoperative blood loss,or dosage of dezocine of patients between the two groups(P>0.05).The earliest time to get out of bed after operation of patients in the observation group was shorter than that in the control group,with significant difference(P<0.05).No significant difference was observed in resting VAS scores 6 hours or 12 hours after operation of patients in both two groups(P>0.05),but significant differences were found in resting VAS scores 24 hours and 48 hours after operation between the two groups(P<0.05).No significant difference was found in cough VAS scores 6 hours after operation of patients between the two groups(P>0.05),but significant differences were observed in cough VAS scores 12 hours,24 hours,and 48 hours after operation between the two groups(P<0.05).Conclusion Compared with electrosurgical knife for myotomy of incision,blunt dissection for myotomy of incision in single-port thoracoscopic lung wedge resection can reduce postoperative pain,promote postoperative ambulation for patients,which is beneficial to postoperative recovery.

Objective To investigate the therapeutic efficacy of Qingxin Yunpi Formula(QXYPF)in a mouse model of food allergy(FA)-associated atopic dermatitis(AD)induced by 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene(DNCB)and ovalbumin(OVA).Methods Male BALB/c mice were randomly divided into six groups(n=10 per group):control,AD,model,QXYPF low-dose(QXYPF-L),QXYPF high-dose(QXYPF-H),and prednisone(PNS).Except for the control and AD groups,FA-AD was induced by epicutaneous application of DNCB on the dorsum combined with intraperitoneal OVA injection;the AD group received DNCB application only.Post-modeling assessments included:clinical evaluation of dorsal lesions,dermatitis severity scoring,quantification of scratching behavior,histopathological examination of skin sections to determine epidermal thickness and mast cell infiltration,enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)measurement of serum OVA-specific IgE(OVA-sIgE)levels,and of T-helper(Th)2 cytokines(IL-4,IL-5)and Th1 cytokine(IFN-γ),and immunohistochemical analysis of IL-4,IL-5,and IFN-γ in lesioned skin tissues.Results Compared with the control group,mice in the model groups exhibited more severe dorsal skin lesions,increased dermatitis scores and scratching frequencies(P＜0.05).The model group showed significantly thickened dorsal epidermis(P＜0.05),acanthosis,and noticeable inflammatory cell infiltration in the dermis.Serum levels of OVA-sIgE,IL-4,and IL-5 were elevated(P＜0.05),while IFN-γ levels were decreased in both AD and model groups(P＜0.05).Additionally,protein expression of IL-4 and IL-5 in dorsal lesional tissues was increased in the model group(P＜0.05),whereas IFN-γ protein levels were reduced in both AD and model groups(P＜0.05).In comparison with the model group,all treatment groups demonstrated improved dorsal skin lesions,significantly reduced dermatitis scores and scratching frequencies(P＜0.05),markedly alleviated epidermal thickening(P＜0.05),improved acanthosis,and reduced inflammatory infiltration in the dermis.Serum OVA-sIgE levels were decreased(P＜0.05),along with reduced serum IL-4 and IL-5 levels and increased IFN-γlevels(P＜0.05).Protein expression of IL-4 and IL-5 in lesional skin tissues was downregulated,while IFN-γ protein expression was upregulated(P＜0.05).Conclusions QXYF ameliorates skin lesions and pruritus in FA-AD mice,potentially by inhibiting Th2-related cytokines and promoting Th1-related cytokine expression.

Objective To observe the value of advanced patient motion correction(APMC)technology for improving imaging quality of low-dose pediatric chest CT.Methods Ninety-six children who received low-dose chest CT scan were retrospectively enrolled.CT images were reconstructed using full reconstruction technique(FULL)or APMC for both lung window and mediastinal window.Then the imaging qualities were subjectively evaluated according to image clarity,degree of motion artifacts,sharpness of structural edges and overall quality.The indexes of objective evaluation of imaging quality included the mean CT values of unit density pixel within ROI on lung window and mediastinal window,the standard deviation of CT values(SDCT)representing image noise,as well as signal-to-noise ratio(SNR).Sobel operator edge detection was performed on images,recording the mean gray level(G)and the standard deviation of gray value in Sobel(SDsobel)within ROI.Comparisons were made between FULL reconstruction and corrected images with APMC reconstruction in terms of subjective and objective evaluations,as well as parameters obtained from Sobel output images.Results Compared to FULL reconstruction,APMC corrected images showed reduced motion artifacts,improved edge structure sharpness and enhanced overall image quality(all P＜0.05),while there was no significant difference of image clarity(P＞0.05).Meanwhile,with APMC reconstructions,the mean CT values,SDCT on lung window and SDCT on mediastinal window increased(all P＜0.05),but there was no significant difference for the mean CT values on mediastinal window(P＞0.05),and SNR on both lung window and mediastinal window decreased(both P＜0.05).Besides,for Sobel output images,compared to FULL reconstruction,APMC reconstruction had increased G and SDsobel on both lung window and mediastinal window(all P＜0.05).Conclusion APMC technology applicated in low-dose chest CT scan of children could effectively reduce motion artifacts,improve edge clarity and imaging quality,hence enhance diagnostic sensitivity.

The Chinese Pharmacopoeia is the legal technical standard which should be followed during the research, production, use, and administration of drugs. At present, the new edition of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia is planned to be promulgated and implemented. This article summarizes and analyzes the main characteristics and the content of updates and amendments of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2025 Edition(Volume Ⅰ), to provide a reference for the correct understanding and accurate implementation the new edition of the pharmacopoeia.

Resistance to poly adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-ribose polymerase inhibitor (PARPi) presents a considerable obstacle in the treatment of ovarian cancer. F-box and tryptophan-aspartic (WD) repeat domain containing 11 (FBXW11) modulates the ubiquitination of growth-and invasion-related factors in lung cancer, colorectal cancer, and osteosarcoma. The function of FBXW11 in PARPi therapy is still ambiguous. In this study, RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) showed that FBXW11 expression was raised in ovarian cancer cells that had been treated with PARPi. FBXW11 was abnormally expressed at low levels in high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) tissues, and low levels of FBXW11 were associated with shorter overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in HGSOC patients. Overexpressing FBXW11 made ovarian cancer more sensitive to PARPi, while knocking down FBXW11 made it less sensitive. The four-dimensional (4D) label-free quantitative proteomic analysis revealed that FBXW11 targeted S100 calcium binding protein A11 (S100A11) and promoted its degradation through ubiquitination. The increased degradation of S100A11 led to less efficient DNA damage repair, which in turn contributed to increased PARPi-induced DNA damage. The role of FBXW11 in promoting PARPi sensitivity was also confirmed in xenograft mouse models. In summary, our study confirms that FBXW11 promotes the susceptibility of ovarian cancer cells to PARPi via affecting S100A11-mediated DNA damage repair.

This study aims to explore the effects of Buzhong Yiqi Decoction(BYD) on the cyclic guanosine monophosphate-adenosine monophosphate synthase(cGAS)-stimulator of interferon genes(STING) signaling pathway in the mouse model of autoimmune thyroiditis(AIT) and the mechanism of BYD in alleviating the immune injury. Forty-eight NOD.H-2~(h4) mice were assigned into normal, model, low-, medium-, and high-dose BYD, and selenium yeast tablets groups(n=8). Mice of 8 weeks old were treated with 0.05% sodium iodide solution for 8 weeks for the modeling of AIT and then administrated with corresponding drugs by gavage for 8 weeks before sampling. High performance liquid chromatography was employed to measure the astragaloside Ⅳ content in BYD. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was employed to observe the pathological changes in the mouse thyroid tissue. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was employed to measure the serum levels of thyroid peroxidase antibody(TPO-Ab), thyroglobulin antibody(TgAb), and interferon-γ(IFN-γ). Flow cytometry was employed to detect the distribution of T cell subsets in the spleen. The immunohistochemical method was used to detect the expression of cGAS, STING, TANK-binding kinase 1(TBK1), and interferon regulatory factor 3(IRF3). Real-time PCR and Western blot were employed to determine the mRNA and protein levels, respectively, of markers related to the cGAS-STING signaling pathway in the thyroid tissue. The results showed that the content of astragaloside Ⅳ in BYD was(7.06±0.08) mg·mL~(-1). Compared with the normal group, the model group showed disrupted structures of thyroid follicular epithelial cells, massive infiltration of lymphocytes, and elevated levels of TgAb and TPO-Ab. Compared with the model group, the four treatment groups showed intact epithelial cells, reduced lymphocyte infiltration, and lowered levels of TgAb and TPO-Ab. Compared with the normal group, the model group showed increases in the proportions of Th1 and Th17 cells, a decrease in the proportion of Th2 cells, and an increase in the IFN-γ level. Compared with the model group, the four treatment groups presented decreased proportions of Th1 and Th17 cells and lowered levels of IFN-γ, and the medium-dose BYD group showed an increase in the proportion of Th2 cells. Compared with the normal group, the modeling up-regulated the mRNA levels of cGAS, STING, TBK1, and IRF3 and the protein levels of cGAS, p-STING, p-TBK1, and p-IRF3. Compared with the model group, the four treatment groups showed reduced levels of cGAS, STING, TBK1, and IRF3-positive products, down-regulated mRNA levels of cGAS, STING, and TBK1, and down-regulated protein levels of cGAS and p-STING. The high-dose BYD group showed down-regulations in the mRNA level of IRF3 and the protein levels of p-TBK1 and p-IRF3. The above results indicate that BYD can repair the imbalance of T cell subsets, alleviate immune injury, and reduce thyroid lymphocyte infiltration in AIT mice by inhibiting the cGAS-STING signaling pathway.
Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Thyroiditis, Autoimmune/metabolism* ; Mice ; Membrane Proteins/metabolism* ; Mice, Inbred NOD ; Humans ; Female ; Nucleotidyltransferases/metabolism* ; Male ; Disease Models, Animal