This study aimed to explore the mechanisms and molecular targets of total flavones of Abelmoschus manihot(TFA) plus empagliflozin(EM) in attenuating diabetic tubulopathy(DT) by targeting mitochondrial homeostasis and pyroptosis-apoptosis-necroptosis(PANoptosis). In the in vivo study, the authors established the DT rat models through a combination of uninephrectomy, administration of streptozotocin via intraperitoneal injections, and exposure to a high-fat diet. Following modeling successfully, the DT rat models received either TFA, EM, TFA+EM, or saline(as a vehicle) by gavage for eight weeks, respectively. In the in vitro study, the authors subjected the NRK52E cells with or without knock-down Z-DNA binding protein 1(ZBP1) to a high-glucose(HG) environment and various treatments including TFA, EM, and TFA+EM. In the in vivo and in vitro studies, The authors investigated the relative characteristics of renal tubular injury and renal tubular epithelial cells damage induced by reactive oxygen species(ROS), analyzed the relative characteristics of renal tubular PANoptosis and ZBP1-mediatted PANoptosis in renal tubular epithelial cells, and compared the relative characteristics of the protein expression levels of marked molecules of mitochondrial fission in the kidneys and mitochondrial homeostasis in renal tubular epithelial cells, respectively. Furthermore, in the network pharmacology study, the authors predicted and screened targets of TFA and EM using HERB and SwissTargetPrediction databases; The screened chemical constituents and targets of TFA and EM were constructed the relative network using Cytoscape 3.7.2 network graphics software; The relative targets of DT were integrated using OMIM and GeneCards databases; The intersecting targets of TFA, EM, and DT were enriched and analyzed signaling pathways by Gene Ontology(GO)and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) software using DAVID database. In vivo study results showed that TFA+EM could improve renal tubular injury, the protein expression levels and characteristics of key signaling molecules in PANoptosis pathway in the kidneys, and the protein expression levels of marked molecules of mitochondrial fission in the kidneys. And that, the ameliorative effects in vivo of TFA+EM were both superior to TFA or EM. Network pharmacology study results showed that TFA+EM treated DT by regulating the PANoptosis signaling pathway. In vitro study results showed that TFA+EM could improve ROS-induced cell injury, ZBP1-mediatted PANoptosis, and mitochondrial homeostasis in renal tubular epithelial cells under a state of HG, including the protein expression levels of marked molecules of mitochondrial fission, mitochondrial ultrastructure, and membrane potential level. And that, the ameliorative effects in vitro of TFA+EM were both superior to TFA or EM. More importantly, using the NRK52E cells with knock-down ZBP1, the authors found that, indeed, ZBP1 was mediated PANoptosis in renal tubular epithelial cells as an upstream factor. In addition, TFA+EM could regulate the protein expression levels of marked signaling molecules of PANoptosis by targeting ZBP1. In summary, this study clarified that TFA+EM, different from TFA or EM, could attenuate DT with multiple targets by ameliorating mitochondrial homeostasis and inhibiting ZBP1-mediated PANoptosis. These findings provide the clear pharmacological evidence for the clinical treatment of DT with a novel strategy of TFA+EM, which is named "coordinated traditional Chinese and western medicine".
Animals ; Rats ; Mitochondria/metabolism* ; Benzhydryl Compounds/administration & dosage* ; Glucosides/administration & dosage* ; Abelmoschus/chemistry* ; Male ; Homeostasis/drug effects* ; Flavones/administration & dosage* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Diabetic Nephropathies/physiopathology* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; DNA-Binding Proteins/genetics* ; Humans ; Apoptosis/drug effects*

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect and safety of Chinese medicine (CM) Fuzheng Huazhuo Decoction (FHD) in treating patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) who persistently tested positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). METHODS: This retrospective cohort study was conducted at Shanghai New International Expo Center shelter hospital in China between April 1 and May 30, 2022. Patients diagnosed as COVID-19 with persistently positive SARS-CoV-2 reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test results for ⩾8 days after diagnosis were enrolled. Patients in the control group received conventional Western medicine (WM) treatment, while those in the FHD group received conventional WM plus FHD for at least 3 days. The primary outcome was viral clearance time. Secondary outcomes included negative conversion rate within 14 days, length of hospital stay, cycle threshold (Ct) values of the open reading frame 1ab (ORF1ab) and nucleocapsid protein (N) genes, and incidence of new-onset symptoms during hospitalization. Adverse events (AEs) that occurred during the study period were recorded. RESULTS: A total of 1,765 eligible patients were enrolled in this study (546 in the FHD group and 1,219 in the control group). Compared with the control group, patients receiving FHD treatment showed shorter viral clearance time for nucleic acids [hazard ratio (HR): 1.500, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.353-1.664, P<0.001] and hospital stays (HR: 1.371, 95% CI: 1.238-1.519, P<0.001), and a higher negative conversion rate within 14 days (96.2% vs. 82.6%, P<0.001). The incidence of new-onset symptoms was 59.5% in the FHD group, similar to 57.8% in the control group (P>0.05). The Ct values of ORF1ab and N genes increased more rapidly over time in the FHD group than those in the control group post-randomization (ORF1ab gene: β =0.436±0.053, P<0.001; N gene: β =0.415 ±0.053, P<0.001). The incidence of AEs in the FHD group was lower than that in the control group (24.2% vs. 35.4%, P<0.001). No serious AEs were observed. CONCLUSION FHD was effective and safe for patients with persistently positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR tests. (Registration No. ChiCTR2200063956).
Humans ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/adverse effects* ; Retrospective Studies ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; COVID-19 Drug Treatment ; SARS-CoV-2/drug effects* ; COVID-19/virology* ; Adult ; Aged ; Treatment Outcome

Patients with periodontal disease often require combined periodontal-orthodontic interventions to restore periodontal health, function, and aesthetics, ensuring both patient satisfaction and long-term stability. Managing these patients involving orthodontic tooth movement can be particularly challenging due to compromised periodontal soft and hard tissues, especially in severe cases. Therefore, close collaboration between orthodontists and periodontists for comprehensive diagnosis and sequential treatment, along with diligent patient compliance throughout the entire process, is crucial for achieving favorable treatment outcomes. Moreover, long-term orthodontic retention and periodontal follow-up are essential to sustain treatment success. This expert consensus, informed by the latest clinical research and practical experience, addresses clinical considerations for orthodontic treatment of periodontal patients, delineating indications, objectives, procedures, and principles with the aim of providing clear and practical guidance for clinical practitioners.
Humans ; Consensus ; Orthodontics, Corrective/standards* ; Periodontal Diseases/complications* ; Tooth Movement Techniques/methods* ; Practice Guidelines as Topic

AIM: To investigate and analyze the current situation and needs of clinical research nurses in China, in order to provide scientific basis for constructing a training system for research nurses, promoting standardized training, and achieving standardized management for them. METHODS:A self-made questionnaire was used to investigate 102 research nurses from nearly 70 well-known clinical trial institutions in China. The contents of the questionnaire mainly included the general information, professional experience and work content of the research nurses, the sense of accomplishment and training needs of clinical trial work. RESULTS: Among the 102 research nurses surveyed, 92.15% have a bachelor's degree or above; 53.92% of those have intermediate or higher professional titles; 74.51% of them are part-time research nurse. Among professional experiences, 19.61% have more than 10 years of clinical trial experience; 47.06%, 40.20%, and 21.17% of surveyed research nurses were authorized to participate in clinical trial drug management, sample management, and quality control; 70.59% of research nurses have a high sense of achievement in their daily work. In terms of education and training needs, clinical trial related laws and regulations, standardized training for clinical trial protocol implementation, and good clinical practice (GCP) are the three most important aspects. CONCLUSION: Clinical research nurses in China have a relatively high level of education and nursing experience, but there is still a large gap in the amount of professional full-time clinical research nurses in China. Due to the rapid development of innovative drugs and devices, as well as the urgent need to improve the clinical research system, it is necessary to establish a training, assessment, and evaluation system for research nurses that is in line with China's national conditions in order to improve the professional level of research nurses, and improve the quantity and quality of clinical trial research on innovative drugs and devices in China.

Coronary restenosis is an important cause of poor long-term prognosis in patients with coronary heart disease. Here, we show that lysine methyltransferase SMYD2 expression in the nucleus is significantly elevated in serum- and PDGF-BB-induced vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), and in tissues of carotid artery injury-induced neointimal hyperplasia. Smyd2 overexpression in VSMCs (Smyd2-vTg) facilitates, but treatment with its specific inhibitor LLY-507 or SMYD2 knockdown significantly inhibits VSMC phenotypic switching and carotid artery injury-induced neointima formation in mice. Transcriptome sequencing revealed that SMYD2 knockdown represses the expression of serum response factor (SRF) target genes and that SRF overexpression largely reverses the inhibitory effect of SMYD2 knockdown on VSMC proliferation. HDAC3 directly interacts with and deacetylates SRF, which enhances SRF transcriptional activity in VSMCs. Moreover, SMYD2 promotes HDAC3 expression via tri-methylation of H3K36 at its promoter. RGFP966, a specific inhibitor of HDAC3, not only counteracts the pro-proliferation effect of SMYD2 overexpression on VSMCs, but also inhibits carotid artery injury-induced neointima formation in mice. HDAC3 partially abolishes the inhibitory effect of SMYD2 knockdown on VSMC proliferation in a deacetylase activity-dependent manner. Our results reveal that the SMYD2-HDAC3-SRF axis constitutes a novel and critical epigenetic mechanism that regulates VSMC phenotypic switching and neointimal hyperplasia.

Objective To investigate the role of magnesium ion(Mg2+)in cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury(Cis-AKI)in kidney organoids and HK-2 cells,as well as the potential mechanism.Methods Initially,we utilized human-derived induced pluripotent stem cells(iPSCs)to construct kidney organoids,and then built a Cis-AKI model based on kidney organoids.HE staining was used to observe the structure of kidney organoids,and immunofluorescence staining was used to observe the localization of markers and the expression of cleaved caspase-3.qRT-PCR was conducted to detect mRNA levels of tubular and glomerular markers,as well as inflammatory factors.Subsequently,the kidney organoids were randomly divided into control group,cisplatin group(Cis group),and Mg2+pretreatment group(Cis+Mg2+group).CCK-8 and ATP content assays were employed to evaluate the cell viability of renal tubular epithelial cells.TUNEL staining was performed to detect the apoptosis of renal tubular epithelial cells.Western blot was utilized to detect the expression of apoptosis-associated proteins(Bcl-2,Bax,cleaved caspase-3)and organic cation transporter 2(OCT2).Immunofluorescence was used to detect the localization and expression of OCT2.Results On the 10th day,the tubular structure in kidney organoids was visible,with abundant expression of renal markers.Treatment with 10 μmol/L cisplatin resulted in structural damage to kidney organoids,significantly increased expression of cleaved caspase-3 and mRNA levels of inflammatory factors,and significantly decreased ATP content.Compared with the Cis group,the Cis+Mg2+group showed increased ATP content in kidney organoids,reduced number of TUNEL-positive cells,significantly decreased expression of apoptosis-associated proteins,and significantly decreased expression of OCT2.However,there was no significant improvement in HK-2 cell viability,the number of TUNEL-positive cells,or apoptosis-associated proteins in the Cis+Mg2+group,and HK-2 cells did not express OCT2.Conclusion Kidney organoid is an ideal in vitro model to study the pathogenesis and treatment of Cis-AKI.Mg2+pretreatment can significantly reduce the damage of kidney organoids induced by cisplatin,and the mechanism may be related to the downregulation of OCT2.

Objective To explore the effect of urine mixing degree on 24-hour urinary total protein(24 h UTP)in patients with chronic kidney disease(CKD).Methods From October 1,2023 to December 31,2023,30 hospitalized patients who needed to complete 24 h UTP testing in Zhongshan Hospital,Fudan University were selected.A 5 L unified container was used to collect urine for 24 hours.After collection and one hour's standing,the urine sample was divided into upper,middle,and lower equal parts according to volume,which was defined as direct-sampling group.Then,the urine samples were fully mixed with a magnetic stirrer and sampled again according to the above-mentioned three-equal sampling method,which was defined as mixed-sampling group.The generalized estimating equation was used to compare the urinary protein concentration before and after mixing and at different sampling location.Results The results of generalized estimating equation showed that after controlling the variable"sampling position",there was no significant difference in urinary protein concentration between the direct-sampling group and the mixed-sampling group.After controlling the variable"mixing method",there was still no significant difference in urinary protein concentration at different sampling positions.After adjusting the covariates such as age,gender,and estimated glomerular filtration rate(eGFR),the results were consistent.Conclusions With standard protocol,the entire 24-hour urine sample is a relatively even-distributed solution.After the total urine collection is completed,the temporary sample can be directly extracted from any level of the original urine within 1 hour,and the urine protein concentration of the sample multiplied by the urine volume can reflect the 24 h UTR.

AIM:To investigate and analyze the current situation and needs of clinical research nurses in China,in order to provide scientific basis for constructing a training system for research nurs-es,promoting standardized training,and achieving standardized management for them.METHODS:A self-made questionnaire was used to investigate 102 research nurses from nearly 70 well-known clinical trial institutions in China.The contents of the questionnaire mainly included the general infor-mation,professional experience and work content of the research nurses,the sense of accomplish-ment and training needs of clinical trial work.RE-SULTS:Among the 102 research nurses surveyed,92.15％have a bachelor's degree or above;53.92％of those have intermediate or higher professional titles;74.51％of them are part-time research nurse.Among professional experiences,19.61％have more than 10 years of clinical trial experience;47.06％,40.20％,and 21.17％of surveyed research nurses were authorized to participate in clinical tri-al drug management,sample management,and quality control;70.59％of research nurses have a high sense of achievement in their daily work.In terms of education and training needs,clinical trial related laws and regulations,standardized training for clinical trial protocol implementation,and good clinical practice(GCP)are the three most important aspects.CONCLUSION:Clinical research nurses in China have a relatively high level of education and nursing experience,but there is still a large gap in the amount of professional full-time clinical re-search nurses in China.Due to the rapid develop-ment of innovative drugs and devices,as well as the urgent need to improve the clinical research system,it is necessary to establish a training,as-sessment,and evaluation system for research nurs-es that is in line with China's national conditions in order to improve the professional level of research nurses,and improve the quantity and quality of clinical trial research on innovative drugs and devic-es in China.

AIM:To investigate and analyze the current situation and needs of clinical research nurses in China,in order to provide scientific basis for constructing a training system for research nurs-es,promoting standardized training,and achieving standardized management for them.METHODS:A self-made questionnaire was used to investigate 102 research nurses from nearly 70 well-known clinical trial institutions in China.The contents of the questionnaire mainly included the general infor-mation,professional experience and work content of the research nurses,the sense of accomplish-ment and training needs of clinical trial work.RE-SULTS:Among the 102 research nurses surveyed,92.15％have a bachelor's degree or above;53.92％of those have intermediate or higher professional titles;74.51％of them are part-time research nurse.Among professional experiences,19.61％have more than 10 years of clinical trial experience;47.06％,40.20％,and 21.17％of surveyed research nurses were authorized to participate in clinical tri-al drug management,sample management,and quality control;70.59％of research nurses have a high sense of achievement in their daily work.In terms of education and training needs,clinical trial related laws and regulations,standardized training for clinical trial protocol implementation,and good clinical practice(GCP)are the three most important aspects.CONCLUSION:Clinical research nurses in China have a relatively high level of education and nursing experience,but there is still a large gap in the amount of professional full-time clinical re-search nurses in China.Due to the rapid develop-ment of innovative drugs and devices,as well as the urgent need to improve the clinical research system,it is necessary to establish a training,as-sessment,and evaluation system for research nurs-es that is in line with China's national conditions in order to improve the professional level of research nurses,and improve the quantity and quality of clinical trial research on innovative drugs and devic-es in China.