OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of α7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7-nAChR) in the regulation of neuronal activity and expression of synapse-related proteins in the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN) of insomnia rats treated by acupuncture. METHODS: A total of 36 male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats of clean grade were randomly divided into a control group, a model group, an acupuncture group, and an acupuncture+antagonist group, with 9 rats in each group. The model group, the acupuncture group, and the acupuncture+antagonist group were treated with intraperitoneal injection of p-chlorophenylalanine (PCPA) to establish insomnia model. After successful modeling, the acupuncture group and the acupuncture+antagonist group received acupuncture at bilateral Neiguan (PC6) and Zusanli (ST36) once daily for 5 consecutive days. Thirty min before each acupuncture session, the acupuncture+antagonist group was intraperitoneally injected with methyllycaconitine citrate (MLA), an α7-nAChR antagonist, at a dosage of 5 mg/kg while the acupuncture group received the same volume of 0.9% sodium chloride solution. The rats' daytime spontaneous activity was observed. Neuronal discharge in the TRN was detected using neuroelectrophysiological methods. Immunofluorescence staining was used to detect parvalbumin-positive (PV⁺) neurons and co-expression of PV⁺ and postsynaptic density protein-95 (PSD-95) in the TRN. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the model group showed increased daytime spontaneous activity (P<0.01); decreased average fluorescence intensity and positive number of PV⁺ neurons in the TRN (P<0.01); decreased neuronal discharge frequency (P<0.01), prolonged inter-discharge intervals (P<0.01) in the TRN; reduced number of PV⁺/PSD-95 double-positive cells in the TRN (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the acupuncture group showed decreased daytime spontaneous activity (P<0.01); increased average fluorescence intensity and positive number of PV⁺ neurons in the TRN (P<0.01); increased neuronal discharge frequency (P<0.01), shortened inter-discharge intervals (P<0.01) in the TRN; increased number of PV⁺/PSD-95 double-positive cells in the TRN (P<0.05). Compared with the acupuncture group, the acupuncture+antagonist group exhibited increased daytime spontaneous activity (P<0.01); reduced average fluorescence intensity and positive number of PV⁺ neurons in the TRN (P<0.01); decreased neuronal discharge frequency (P<0.05), prolonged inter-discharge intervals (P<0.05) in the TRN; reduced number of PV⁺/PSD-95 double-positive cells in the TRN (P<0.01). CONCLUSION α7-nAChR are involved in mediating the regulatory effect of acupuncture on circadian rhythm disturbances in PCPA-induced insomnia rats. Blocking α7-nAChR attenuates the activating effect of acupuncture on TRN neurons, and reduces the expression of PSD-95 protein on GABAergic neurons.
Animals ; Male ; Acupuncture Therapy ; alpha7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor/genetics* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rats ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders/physiopathology* ; Neurons/metabolism* ; Humans ; Thalamic Nuclei/physiopathology* ; Acupuncture Points ; Disks Large Homolog 4 Protein

Several types of arthritis share the common feature that the generation of inflammatory mediators leads to joint cartilage degradation. However, the shared mechanism is largely unknown. H2BK120ub1 was reportedly involved in various inflammatory diseases but its role in the shared mechanism in inflammatory joint conditions remains elusive. The present study demonstrated that levels of cartilage degradation, H2BK120ub1, and its regulator WW domain-containing adapter protein with coiled-coil (WAC) were increased in cartilage in human rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA) patients as well as in experimental RA and OA mice. By regulating H2BK120ub1 and H3K27me3, WAC regulated the secretion of inflammatory and cartilage-degrading factors. WAC influenced the level of H3K27me3 by regulating nuclear entry of the H3K27 demethylase KDM6B, and acted as a key factor of the crosstalk between H2BK120ub1 and H3K27me3. The cartilage-specific knockout of WAC demonstrated the ability to alleviate cartilage degradation in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) and collagenase-induced osteoarthritis (CIOA) mice. Through molecular docking and dynamic simulation, doxercalciferol was found to inhibit WAC and the development of cartilage degradation in the CIA and CIOA models. Our study demonstrated that WAC is a key factor of cartilage degradation in arthritis, and targeting WAC by doxercalciferol could be a viable therapeutic strategy for treating cartilage destruction in several types of arthritis.

Objective : To investigate the expression level of LONP1 in hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) and its impact on the occurrence and progression of HCC. Methods : The expression of LONP1 in human liver cancer tissues was verified by real-time quantitative PCR(qPCR) and Western blot.LONP1stable knockdown Hep3B and HCCLM3 cell lines were established, and the effects of LONP1 on cell proliferation were explored through CCK-8, EdU incorporation assays, and colony formation assays. The effects of LONP1 on cell migration were assessed using scratch and Transwell migration assays. A Cre-Loxp system was employed to generateLONP1conditional knockout mice, and transcriptomic sequencing of liver tissues was performed to explore the impact ofLONP1deficiency on liver cells. The effects ofLONP1on apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines were explored using Tunel staining and flow cytometry with Annexin V-FITC/PI. Results : Western blot and qPCR experiments confirmed the high expression of LONP1 in human liver cancer tissues. Colony formation assays revealed that the number of cell clones inLONP1knockdown groups was significantly reduced compared to the control(P<0.01). CCK-8 and EdU assays demonstrated thatLONP1knockdown cells had a significantly lower proliferation rate than control cells(P<0.01). Scratch and migration assays showed thatLONP1knockdown liver cancer cells exhibited impaired migration compared to controls(P<0.01). Transcriptomic analysis of liver tissues fromLONP1conditional knockout mice indicated that LONP1 might affect apoptosis pathways in liver cells. Tunel staining and Annexin V-FITC/PI flow cytometry showed thatLONP1knockdown increased apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Conclusion LONP1 is highly expressed in liver cancer tissues. The knockdown ofLONP1in liver cancer cell lines promotes cell apoptosis and inhibits cell proliferation and migration.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the intervention effect and mechanism of Wuwei baogan pill on mice with non- alcoholic fatty liver disease （NAFLD）. METHODS The mice were given high-fat and high-sugar diet for 19 weeks to induce NAFLD model. The model mice were randomly grouped into model group， positive control group （polyene phosphatidylcholine capsules， 23.30 mg/kg）， Wuwei baogan pill low-dose， medium-dose and high-dose groups （0.11， 0.23， 0.45 g/kg）， with 8 mice in each group； the normal group was additionally set up without modeling. Administration groups were given relevant medicine intragastrically， and model group and normal group were given constant volume of normal saline， once a day， for consecutive 4 weeks. After the last administration， glucose metabolism （including fasting blood glucose， fasting insulin， insulin resistance index）， liver function [liver index， alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， aspartate aminotransferase （AST），liver tissue pathological score]， lipid metabolism [triglyceride （TG）， total cholesterol （TC）， low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C）， and high- density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C）] were measured； the pathological morphology of liver tissue， as well as fibrosis， lipid droplet formation， and glycogen synthesis were observed； the levels of free fatty acid （FFA） in serum and inflammatory factors in liver tissue [tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin-6 （IL-6） and IL-1β] were detected； the expressions of insulin receptor substrate/phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B/ glycogen synthase kinase 3β （IRS/PI3K/AKT/GSK3β） signaling pathway-related protein in liver tissue were investigated. RESULTS After intervention with high-dose Wuwei baogan pill， liver index of NAFLD mice， serum levels of ALT， AST， FFA， TC， TG and LDL-C， the levels of TNF-α， IL-6 and IL-1β in liver tissue， fasting blood glucose， fasting insulin， insulin resistance index， liver tissue pathological score， proportions of fibrotic staining area and lipid droplet staining area all significantly decreased （P＜0.05）； the level of HDL-C， proportion of glycogen staining area， the phosphorylation of IRS1， PI3K， AKT and GSK3β protein increased significantly （P＜0.05）； the degree of liver cell necrosis and steatosis was reduced， and the fibrotic lesions were alleviated. The above indexes of mice were improved in Wuwei baogan pill low-dose and medium-dose groups， but there was no statistically significant difference in some indexes. CONCLUSIONS Wuwei baogan pill can regulate lipid and glucose metabolism disorders in the liver of NAFLD mice， and improve liver injury， the mechanism of which may be associated with the activation of IRS/PI3K/AKT/GSK3β signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the intervention effect and mechanism of Wuwei baogan pill on mice with non- alcoholic fatty liver disease （NAFLD）. METHODS The mice were given high-fat and high-sugar diet for 19 weeks to induce NAFLD model. The model mice were randomly grouped into model group， positive control group （polyene phosphatidylcholine capsules， 23.30 mg/kg）， Wuwei baogan pill low-dose， medium-dose and high-dose groups （0.11， 0.23， 0.45 g/kg）， with 8 mice in each group； the normal group was additionally set up without modeling. Administration groups were given relevant medicine intragastrically， and model group and normal group were given constant volume of normal saline， once a day， for consecutive 4 weeks. After the last administration， glucose metabolism （including fasting blood glucose， fasting insulin， insulin resistance index）， liver function [liver index， alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， aspartate aminotransferase （AST），liver tissue pathological score]， lipid metabolism [triglyceride （TG）， total cholesterol （TC）， low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C）， and high- density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C）] were measured； the pathological morphology of liver tissue， as well as fibrosis， lipid droplet formation， and glycogen synthesis were observed； the levels of free fatty acid （FFA） in serum and inflammatory factors in liver tissue [tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin-6 （IL-6） and IL-1β] were detected； the expressions of insulin receptor substrate/phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B/ glycogen synthase kinase 3β （IRS/PI3K/AKT/GSK3β） signaling pathway-related protein in liver tissue were investigated. RESULTS After intervention with high-dose Wuwei baogan pill， liver index of NAFLD mice， serum levels of ALT， AST， FFA， TC， TG and LDL-C， the levels of TNF-α， IL-6 and IL-1β in liver tissue， fasting blood glucose， fasting insulin， insulin resistance index， liver tissue pathological score， proportions of fibrotic staining area and lipid droplet staining area all significantly decreased （P＜0.05）； the level of HDL-C， proportion of glycogen staining area， the phosphorylation of IRS1， PI3K， AKT and GSK3β protein increased significantly （P＜0.05）； the degree of liver cell necrosis and steatosis was reduced， and the fibrotic lesions were alleviated. The above indexes of mice were improved in Wuwei baogan pill low-dose and medium-dose groups， but there was no statistically significant difference in some indexes. CONCLUSIONS Wuwei baogan pill can regulate lipid and glucose metabolism disorders in the liver of NAFLD mice， and improve liver injury， the mechanism of which may be associated with the activation of IRS/PI3K/AKT/GSK3β signaling pathway.

Concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) refers to the simultaneous treatment of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and the effect of radiotherapy is enhanced with low-dose chemotherapy, which can reduce tumor recurrence and metastasis and improve clinical prognosis of patients. At present, the main factors for the increase of radiosensitivity of concurrent chemotherapy is that concurrent chemotherapy prevents the repair of tumor cells, and chemotherapy and radiotherapy act on different cell cycles and have synergistic effects. However, even for patients with locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC) who have undergone CCRT, the 5-year survival rate is only 60%, which is still not ideal. In order to improve the efficacy, researchers have conducted a series of exploratory studies, which consist of the combination of targeted drugs and immunodrugs, and neoadjuvant regimens before CCRT, etc. Although targeted or immunologic drugs are effective treatment of LACC, in view of the lack of large-scale evidence-based medical evidence, multi-center prospective and randomized phase III clinical trials and high-level articles are needed to improve the level of evidence-based medicine. This consensus summarizes several key evidence-based medical studies published recently, especially the clinical research progress in targeted and immunological therapies, providing reference for domestic peers.

Objective:To assess the diagnostic performance of serum anti-toxocara immunoglobulin G (anti-T-IgG) in ocular toxocariasis (OT) patients.Methods:A diagnostic tests. A total of 109 patients (109 eyes) with clinically-suspected OT who treated in Department of Ophthalmology of Xuzhou First People’s Hospital from June 2015 to December 2022 were included. Patients were divided into two groups, 76 with OT and 33 with non-OT, according to the clinical manifestations and Goldmann-Witmer coefficient. Paired serum and intraocular fluid samples from each patient were collected and analyzed for specific anti-T-IgG using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Mann-Whitney test was performed for comparison between groups. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was used to assess the diagnostic performance of serum anti-T-IgG. Kappa analysis was performed to examine the consistency of serum or intraocular fluid anti-T-IgG positive rate with OT diagnostic result. Spearman’s rank correlation test was performed to assess the association.Results:Compared with the non-OT group, the proportions of children and history of exposure to cats and dogs ( χ2=9.785, 12.026) were significantly higher in OT group, and the differences were statistically significant ( P<0.01). The positive rate ( χ2=24.551) and U value ( Z=-4.379) of serum anti-T-IgG in OT group were higher than those in non-OT group, and the differences were statistically significant ( P<0.000 1). The recommended serum anti-T-IgG cut-off value of 11 U had 0.72 sensitivity, 0.79 specificity, 0.89 positive predictive value, 0.55 negative predictive value, and 0.77 area under the ROC with 95% confidence interval ( CI) 0.669-0.860. Correlation analysis showed that serum anti-T-IgG was positively correlated with intraocular fluid anti-T-IgG ( r s=0.520, 95% CI 0.363-0.648, P<0.000 1). The Kappa values of serum and intraocular fluid anti-T-IgG positive rate with OT diagnosis were 0.457 (95% CI 0.292-0.622) and 0.711 (95% CI 0.582-0.840), respectively. The Kappa value of serum anti-T-IgG positive rate with OT diagnosis was lower than that of intraocular fluid. Conclusion:The sensitivity and specificity of serum anti-T-IgG and the consistency between serum anti-T-IgG positive rate and OT diagnosis are low, suggesting that serum anti-T-IgG level cannot be used as a basis for OT diagnosis.

Purpose: Vaccinia virus is widely used as an oncolytic agent for human cancer therapy, and several versions of vaccinia virus have demonstrated robust antitumor effects in breast cancer. Most vaccinia viruses are modified by thymidine kinase (TK) deletion. The function of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21 in breast cancer remains controversial. We explored the impact of p21 gene knockdown (KD) on breast cancer cells and whether p21 KD interferes with the antitumor effect of TK-negative vaccinia virus. Methods: p21 KD MDA-MB-231 and p21 KD MCF-7 cells were prepared, and cell proliferation and migration rates were evaluated using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and scratch healing assays. The tumor growth of xenografts originating from p21KD MDA-MB-231 cells and control cells was compared in a mouse model. The colony formation and sphere-forming abilities of p21 KD breast cancer cells were also determined using low-melting agarose and serum-free culture. The tumorkilling effect of the vaccinia virus was determined in breast cancer cells and mouse models using an MTT assay and tumor cell xenografts. Results: p21 KD increased the growth and migration of MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells and promoted the cell growth of MDA-MB-231 cells in mice, while decreasing the colony formation and sphere formation abilities. Expression of TK was reduced in p21 KD MDAMB-231 cells. Oncolytic effects of both wild-type and TK-deleted vaccinia viruses were attenuated in p21KD MDA-MB-231 cells. The tumor-killing effect of TK-deleted vaccinia virus was also weakened in xenografted mice bearing p21 KD MDA-MB-231 cells. Conclusion Targeted inhibition of p21 accelerates the proliferation and migration of breast cancer cells and impairs the tumor-killing effect of vaccinia virus, suggesting that p21 levels in cancer cells interfere with vaccinia virus oncolytic therapy.

Purpose: Vaccinia virus is widely used as an oncolytic agent for human cancer therapy, and several versions of vaccinia virus have demonstrated robust antitumor effects in breast cancer. Most vaccinia viruses are modified by thymidine kinase (TK) deletion. The function of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21 in breast cancer remains controversial. We explored the impact of p21 gene knockdown (KD) on breast cancer cells and whether p21 KD interferes with the antitumor effect of TK-negative vaccinia virus. Methods: p21 KD MDA-MB-231 and p21 KD MCF-7 cells were prepared, and cell proliferation and migration rates were evaluated using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and scratch healing assays. The tumor growth of xenografts originating from p21KD MDA-MB-231 cells and control cells was compared in a mouse model. The colony formation and sphere-forming abilities of p21 KD breast cancer cells were also determined using low-melting agarose and serum-free culture. The tumorkilling effect of the vaccinia virus was determined in breast cancer cells and mouse models using an MTT assay and tumor cell xenografts. Results: p21 KD increased the growth and migration of MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells and promoted the cell growth of MDA-MB-231 cells in mice, while decreasing the colony formation and sphere formation abilities. Expression of TK was reduced in p21 KD MDAMB-231 cells. Oncolytic effects of both wild-type and TK-deleted vaccinia viruses were attenuated in p21KD MDA-MB-231 cells. The tumor-killing effect of TK-deleted vaccinia virus was also weakened in xenografted mice bearing p21 KD MDA-MB-231 cells. Conclusion Targeted inhibition of p21 accelerates the proliferation and migration of breast cancer cells and impairs the tumor-killing effect of vaccinia virus, suggesting that p21 levels in cancer cells interfere with vaccinia virus oncolytic therapy.

Purpose: Vaccinia virus is widely used as an oncolytic agent for human cancer therapy, and several versions of vaccinia virus have demonstrated robust antitumor effects in breast cancer. Most vaccinia viruses are modified by thymidine kinase (TK) deletion. The function of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21 in breast cancer remains controversial. We explored the impact of p21 gene knockdown (KD) on breast cancer cells and whether p21 KD interferes with the antitumor effect of TK-negative vaccinia virus. Methods: p21 KD MDA-MB-231 and p21 KD MCF-7 cells were prepared, and cell proliferation and migration rates were evaluated using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and scratch healing assays. The tumor growth of xenografts originating from p21KD MDA-MB-231 cells and control cells was compared in a mouse model. The colony formation and sphere-forming abilities of p21 KD breast cancer cells were also determined using low-melting agarose and serum-free culture. The tumorkilling effect of the vaccinia virus was determined in breast cancer cells and mouse models using an MTT assay and tumor cell xenografts. Results: p21 KD increased the growth and migration of MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells and promoted the cell growth of MDA-MB-231 cells in mice, while decreasing the colony formation and sphere formation abilities. Expression of TK was reduced in p21 KD MDAMB-231 cells. Oncolytic effects of both wild-type and TK-deleted vaccinia viruses were attenuated in p21KD MDA-MB-231 cells. The tumor-killing effect of TK-deleted vaccinia virus was also weakened in xenografted mice bearing p21 KD MDA-MB-231 cells. Conclusion Targeted inhibition of p21 accelerates the proliferation and migration of breast cancer cells and impairs the tumor-killing effect of vaccinia virus, suggesting that p21 levels in cancer cells interfere with vaccinia virus oncolytic therapy.