ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of Yueju Wan on the 5-hydroxytryptamine （5-HT） signaling pathway in rats with functional dyspepsia （FD） and to explore its therapeutic mechanism in the treatment of FD. MethodsSixty Sprague-Dawley （SD） rats were randomly divided into a normal group， model group， mosapride group （1.575 mg·kg^-1）， and Yueju Wan low-， medium-， and high-dose groups （0.735， 1.47， and 2.94 g·kg^-1， respectively）. The FD rat model was established using GUO's tail-clamping stimulation combined with irregular feeding. After 14 days of modeling， rats were administered the corresponding drugs by gavage for 28 days. After treatment， gastric emptying rate and small intestinal propulsion rate were measured. Serum levels of 5-HT， tryptophan hydroxylase （TPH）， and substance P （SP） were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）， and acetylcholine （ACh） levels were determined by chemical methods. Histopathological changes in the gastric antrum were observed using hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） and Western blot were used to assess the mRNA and protein expression levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine 4 receptor （5-HT4R）， SP， and acetylcholinesterase （AChE） in colon tissue， as well as 5-hydroxytryptamine 3 receptor （5-HT3R）， SP， and AChE in hypothalamic tissue. Immunohistochemistry （IHC） was used to examine the expression of 5-HT and 5-HT4R in the colon and 5-HT and 5-HT3R in the hypothalamus. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the gastric emptying rate and small intestinal propulsion rate in the model group were significantly decreased （P<0.01）. Serum levels of 5-HT， SP， ACh， and TPH were significantly reduced （P<0.01）. Histopathological examination revealed irregular arrangement of glands in the gastric antrum， slight mucosal atrophy， and mild inflammatory cell infiltration. The mRNA and protein expression levels of 5-HT4R， SP， and AChE in colon tissue， as well as 5-HT3R， SP， and AChE in hypothalamic tissue， were significantly decreased （P<0.01）， and 5-HT protein expression in both the colon and hypothalamus was also significantly reduced （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， all Yueju Wan groups showed significantly increased gastric emptying rate and small intestinal propulsion rate （P<0.01）. The glands in the gastric antrum were more regularly arranged， with no inflammatory cell infiltration observed. Serum levels of 5-HT， SP， ACh， and TPH were significantly increased （P<0.01）. The mRNA and protein expression levels of 5-HT4R， SP， and AChE in colon tissue and 5-HT3R， SP， and AChE in hypothalamic tissue were significantly upregulated （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and 5-HT protein expression in both the colon and hypothalamus was significantly increased （P<0.01）. ConclusionYueju Wan has preventive and therapeutic effects on FD， and its mechanism may be related to regulation of the 5-HT signaling pathway， promotion of brain-gut peptide secretion， and enhancement of gastric motility.

ObjectiveTo investigate the differential expression of integrin alpha-6（ITGA6） in abdominal wall endometriosis （AWE） tissues and its molecular mechanisms in regulating AWE. Methods36 AWE lesions were designated as the experimental group， while 36 cases of normal endometrial tissues served as the controls. Differential expression of ITGA6 between the two groups was assessed through immunohistochemical （IHC） staining. Human ITGA6 gene-specific interference sequences were designed， synthesized， and packaged into lentiviral vectors to establish the Ishikawa cell line with ITGA6-knockdown. Similarly， the ITGA6-overexpression cell line was constructed using the coding sequence （CDS） of the gene. Real-time PCR and Western blot were performed to detect changes in epithelial-mesenchymal transition（EMT）-related markers and angiogenesis-related indicators. Cell invasion and migration capabilities were assessed by Cell Scratch and Transwell assays. Furthermore， Western blot was conducted to profile PI3K/AKT pathway dynamics. ResultsEctopic endometrial tissues exhibited a marked increase in the number of ITGA6-positive cells and their expression intensity compared to eutopic endometrium （each P < 0.001）. Compared with the NC group， the ITGA6-knockdown group showed significantly reduced expression of N-cadherin， VEGF， and TGF-β1 （all P < 0.01）， while E-cadherin expression was markedly increased （P < 0.01）. Concomitantly， the invasion and migration capacities of ITGA6-low expression were significantly impaired （P < 0.001 for both）， accompanied by a marked reduction in AKT and phosphorylated AKT（p-AKT） levels （P < 0.001）. Conversely， overexpressing ITGA6 resulted in opposite effects. ConclusionITGA6 modulates EMT and angiogenesis in Ishikawa cells via the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway， thereby enhancing cell invasion and migration capabilities， which contributes to the pathogenesis of AWE.

Surface plasmon resonance （SPR） sensor is an optical detection technique enables real-time and dynamic monitoring of biological samples. SPR-based biosensors have remarkable characteristics such as label-free detection and high sensitivity, making them important tools for studying molecular interactions. The recognition element, which plays a critical role in SPR sensors,which could specifically identify and capture of target analytes, closely influencing the selectivity performance of the sensor. The progress on SPR sensors in pharmaceutical research were reviewed, which focused on the application of recognition elements such as antibodies, aptamers, molecularly imprinted polymers, and metal nanoparticles.

Background As a pillar industry in China, the manufacturing sector has a high incidence of non-fatal occupational injuries. The factors influencing non-fatal occupational injuries in this industry are closely related at various levels, including individual, equipment, environment, and management, making the analysis of these influencing factors complex. Objective To identify influencing factors of non-fatal occupational injuries among manufacturing workers, providing a basis for targeted interventions and surveillance. Methods A total of 2243 frontline workers from cable and shipbuilding enterprises were selected as study subjects to investigate the incidence of non-fatal occupational injuries and collect information at four levels: individual, equipment, management, and environment in past 12 months. Data balancing was performed using resampling, and LASSO regression was used to select factors of non-fatal occupational injuries. The influence degree and type of variables were judged based on the magnitude of the estimated coefficients of each variable, where variables with estimated coefficients > 0 are risk factors, and those <0 are protective factors. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC)curve (AUC) was used to test the performance of the model, with an AUC value > 0.7 indicating good model performance. Results Among the 2243 frontline workers, males accounted for 77.7% (1742 out of 2243), with the main age range being 40-49 years old, representing 29.5% (661 out of 2243), 82.7% of the workers (1854 out of 2243) were married, and 55.6% (1248 out of 2243) had a junior middle school education level. The average monthly income for 51.0% (1144 out of 2243) of the workers was between 5000 and 6999 Chinese Yuan. The incidence of non-fatal occupational injuries among the manufacturing workers was 8.4% (189/2243) in the past 12 months. Among the 22 factors associated with the occurrence of non-fatal occupational injuries (P<0.05), 10 were individual-level factors, including gender, smoking, alcohol consumption, colleague relationships, average exercise duration, job burnout, work fatigue, musculoskeletal disorders, cardiovascular diseases, and neurological and sensory organ diseases; 3 were equipment-level factors, including equipment operability, hazardous workpieces, and safety hazards; 5 were environmental-level factors, including low temperatures, special operations, noise, workspace size, and dirty and disorderly environment; and 4 were management-level factors, including daily working hours, weekly working days, overtime, and pre-job technical training. The AUC value of the LASSO regression model was 0.704 and the final model retained a total of 10 variables. Among them, there were 7 risk factors for non-fatal occupational injuries (coefficient > 0), including safety hazards, musculoskeletal disorders, dangerous workpieces, job burnout, dirty and disorderly environment, smoking, and male gender; and 3 protective factors (coefficient < 0), including pre-job technical training, good colleague relationship, and long working days per week. Conclusion Manufacturing enterprises need to focus on the incidence of non-fatal occupational injuries and conduct targeted interventions for non-fatal occupational injuries by controlling potential safety hazards, providing pre-job technical training, reducing dangerous workpieces, rectifying working environment, and reasonably arranging working hours.

Objective To explore the sex differences in drug metabolism of sufentanil in Chinese patients based on the mutation classification of cytochrome P450 3A(CYP3A)enzymes.Methods According to the possible effects of combined cytochrome P450 3A4 gene*1G locus(CYP3A4*1G)and cytochrome P450 3A5 gene*3 locus(CYP3A5*3)mutation groups on Chinese population,we added different weights to CYP3A4*1G and CYP3A5*3 polymorphisms and classified patients into 3 groups:GroupⅠ,patients carried either the CYP3A4*1G/*1G allele or both CYP3A4*1/*1G allele and CYP3A5*3/*3 allele;Group Ⅱ,patients with both CYP3A4*1/*1G allele and CYP3A5*1/*3 allele;Group Ⅲ,patients with either the CYP3A4*1/*1 allele or both CYP3A4*1/*1G allele and CYP3A5*1/*1 allele.A single-dose,double-blind,stratified random sampling was performed,and 255 patients undergoing endoscopic surgery in the First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University were finally subjected.According to the results of genetic testing,an independent statistician,before operation,randomly selected 30 patients from each stratified group to form a study cohort(male-female ratio of 1∶1)and named each group A,B or C.Clinical investigators and subjects kept double-blind to the results of grouping and genetic testing.After entering the operating room,the subjected 90 patients received a single dose of sufentanil followed by collection of blood samples at 10 time points including 2 min before and from 2 to 120 min after administration.After the surgery,we determined the plasma drug concentration,calculated the pharmacokinetic parameters,and compared the metabolic differences between different genders in each group and unblinded the study.Results The cohort best fitted the two-compartment pharmacokinetic model,and groups A,B and C corresponded to group Ⅰ,Ⅱand Ⅲ,respectively.In different patient groups based on mutatron types of CYP3A enzymes the females had lower plasma drug concentration-time curves at each time point,higher systemic clearance(P≤0.01)and smaller area under the plasma concentration-time curve from zero to infinity(P＜0.05)when compared with the males.In addition,in group Ⅰ,the elimination rate of central compartment and movement rate of drug from central compartment to peripheral compartment were obviously greater in the females than the males(P＜0.05),while the distribution half-life(P＜0.05)and elimination half-life(P＜0.01)were notably longer in the males than the females.In both group Ⅱ and group Ⅲ,the males obtained larger total area under the plasma concentration-time curve than the females(P＜0.05).Conclusion There are sex differences in the drug metabolism of sufentanil in Chinese patients.Women show faster distribution and higher clearance of sufentanil while men present greater drug exposure.Preoperative CYP3A genotyping and intraoperative personalized medication are of great significance to ensure the safety in clinical practice.

Objective To establish a mouse model of bronchiectasis with acute infection and evaluate the immunogenicity and protective effect of a self-assembling Pseudomonas aeruginosa(PA)nanoparticle vaccine rePO-FN based on fusion of PcrV-OprI(rePO)protein with self-assembling ferritin(Ferritin).Methods ① SPF-grade female C57BL/6 mice(aged 6～8 weeks,weighing 18～20 g)were randomly allocated into normal saline group,and low-,medium-and high-dose elastase groups(n=6).A mouse model of bronchiectasis was established via intratracheal instillation of different doses of elastase(30 μL of normal saline containing 0.65,1.30 and 2.60 IU elastase)for 3 consecutive days.At 14 and 21 d after modeling,ELISA and HE staining were performed respectively to detect the concentration of IL-6 and to observe pathological changes in lung tissue in order to confirm the modeling.② A recombinant plasmid encoding the gene of fusion protein rePO-FN was constructed and expressed in E.coli.The target protein was purified via affinity chromatography and renatured to obtain the desired protein.The physicochemical properties of the rePO-FN protein were characterized using SDS-PAGE protein gel electrophoresis,dynamic light scattering,molecular sieve chromatography,and transmission electron microscopy.③ C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into PBS group,rePO group,rePO-FN group,and Ferritin group(n=10).The mice in the above groups were immunized intramuscularly with 100 μL PBS buffer alone or containing 10 μg of corresponding proteins on days 0,7,and 14.ELISA was used to measure the specific antibodies in serum.In 7 d after the final immunization,an acute PA infection model was used to compare the survival rates and bacterial colonization among the PBS,rePO,and rePO-FN groups.After establishing a bronchiectasis model by intratracheal instillation of 2.60 IU of elastase in C57BL/6J mice as described above,the mice were randomly divided into bronchiectasis PBS group,bronchiectasis rePO group,and bronchiectasis rePO-FN group(n=10).Immunization was conducted at the same dose and procedure as described above,in 21 d after bronchiectasis modeling.At the 7th d after the final immunization,an acute PA infection model was used to compare the survival rates and bacterial colonization among the groups.Results ①Repeated intratracheal instillation of elastase significantly increased the concentration of IL-6 in the lung tissue when compared to the content of the normal saline group(P＜0.05).Pathological observations revealed varying degrees of bronchial wall destruction,alveolar fusion,edema,neutrophil infiltration,and hemorrhage,with the severity increasing with elastase dose,which confirming successful establishment of the mouse model of bronchiectasis.② Well-dispersed rePO-FN nanoparticles were successfully prepared,with an average particle size of 91.28 nm,a Zeta potential of approximately-6.5 mV,and a polydispersity index(PDI)of 0.306.Molecular sieve chromatography determined the elution volume of rePO-FN protein to be 8.80 mL,corresponding to a molecular weight of approximately 1 400 kDa.③ Under acute PA XN-1 strain infection,the survival rate of the rePO-FN immunization group and the bronchiectasis rePO-FN immunization group were significantly higher than that of the PBS control group(P＜0.05).Additionally,bacterial colonization in the lung tissues was significantly lower in the rePO-FN immune group and the bronchiectasis rePO-FN immune group under acute PA XN-1 strain infection than that in the rePO group and the bronchiectasis rePO group(P＜0.05).Conclusion Our vaccine rePO-FN can effectively trigger a strong humoral immune response and provide significant protection against PA infection in a mouse bronchiectasis model.

Objective To explore the pharmacokinetic characteristics of sufentanil in individuals with normal body mass index(BMI),overweight BMI,and different CYP3A4/5 enzyme genotypes.Methods The patients receiving laparoscopic surgery under general anesthesia in the First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University from November 2020 to September 2021 were prospectively recruited in this study.Before the operation,the oral swabs were collected from all the patients for genotyping using the human CYP3A4/5 gene kit.Based on the potential impact of combination of their polymorphisms on sufentanil metabolism and the proportion of different genotype combinations of CYP3A4/5 enzymes,the patients were divided into groups I(3A4 homozygous mutation or 3A4 heterozygous mutation+3A5 homozygous mutation),II(3A4 heterozygous mutation+3A5 heterozygous mutation),and III(3A4 wild type or 3A4 heterozygous mutation+3A5 wild type).According to their BMI,they were also assigned into a normal body weight group(18.5～24.0 kg/m2)and an overweight group(24～<28 kg/m2),and the differences in drug metabolism parameters were statistically analyze between the 2 groups.After routine general anesthesia induction(sufentanil 0.5 μg/kg),venous blood samples were collected to detect the changes in its concentration using high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry(HPLC-MS).The pharmacokinetic data of sufentanil were calculated between the normal BMI group and overweight group in all participants and between the 2 body weight groups among those with different genotype combinations.Results Among the 90 participants completing the blood drug concentration test,8 patients had their blood samples contaminated(including 1 case with an anesthesia duration of<2 h),and 3 were excluded due to low weight or overweight.Eventually,79 participants were included in the pharmacokinetic analysis on the normal body weight group and the overweight group.Compared with the normal body weight group,the central compartment volume of distribution in the overweight group was significantly reduced(P<0.05),while no obvious differences were observed between the 2 groups in terms of peripheral compartment volume of distribution,total clearance rate,peripheral compartment clearance rate,distribution half-life,clearance half-life,and area under the blood concentration-time curve.In group Ⅰ(n=26),the overweight patients(n=13)had significantly reduced central compartment volume of distribution,peripheral compartment volume of distribution,and peripheral compartment clearance rate when compared with the normal body weight patients(n=13)(P<0.05),while no differences were observed in other pharmacokinetic parameters.In groups Ⅱ(n=25)and Ⅲ(n=28),the overweight patients and normal body weight patients had no statistical differences in all pharmacokinetic parameters.Conclusion Among the patients with the same genotype combination of CYP3A4/5 mutations,there was no difference in the metabolism of sufentanil between the overweight and normal weight patients.Additionally,in the population of 3A4 homozygous mutation or 3A4 heterozygous mutation+3A5 homozygous mutation,the overweight patients have smaller peripheral distribution range of sufentanil,and weakened metabolic process.

Objective:To investigate the association of monocyte-to-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (MHR) with the severity of white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) and its spatial distribution.Methods:Patients admitted to the Department of Neurology, Jiangning Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University due to various chronic diseases or physical examinations between January 2023 and December 2024 were included retrospectively. Past medical history, clinical and imaging data were collected. The Fazekas scale was used to assess the severity of WMHs. According to the scoring results of periventricular WMHs (PVWMHs) and deep WMHs (DWMHs), WMHs were divided into no/mild group (0-1 points) and moderate/severe group (2-3 points). Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine independent correlation factors for the severity of WMHs, PVWMHs, and DWMHs. Results:A total of 357 patients were included, aged 65.42±9.95 years, with 198 males (55.5%). There were 193 patients (54.1%) in the no/mild group and 164 (45.9%) in the moderate/severe group. Univariate analysis showed that the proportion of patients with hypertension, diabetes, history of cerebral infarction and cerebral hemorrhage, carotid plaque, and age, serum creatinine, monocyte count and MHR in the moderate/severe group were significantly higher than those in the no/mild group (all P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed a significant positive correlation between MHR and the severity of WMHs (odds ratio 3.138, 95% confidence interval 1.042-9.451; P=0.042). Further analysis showed a significant positive correlation between MHR and PVWMHs (odds ratio 3.384, 95% confidence interval 1.111-10.305; P=0.032), but no independent correlation with DWMHs. In addition, age and hypertension, diabetes, history of cerebral infarction and cerebral hemorrhage were significantly positively correlated with the severity of WMHs, PVWMHs and DWMHs. Conclusion:MHR is correlated with the severity of WMHs, and higher MHR is significantly associated with PVWMHs, but not with DWMHs.

BACKGROUND: P16 inactivation is frequently accompanied by telomerase reverse transcriptase ( TERT ) amplification in human cancer genomes. P16 inactivation by DNA methylation often occurs automatically during immortalization of normal cells by TERT . However, direct evidence remains to be obtained to support the causal effect of epigenetic changes, such as P16 methylation, on cancer development. This study aimed to provide experimental evidence that P16 methylation directly drives cancer development. METHODS: A zinc finger protein-based P16 -specific DNA methyltransferase (P16-Dnmt) vector containing a "Tet-On" switch was used to induce extensive methylation of P16 CpG islands in normal human fibroblast CCD-18Co cells. Battery assays were used to evaluate cell immortalization and transformation throughout their lifespan. Cell subcloning and DNA barcoding were used to track the diversity of cell evolution. RESULTS: Leaking P16-Dnmt expression (without doxycycline-induction) could specifically inactivate P16 expression by DNA methylation. P16 methylation only promoted proliferation and prolonged lifespan but did not induce immortalization of CCD-18Co cells. Notably, cell immortalization, loss of contact inhibition, and anchorage-independent growth were always prevalent in P16-Dnmt&TERT cells, indicating cell transformation. In contrast, almost all TERT cells died in the replicative crisis. Only a few TERT cells recovered from the crisis, in which spontaneous P16 inactivation by DNA methylation occurred. Furthermore, the subclone formation capacity of P16-Dnmt&TERT cells was two-fold that of TERT cells. DNA barcoding analysis showed that the diversity of the P16-Dnmt&TERT cell population was much greater than that of the TERT cell population. CONCLUSION P16 methylation drives TERT -mediated immortalization and transformation of normal human cells that may contribute to cancer development.
Humans ; Telomerase/genetics* ; DNA Methylation/physiology* ; Fibroblasts/cytology* ; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16/metabolism* ; Cell Line ; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic/genetics*