Objective To clarify the risk factors of diaphragmatic dysfunction (DD) after cardiac surgery with extracorporeal circulation. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the data of patients who underwent cardiac surgery with extracorporeal circulation in the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery of Peking University People's Hospital from January 2023 to March 2024. Patients were divided into two groups according to the results of bedside diaphragm ultrasound: a DD group and a control group. The preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative indicators of the patients were compared and analyzed, and independent risk factors for DD were screened using multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results A total of 281 patients were included, with 32 patients in the DD group, including 23 males and 9 females, with an average age of (64.0±13.5) years. There were 249 patients in the control group, including 189 males and 60 females, with an average age of (58.0±11.2) years. The body mass index of the DD group was lower than that of the control group [(18.4±1.5) kg/m2 vs. (21.9±1.8) kg/m2, P=0.004], and the prevalence of hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart failure, and renal insufficiency was higher in the DD group (P<0.05). There was no statistical difference in intraoperative indicators (operation method, extracorporeal circulation time, aortic clamping time, and intraoperative nasopharyngeal temperature) between the two groups (P>0.05). In terms of postoperative aspects, the peak postoperative blood glucose in the DD group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P=0.001), and the proportion of patients requiring continuous renal replacement therapy was significantly higher than that in the control group (P=0.001). The postoperative reintubation rate, tracheotomy rate, mechanical ventilation time, and intensive care unit stay time in the DD group were higher or longer than those in the control group (P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that low body mass index [OR=0.72, 95%CI (0.41, 0.88), P=0.011], preoperative dialysis [OR=2.51, 95%CI (1.89, 4.14), P=0.027], low left ventricular ejection fraction [OR=0.88, 95%CI (0.71, 0.93), P=0.046], and postoperative hyperglycemia [OR=3.27, 95%CI (2.58, 5.32), P=0.009] were independent risk factors for DD. Conclusion The incidence of DD is relatively high after cardiac surgery, and low body mass index, preoperative renal insufficiency requiring dialysis, low left ventricular ejection fraction, and postoperative hyperglycemia are risk factors for DD.

This study aims to delve into the influences and underlying mechanisms of Banxia Xiexin Decoction(BXD) on the proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, and migration of colon cancer cells. Firstly, the components of BXD in blood were identified by UPLC-MS/MS, and subsequently the content of these components were determined by HPLC. Then, different concentrations of BXD were used to treat both the normal intestinal epithelial cells(NCM460) and the colon cancer cells(HT29 and HCT116). The cell viability and apoptosis were examined by the cell counting kit-8(CCK-8) and flow cytometry, respectively. Western blot was employed to determine the expression of the apoptosis regulators B-cell lymphoma-2(Bcl-2) and Bcl-2-associated X(Bax). The cell wound healing assay and Transwell assay were employed to measure the cell migration and invasion, respectively. Additionally, Western blot was employed to determine the expression levels of epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT)-associated proteins, including epithelial cadherin(E-cadherin), neural cadherin(N-cadherin), and vimentin. The protein and mRNA levels of the factors in the poly(ADP-ribose) glycohydrolase(PARG)/poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1(PARP1)/nuclear factor kappa-B p65(NF-κB p65) signaling pathway were determined by Western blot and RT-qPCR, respectively. The results demonstrated that following BXD intervention, the proliferation of HT29 and HCT116 cells was significantly reduced. Furthermore, BXD promoted the apoptosis, enhanced the expression of Bcl-2, and suppressed the expression of Bax in colon cancer cells. At the same time, BXD suppressed the cell migration and invasion and augmented the expression of E-cadherin while diminishing the expression of N-cadherin and vimentin. In addition, BXD down-regulated the protein and mRNA levels of PARG, PARP1, and NF-κB p65. In conclusion, BXD may inhibit the malignant phenotypes of colon cancer cells by mediating the PARG/PARP1/NF-κB signaling pathway.
Colonic Neoplasms/pathology* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Phenotype ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Cell Proliferation/drug effects* ; Apoptosis ; Cell Movement/drug effects* ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; HCT116 Cells ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/biosynthesis* ; Humans ; Poly (ADP-Ribose) Polymerase-1 ; Glycoside Hydrolases ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein ; NF-kappa B p50 Subunit

This study explores the effect and mechanism of Banxia Xiexin Decoction(BXD) in inhibiting colon cancer progression by reshaping tryptophan metabolism. Balb/c mice were assigned into control, model, low-dose BXD(BXD-L), and high-dose BXD(BXD-H) groups. Except the control group, the other groups were subcutaneously injected with CT26-Luc cells for the modeling of colon cancer, which was followed by the intervention with BXD. Small animal live imaging was employed to monitor tumor growth, and the tumor volume and weight were measured. Hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining was used to observe the pathological changes in mouse tumors. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect Ki67 expression in tumors. Immunofluorescence and flow cytometry were used to detect the infiltration and number changes of CD3~+/CD8~+ T cells in the tumor tissue. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was employed to measure the levels of interferon-gamma(IFN-γ) and interleukin-2(IL-2) in tumors. Targeted metabolomics was employed to measure the level of tryptophan(Trp) in the serum, and the Trp content in the tumor tissue was measured. Western blot and RT-qPCR were employed to determine the protein and mRNA levels, respectively, of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1(IDO1), MYC proto-oncogene, and solute carrier family 7 member 5(SLC7A5) in the tumor tissue. Additionally, a co-culture model with CT26 cells and CD8~+ T cells was established in vitro and treated with the BXD-containing serum. The cell counting kit-8(CCK-8) assay was used to examine the viability of CT26 cells. The content of Trp in CT26 cells and CD8~+ T cells, as well as the secretion of IFN-γ and IL-2 by CD8~+ T cells, was measured. RT-qPCR was used to determine the mRNA levels of MYC and SLC7A5 in CT26 cells. The results showed that BXD significantly inhibited the tumor growth, reduced the tumor weight, and decreased the tumor volume in the model mice. In addition, the model mice showed sparse arrangement of tumor cells, varying degrees of patchy necrosis, and downregulated expression of Ki67 in the tumor tissue. BXD elevated the levels of IFN-γ and IL-2 in the tumor tissue, while upregulating the ratio of CD3~+/CD8~+ T cells and lowering the levels of Trp, IDO1, MYC, and SLC7A5. The co-culture experiment showed that BXD-containing serum reduced Trp uptake by CT26 cells, increased Trp content in CD8~+T cells, enhanced IL-2 and IFN-γ secretion of CD8~+T cells, and down-regulated the mRNA levels of MYC and SLC7A5 in CT26 cells. In summary, BXD can inhibit the MYC/SLC7A5 pathway to reshape Trp metabolism and adjust Trp uptake by CD8~+ T cells to enhance the cytotoxicity, thereby inhibiting the development of colon cancer.
Animals ; Tryptophan/metabolism* ; Colonic Neoplasms/pathology* ; Mice ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Humans ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Indoleamine-Pyrrole 2,3,-Dioxygenase/metabolism* ; Female ; Disease Progression ; Cell Proliferation/drug effects* ; Proto-Oncogene Mas ; Male

BACKGROUND: The association of systemic inflammatory response index (SIRI) with prognosis of coronary artery disease (CAD) patients has never been investigated in a large sample with long-term follow-up. This study aimed to explore the association of SIRI with all-cause and cause-specific mortality in a nationally representative sample of CAD patients from United States. METHODS: A total of 3386 participants with CAD from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2018 were included in this study. Cox proportional hazards model, restricted cubic spline (RCS), and receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) were performed to investigate the association of SIRI with all-cause and cause-specific mortality. Piece-wise linear regression and sensitivity analyses were also performed. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 7.7 years, 1454 all-cause mortality occurred. After adjusting for confounding factors, higher lnSIRI was significantly associated with higher risk of all-cause (HR = 1.16, 95% CI: 1.09-1.23) and CVD mortality (HR = 1.17, 95% CI: 1.05-1.30) but not cancer mortality (HR = 1.17, 95% CI: 0.99-1.38). The associations of SIRI with all-cause and CVD mortality were detected as J-shaped with threshold values of 1.05935 and 1.122946 for SIRI, respectively. ROC curves showed that lnSIRI had robust predictive effect both in short and long terms. CONCLUSIONS SIRI was independently associated with all-cause and CVD mortality, and the dose-response relationship was J-shaped. SIRI might serve as a valid predictor for all-cause and CVD mortality both in the short and long terms.

In-depth study of the components of polymyxins is the key to controlling the quality of this class of antibiotics. Similarities and variations of components present significant analytical challenges. A two-dimensional (2D) liquid chromatography-mass spectrometr (LC-MS) method was established for screening and comprehensive profiling of compositions of the antibiotic colistimethate sodium (CMS). A high concentration of phosphate buffer mobile phase was used in the first-dimensional LC system to get the components well separated. For efficient and high-accuracy screening of CMS, a targeted method based on a self-constructed high resolution (HR) mass spectrum database of CMS components was established. The database was built based on the commercial MassHunter Personal Compound Database and Library (PCDL) software and its accuracy of the compound matching result was verified with six known components before being applied to genuine sample screening. On this basis, the unknown peaks in the CMS chromatograms were deduced and assigned. The molecular formula, group composition, and origins of a total of 99 compounds, of which the combined area percentage accounted for more than 95% of CMS components, were deduced by this 2D-LC-MS method combined with the MassHunter PCDL. This profiling method was highly efficient and could distinguish hundreds of components within 3 h, providing reliable results for quality control of this kind of complex drugs.

OBJECTIVE: Asthma imposes a significant global health burden. This study examines changes in the asthma-related disease burden from 1990 to 2021 and projects future burdens for 2050 under different scenarios. METHODS: Using data from the Global Burden of Disease 2021 study, we analyzed asthma incidence, prevalence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) from 1990 to 2021. We projected the disease burden for 2050 based on current trends and hypothetical scenarios in which all risk factors are controlled. Temporal trends in age-standardized incidence, prevalence, mortality, and DALY rates were explored using Annual Percent Change. RESULTS: In 2021, the age-standardized rates for asthma incidence, prevalence, mortality, and DALYs in China were 364.17 per 100,000 (95% uncertainty interval [ UI]: 283.22-494.10), 1,956.49 per 100,000 (95% UI: 1,566.68-2,491.87), 1.47 per 100,000 (95% UI: 1.15-1.79), and 103.76 per 100,000 (95% UI: 72.50-145.46), respectively. A higher disease burden was observed among Chinese men and individuals aged 70 years or older. Compared to the current trend, a combined scenario involving improvements in environmental factors, behavioral and metabolic health, child nutrition, and vaccination resulted in a greater reduction in the disease burden caused by asthma. CONCLUSION Addressing modifiable risk factors is essential for further reducing the asthma-related disease burden.
Humans ; Asthma/mortality* ; China/epidemiology* ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Child ; Adolescent ; Global Burden of Disease/trends* ; Child, Preschool ; Young Adult ; Infant ; Cost of Illness ; Disability-Adjusted Life Years ; Prevalence ; Incidence ; Infant, Newborn ; Aged, 80 and over ; Risk Factors

The plant AT-rich sequence and zinc-binding protein (PLATZ) family is composed of plant-specific zinc finger-like transcription factors, which play important roles in plant growth, development, and stress tolerance. In this study, to gain a better understanding of the PLATZ gene in C. sinensis and elucidate its response under drought and high temperature conditions, the PLATZ gene family of the C. sinensis cultivar 'Tieguanyin' was systematically identified, and a total of 12 CsPLATZ family members were identified. Expasy online and other bioinformatics tools were used to analyze the members of the PLATZ gene family in terms of protein physicochemical properties, phylogenetic relationships, cis-acting elements, gene structures, and intra- and inter-species collinearity. The results of phylogenetic analysis classified the CsPLATZ family members into 2 subfamilies. The conserved domains and gene structures of PLATZ family members within the same subfamily had a high degree of consistency, whereas a certain degree of diversity was observed among the subfamilies. Twelve PLATZ genes were unevenly distributed across 7 chromosomes of C. sinensis and the promoter regions of these genes had multiple cis-acting elements related to hormone and stress responses. The collinearity analysis showed that there were 4 pairs of duplication events in the CsPLATZ gene family, all of which were segmental duplications. Based on this gene family, C. sinensis had a closer evolutionary relationship with A. thaliana than with O. sativa. The transcriptome analysis showed that the expression levels of CsPLATZ family members varied in different tissue samples of C. sinensis. 6 genes (CsPLATZ-1, CsPLATZ-2, CsPLATZ-3, CsPLATZ-4, CsPLATZ-6, and CsPLATZ-8) with high expression in shoots, young leaves, and roots were selected for high temperature and drought stress treatments, and their expression was quantified by qRT-PCR. The results indicated that the six genes might play important roles in the response to drought stress. In addition, CsPLATZ-2 and CsPLATZ-8 might have important functions in the response to high temperature stress. The results of this study will contribute to a better understanding of the biological functions of PLATZ genes and their possible roles in the growth, development, and stress responses of C. sinensis.
Droughts ; Camellia sinensis/physiology* ; Phylogeny ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Plant Proteins/genetics* ; Stress, Physiological/genetics* ; Multigene Family ; Transcription Factors/genetics* ; Hot Temperature ; Genes, Plant

Objective:To analyze the clinical phenotype and genotypes of two children with Carnitine-acylcarnitine translocase deficiency (CACTD).Methods:Two children diagnosed with CACTD at the Gansu Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital respectively on January 3 and November 19, 2018 were selected as the study subjects. Trio-whole exome sequencing (trio-WES) was carried out, and candidate variants were validated through Sanger sequencing and pathogenicity analysis.Results:Both children were males and had manifested mainly with hypoglycemia. Trio-WES and Sanger sequencing showed that child 1 had harbored compound heterozygous variants of the SLC25A20 gene, namely c. 49G>C (p.Gly17Arg) and c. 106-2A>G, which were inherited from his father and mother, respectively. Child 2 had harbored homozygous c. 199-10T>G variants of the SLC25A20 gene, which were inherited from both of his parents. Among these, the c. 106-2A>G and c. 49G>C variants were unreported previously. Based on the guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), the c. 49G>C (p.Gly17Arg), c. 106-2A>G, and c. 199-10T>G variants were classified as likely pathogenic (PM2_supporting+ PP3+ PM3_strong+ PP4), pathogenic (PVS1+ PM2_supporting+ PM5+ PP3), and pathogenic (PVS1+ PM2_supporting+ PP3+ PP5), respectively. Conclusion:Combined with their clinical phenotype and genetic analysis, both children were diagnosed with CACTD. Above finding has provided a basis for their treatment as well as genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis for their families.