Diterpenoid ferruginol is a key intermediate in biosynthesis of active ingredients such as tanshinone and carnosic acid.However, the traditional process of obtaining ferruginol from plants is often cumbersome and inefficient. In recent years, the increasingly developing gene editing technology has been gradually applied to the heterologous production of natural products, but the production of ferruginol in microbe is still very low, which has become an obstacle to the efficient biosynthesis of downstream chemicals, such as tanshinone. In this study, miltiradiene was produced by integrating the shortened diterpene synthase fusion protein,and the key genes in the MVA pathway were overexpressed to improve the yield of miltiradiene. Under the shake flask fermentation condition, the yield of miltiradiene reached about(113. 12±17. 4)mg·L~(-1). Subsequently, this study integrated the ferruginol synthase Sm CYP76AH1 and Sm CPR1 to reconstruct the ferruginol pathway and thereby realized the heterologous synthesis of ferruginol in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The study selected the best ferruginol synthase(Il CYP76AH46) from different plants and optimized the expression of pathway genes through redox partner engineering to increase the yield of ferruginol. By increasing the copy number of diterpene synthase, CYP450, and CPR, the yield of ferruginol reached(370. 39± 21. 65) mg·L~(-1) in the shake flask, which was increased by 21. 57-fold compared with that when the initial ferruginol strain JMLT05 was used. Finally, 1 083. 51 mg·L~(-1) ferruginol was obtained by fed-batch fermentation, which is the highest yield of ferruginol from biosynthesis so far. This study provides not only research ideas for other metabolic engineering but also a platform for the construction of cell factories for downstream products.
Saccharomyces cerevisiae/genetics* ; Diterpenes/metabolism* ; Metabolic Engineering ; Fermentation ; Abietanes

OBJECTIVE: To screen factors affecting the prognosis of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients, and construct a nomogram model for event-free survival (EFS). METHODS: To screen out meaningful variables by univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis in CML patients, and construct a nomogram model using R software. The nomogram was validated using consistency index (C-index), receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, area under the ROC curve (AUC), calibration curve, decision curve analysis (DCA), and risk stratification analysis. RESULTS: This study analyzed data from 116 CML patients. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated that age, peripheral blood basophil percentage, BCR-ABL1 ^IS at 3 months, and red blood cell distribution width (RDW) were independent prognostic factors of EFS. Subsequently, a nomogram was constructed based on the above predictors. The C-index of the nomogram was 0.733(95%CI : 0.676-0.790). The AUC values for predicting 1-, 3-, and 5-year EFS rate were 0.765, 0.855, and 0.827, respectively. The results of the calibration curve and DCA curve showed that the predictive model had good consistency, as well as strong clinical utility. The patients were stratified into high-risk group and low-risk group based on the total score of the model, there was a significant difference in EFS between the two groups (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION Age, peripheral blood basophil percentage, BCR-ABL1 ^IS at 3 months, and RDW were associated with the prognosis of CML patients. The nomogram model constructed in this study can accurately predict the prognostic status of CML patients, but its widespread application still requires external and prospective validation.
Nomograms ; Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive/mortality* ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Erythrocyte Indices ; Risk Assessment/methods* ; Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl/genetics* ; Basophils ; Leukocyte Count ; Humans

BACKGROUND: Non-invasive computed tomography angiography (CTA)-based fractional flow reserve (CT-FFR) could become a gatekeeper to invasive coronary angiography. Deep learning (DL)-based CT-FFR has shown promise when compared to invasive FFR. To evaluate the performance of a DL-based CT-FFR technique, DeepVessel FFR (DVFFR). METHODS: This retrospective study was designed for iScheMia Assessment based on a Retrospective, single-center Trial of CT-FFR (SMART). Patients suspected of stable coronary artery disease (CAD) and undergoing both CTA and invasive FFR examinations were consecutively selected from the Beijing Anzhen Hospital between January 1, 2016 to December 30, 2018. FFR obtained during invasive coronary angiography was used as the reference standard. DVFFR was calculated blindly using a DL-based CT-FFR approach that utilized the complete tree structure of the coronary arteries. RESULTS: Three hundred and thirty nine patients (60.5 ±10.0 years and 209 men) and 414 vessels with direct invasive FFR were included in the analysis. At per-vessel level, sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of DVFFR were 94.7%, 88.6%, 90.8%, 82.7%, and 96.7%, respectively. The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) was 0.95 for DVFFR and 0.56 for CTA-based assessment with a significant difference (P < 0.0001). At patient level, sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, PPV and NPV of DVFFR were 93.8%, 88.0%, 90.3%, 83.0%, and 95.8%, respectively. The computation for DVFFR was fast with the average time of 22.5 ± 1.9 s. CONCLUSIONS The results demonstrate that DVFFR was able to evaluate lesion hemodynamic significance accurately and effectively with improved diagnostic performance over CTA alone. Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a critical disease in which coronary artery luminal narrowing may result in myocardial ischemia. Early and effective assessment of myocardial ischemia is essential for optimal treatment planning so as to improve the quality of life and reduce medical costs.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the functional roles and underlying mechanisms of neferine in the context of angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced hypertension and vascular dysfunction. METHODS: Male mice were infused with Ang II to induce hypertension and randomly divided into treatment groups receiving neferine or a control vehicle based on baseline blood pressure using a random number table method. The hypertensive mouse model was constructed by infusing Ang II via a micro-osmotic pump (500 ng/kg per minute), and neferine (0.1, 1, or 10 mg/kg), valsartan (10 mg/kg), or double distilled water was administered intragastrically once daily for 6 weeks. A non-invasive blood pressure system, ultrasound, and hematoxylin and eosin staining were performed to assess blood pressure and vascular changes. RNA sequencing and network pharmacology were employed to identify differentially expressed transcripts (DETs) and pathways. Vascular ring tension assay was used to test vascular function. A7R5 cells were incubated with neferine for 24 h and then treated with Ang II to record the real-time Ca²⁺ concentration by confocal microscope. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and Western blot were used to evaluate vasorelaxation, calcium, and the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 pathway. RESULTS: Neferine treatment effectively mitigated the elevation in blood pressure, pulse wave velocity, aortic thickening in the abdominal aorta of Ang II-infused mice (P<0.05). RNA sequencing and network pharmacology analysis identified 355 DETs that were significantly reversed by neferine treatment, along with 25 potential target genes, which were further enriched in multiple pathways and biological processes, such as ERK1 and ERK2 cascade regulation, calcium pathway, and vascular smooth muscle contraction. Further investigation revealed that neferine treatment enhanced vasorelaxation and reduced Ca²⁺-dependent contraction of abdominal aortic rings, independent of endothelium function (P<0.05). The underlying mechanisms were mediated, at least in part, via suppression of receptor-operated channels, store-operated channels, or voltage-operated calcium channels. Neferine pre-treatment demonstrated a reduction in intracellular Ca²⁺ release in Ang II stimulated A7R5 cells. IHC staining and Western blot confirmed that neferine treatment effectively attenuated the upregulation of p-ERK1/2 both in vivo and in vitro, which was similar with treatment of ERK1/2 inhibitor PD98059 (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Neferine remarkably alleviates Ang II-induced elevation of blood pressure, vascular dysfunction, and pathological changes in the abdominal aorta. This beneficial effect is mediated by the modulation of multiple pathways, including calcium and ERK1/2 pathways.
Animals ; Angiotensin II ; Male ; Benzylisoquinolines/therapeutic use* ; Network Pharmacology ; Blood Pressure/drug effects* ; Sequence Analysis, RNA ; Mice ; Hypertension/chemically induced* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Calcium/metabolism*

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between serum chloride levels and prognosis in patients with hepatic coma in the intensive care unit (ICU). METHODS: We analyzed 545 patients with hepatic coma in the ICU from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV (MIMIC-IV) database. Associations between serum chloride levels and 28-day and 1-year mortality rates were assessed using restricted cubic splines (RCSs), Kaplan-Meier (KM) curves, and Cox regression. Subgroup analyses, external validation, and mechanistic studies were also performed. RESULTS: A total of 545 patients were included in the study. RCS analysis revealed a U-shaped association between serum chloride levels and mortality in patients with hepatic coma. The KM curves indicated lower survival rates among patients with low chloride levels (< 103 mmol/L). Low chloride levels were independently linked to increased 28-day and 1-year all-cause mortality rates. In the multivariate models, the hazard ratio ( HR) for 28-day mortality in the low-chloride group was 1.424 (95% confidence interval [ CI]: 1.041-1.949), while the adjusted hazard ratio for 1-year mortality was 1.313 (95% CI: 1.026-1.679). Subgroup analyses and external validation supported these findings. Cytological experiments suggested that low chloride levels may activate the phosphorylation of the NF-κB signaling pathway, promote the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and reduce neuronal cell viability. CONCLUSION Low serum chloride levels are independently associated with increased mortality in patients with hepatic coma.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Intensive Care Units ; Prognosis ; Chlorides/blood* ; Aged ; Coma/blood* ; Adult

Objective:To develop and validate a model to predict the risk of malnutrition in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma receiving concurrent chemoradiotherapy. Methods:From April 2022 to August 2023, 430 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma who were admitted to the department of radiotherapy of the first affiliated hospital of Guangxi medical university in Nanning were conveniently selected as the study subjects, and they were divided into the modelling group (300 cases) and the internal validation group (130 cases) in the internal validation group in the ratio of 7:3, and 61 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma admitted to the affiliated cancer hospital of Guangxi medical university in Nanning City were selected as the external validation group. Logistic regression was used to establish the risk prediction model and draw nomograms,Hosmer-Lemeshow, calibration curve and ROC were used to verify the goodness of fit and predictive power of the model, and clinical decision curve was used to assess the clinical utility. Results:Logistic regression analysis showed that skeletal muscle mass index, self-rated anxiety scale score, Pittsburgh sleep quality questionnaire score, Chinese diet pagoda score, regular exercise, and digestive symptom groups were the influencing factors for malnutrition in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma receiving concurrent chemoradiotherapy. In the modelling group, the area under the ROC curve was 0.853 (95％CI:0.81 ～ 0.89), the maximum Youden was 0.600, and the corresponding specificity was 0.764 and the sensitivity was 0.836. The Hosmer-Lemeshow test=4.040 and P=0.853 indicated that the model had good predictive ability. Calibration curve of the calibration showed that the predictive effect of the model matched actual probability well, with an average absolute error was 0.024. When the threshold probability of the clinical decision curve is 0.05 ～ 0.85, the clinical response rate is higher. The area under the operating curve of the subjects in the internal validation group was 0.891, the sensitivity was 77.36％, the specificity was 89.61％, and the practical application accuracy was 84.62％. The area under the operating curve of the subjects in the external validation group was 0.886, the sensitivity was 76.00％, the specificity was 83.33％, and the overall accuracy was 80.33％. Conclusion:The risk prediction model constructed in this study has a good effect, which can effectively predict the incidence of malnutrition in patients receiving concurrent radiotherapy and chemotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and provide a reference for clinical staff to formulate and implement nutritional interventions.

Coronary atherosclerotic heart disease(CHD)is an ischemic cardiovascular condition caused by the narrowing or blockage of the vascular lumen due to coronary atherosclerosis.Clinically,it presents as angina pectoris,heart failure,or sud-den cardiac death,and stands as one of the primary causes of mortality among both urban and rural populations in China.Cir-cRNA,classified as non-coding RNAs,can function as upstream regulatory molecules for miRNA or RNA-binding proteins.They actively participate in various pathological processes associated with CHD,including endothelial cell dysfunction,smooth mus-cle cell migration,macrophage-derived foam cell formation,an-giogenesis,myocardial injury,and repair,as well as post-in-farction heart failure.The expression pattern of these molecules is highly specific to the illness and tissue,indicating their poten-tial as therapeutic targets for disease management and as biomar-kers.Furthermore,they also open up new avenues for drug tar-get development in the field of traditional Chinese medicine.This article aims to provide an overview of the recent research progress on circRNA in the regulation of coronary heart disease,as well as the mechanisms involved in traditional Chinese medi-cine.It serves as a valuable reference for future research on cor-onary heart disease.

Aim To investigate the effects of berberine(BBR)combined with 5'-n-ethylformamidoadenosine(NECA)on myocardial H9c2 and HL-1 cell damage induced by hypoxia/reoxygenation(H/R).Methods H9c2 and HL-1 cells were divided into the Control group,BBR group,NECA group,combined administra-tion group,H/R group,BBR+H/R group,NECA+H/R group,and combined administration+H/R group.CCK-8 was used to detect cell viability in each group.The TMRE kit was used to detect MMP.DCFH-DA was used to detect ROS content.The Mito SOX Red fluorescent probe was used to detect mitochondrial su-peroxide.The expressions of COX Ⅳ,Tom20,and Tim23 were detected by Western blot.The expression of COX Ⅳ and Tom20 genes was detected by qRT-PCR.Results In H9c2 cells,the cell viability and TMRE fluorescence intensity in the H/R group were significantly decreased compared with the Control group.The protein expressions of COX Ⅳ,Tom20,and Tim23,gene expressions of COX Ⅳ and Tom20,ROS,and mitochondrial superoxide contents were significant-ly increased.Compared with the H/R group,the cell viability of BBR and NECA were enhanced after ad-ministration alone.The contents of ROS and mitochon-drial superoxide were significantly decreased.In HL-1 cells,cell viability in the H/R group was significantly decreased compared with the Control group.The con-tents of ROS and mitochondrial superoxide were signifi-cantly increased.Compared with the H/R group,BBR and NECA alone and combined administration en-hanced cell viability.The contents of ROS and mito-chondrial superoxide were significantly decreased.Conclusion The administration of BBR and NECA a-lone or in combination can reduce the production of mi-tochondrial superoxide and cell ROS,thereby allevia-ting mitochondrial damage,alleviating oxidative stress damage,and ultimately reducing H/R-induced myocar-dial cell damage.

Objective To analyze the status and gene subtype distribution of human papillomavirus(HPV)infec-tion in male patients in dermatology outpatient department,provide reference for the prevention and treatment of male HPV infection.Methods Male patients who visited and conducted HPV detection in the dermatology outpa-tient department of a hospital from January 2022 to March 2023 were retrospectively surveyed.Patients were divi-ded into five groups:viral warts group,dermatitis and rash group,urinary tract infection group,balanoposthitis group,and asymptomatic group.Relationship between genotype distribution and patient age,clinical diagnosis,and symptom types was statistically analyzed.Results A total of 1 035 male patients underwent HPV detection,out of which 567 were positive,with a positive detection rate of 54.78％.286,164,6,109,and 470 cases were from viral warts,dermatitis and rash,urinary tract infection,balanoposthitis,and asymptomatic group,respectively.21 sub-types of HPV were detected,with the top three subtypes being type 6(17.97％),11(12.37％),and 52(8.70％).The positive rate of single type HPV infection was 29.86％,accounting for 54.50％.Positive rates of infection,low-risk infection,and multiple mixed infection in different age groups were compared,differences were all statisti-cally significant(all P＜0.05).The positive infection rate in the age group of＜20 years old was higher than that in the age groups of 20-＜30,30-＜40,and 40-＜50 years old,differences were all statistically significant(all P＜0.05).Among the positive patients,199 cases(35.10％)had no clinical symptoms,while 368(64.90％)had clinical symptoms,mainly manifested as viral warts(40.74％,n=231).In viral warts group,HPV-positive pa-tients were mainly of low-risk type,accounting for 80.95％;In balanoposthitis group,HPV-positive patients were mainly of high-risk type,accounting for 84.78％;In asymptomatic group,HPV-positive patients were mainly infected with high-risk types,accounting for 86.43％.Conclusion HPV infection in male outpatient department of derma-tology is mainly single type infection.The clinical diagnosis of low-risk infection is mainly viral warts,while high-risk in-fection is mainly manifested as balanoposthitis.In asymptomatic group,positive infections are mainly of high-risk type.

Objective To investigate the distribution and antimicrobial resistance profiles of the common pathogens isolated from urine from 2015 to 2021 in the CHINET Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Program.Methods The bacterial strains were isolated from urine and identified routinely in 51 hospitals across China in the CHINET Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Program from 2015 to 2021.Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined by Kirby-Bauer method,automatic microbiological analysis system and E-test according to the unified protocol.Results A total of 261 893 nonduplicate strains were isolated from urine specimen from 2015 to 2021,of which gram-positive bacteria accounted for 23.8％(62 219/261 893),and gram-negative bacteria 76.2％(199 674/261 893).The most common species were E.coli(46.7％),E.faecium(10.4％),K.pneumoniae(9.8％),E.faecalis(8.7％),P.mirabilis(3.5％),P.aeruginosa(3.4％),SS.agalactiae(2.6％),and E.cloacae(2.1％).The strains were more frequently isolated from inpatients versus outpatients and emergency patients,from females versus males,and from adults versus children.The prevalence of ESBLs-producing strains in E.coli,K.pneumoniae and P.mirabilis was 53.2％,52.8％and 37.0％,respectively.The prevalence of carbapenem-resistant strains in E.coli,K.pneumoniae,P.aeruginosa and A.baumannii was 1.7％,18.5％,16.4％,and 40.3％,respectively.Lower than 10％of the E.faecalis isolates were resistant to ampicillin,nitrofurantoin,linezolid,vancomycin,teicoplanin and fosfomycin.More than 90％of the E.faecium isolates were ressitant to ampicillin,levofloxacin and erythromycin.The percentage of strains resistant to vancomycin,linezolid or teicoplanin was＜2％.The E.coli,K.pneumoniae,P.aeruginosa and A.baumannii strains isolated from ICU inpatients showed significantly higher resistance rates than the corresponding strains isolated from outpatients and non-ICU inpatients.Conclusions E.coli,Enterococcus and K.pneumoniae are the most common pathogens in urinary tract infection.The bacterial species and antimicrobial resistance of urinary isolates vary with different populations.More attention should be paid to antimicrobial resistance surveillance and reduce the irrational use of antimicrobial agents.