ObjectiveThis paper aims to observe the syndrome improvement and negative antigen conversion rate of Qingxuan Daozhi formula in the treatment of influenza in children （heat accumulation in the lung and stomach syndrome）. MethodsThrough a multi-center randomized controlled methodology design，confirmed influenza cases were collected from October 2022 to April 2023 in the pediatrics department of eight hospitals，such as Dongfang Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. A total of 180 children with influenza and heat accumulation in the lung and stomach syndrome conforming to the standard were recruited through the clinic. The sick children meeting the inclusion criteria were randomly divided into groups by a block-randomized method. The children in the experimental group were treated with Qingxuan Daozhi formula for five days，and those in the control group were treated with Oseltamivir Phosphate Granules for five days. The primary efficacy indicator was the negative conversion rate of influenza antigen detection. Secondary efficacy indicators were the Canadian acute respiratory illness and flu scale （CARIFS） and the incidence of complications，severe cases， and critical cases. Follow-up observation was conducted on the day of enrollment，48 hours after medication，72 hours after medication， and （6+1） d after medication. ResultsOne hundred and eighty participants were randomly assigned to the experimental group （90 cases） or the control group （90 cases）. All participants were followed up during the study. Comparison of influenza antigen detection results in the primary efficacy indicators showed that the average time of negative influenza antigen conversion in the experimental group was （5.29±1.25） d，and that in the control group was （5.40±1.68） d，without a statistically significant difference. After five days of intervention，52 cases in the experimental group and 51 cases in the control group converted to negative，without a statistically significant difference. CARIFS score results in the secondary efficacy indicators showed that during 72 hours after intervention，there were statistically significant differences between the experimental group and the control group in three dimensions， including headache，muscle soreness， and the need for extra care （P<0.05）. On the （6+1） days after the intervention，the differences in both the experimental group and the control group were statistically significant in 10 dimensions， including sore throat，bad sleep，uncomfortable feeling，poor spirit and fatigue，crying more than usual，the need for extra care，symptom，function，influence on parents，and total score （P<0.05）. The comparison results within the group in the dimensional scores of symptom， function， and influence on parents，as well as the CARIFS total score showed that with the delay of follow-up time，scores of both groups decreased significantly，with a statistically significant difference （P<0.01）. Inter-group comparison results showed that the mean score of the experimental group was higher than that of the control group at the time of enrollment. With the progress of intervention，the score of the experimental group was significantly decreased compared with that of the control group. At the end of follow-up，the mean score of the experimental group was lower than that of the control group，with no statistically significant difference. In terms of the incidence of complications，severe cases， and critical cases， there were no complications，severe cases， and critical cases in the two groups，without a statistically significant difference. ConclusionThe symptom improvement effect and negative antigen conversion rate of Qingxuan Daozhi formula in the treatment of influenza in children （heat accumulation in the lung and stomach syndrome） are not inferior to Oseltamivir Phosphate granules， and children's acceptance is better. It can be more widely used in clinical treatment of influenza in children （heat accumulation in the lung and stomach syndrome）.

ObjectiveTo investigate growth hormone secretagogue receptor （GHSR） rs2922126 gene polymorphisms and their association with genetic susceptibility to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease （NAFLD） in the Chinese Han population in Qingdao， China， and to provide a basis for diagnosis and treatment. MethodsA total of 220 patients who were admitted to Qingdao Municipal Hospital from June 2022 to June 2023 and were diagnosed with NAFLD based on radiological examination were enrolled as NAFLD group， and 167 healthy individuals during the same period of time were enrolled as control group. Fasting blood samples were collected from all subjects， and related biochemical parameters were measured. Whole blood DNA was extracted， and polymerase chain reaction and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometer were used for genotyping. The chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups， and the independent-samples t test or the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of continuous data between groups. The binary logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the risk of NAFLD. ResultsCompared with the control group， the NAFLD group had significantly higher age， body mass index （BMI）， fasting plasma glucose， triglyceride， gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase， alkaline phosphatase， alanine aminotransferase， and aspartate aminotransferase， as well as a significantly lower level of high-density lipoprotein （all P0.05）. The distribution of GHSR rs2922126 genotypes was consistent with the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium， suggesting population representativeness in the subjects enrolled （NAFLD group： P=0.106； control group： P=0.849）. There was no significant difference in the distribution of AA， TA， and TT genotypes at GHSR rs2922126 locus between the control group and the NAFLD group （P=0.099）， and there was also no significant difference in allele frequency between the two groups （P=0.063）. In the recessive model of A allele， there was a significant difference in the distribution of AA homozygote and TA+TT genotype between the NAFLD group and the control group （P=0.032）. The binary logistic regression analysis showed that in the recessive model of A allele， AA homozygote carriers had an increased risk of NAFLD compared with TA+TT genotype carriers （odds ratio ［OR］=1.712， 95% confidence interval ［CI］： 1.045 — 2.807， P=0.033）. There was still a significant difference after adjustment for sex， age， and BMI （OR=2.156， 95%CI： 1.221 — 3.808， P=0.008）. In the NAFLD group， AA genotype carriers had a significantly higher serum level of total cholesterol （TC） than TT+TA carriers （Z=-1.99，P=0.046）. ConclusionGHSR rs2922126 AA genotype may be associated with the increased risk of NAFLD in the Chinese Han population in Qingdao， and GHSR rs2922126 AA genotype is associated with the increase in TC in NAFLD patients.

Objective:To design protein binders of human epidermal growth factor receptor-2(HER2,also known as ErbB2)using de novo protein design and to preliminarily evaluate their biological effects on tumor cells.Methods:Based on de novo protein design strategy,RosettaDesign and ProteinMPNN algorithms were used to design the binding proteins targeting ErbB2.Concurrently,AlphaFold was applied to assess structural accuracy of the protein binders and their interactions with ErbB2.Subsequently,yeast surface display technology combined with dual-fluorescence high-throughput flow cytometry were performed to screen for protein binders which were capable of specifically binding to ErbB2 specifically.Selected binding proteins were expressed and purified in Eschrichia coli system.Bio-layer interferometry(BLI)was used to validate the binding specificity of the purified protein binders to ErbB2.Finally,Western blotting and CCK-8 assay were used to evaluate the effects of the candidate binding protein on the downstream signaling of ErbB2 and cell proliferation capacity in ovarian cancer(SK-OV-3)and pancreatic cancer(BxPC-3)cell lines,respectively.Results:In this study,the protein binders targeting ErbB2 were successfully designed,a corresponding binding protein library was established,and a protein binder that specifically binds to ErbB2 was screened out from the library.After BLI verification,this protein binder could effectively bind to ErbB2.Further investigation revealed that in ErbB2-high-expressing SK-OV-3 and BxPC-3 cells,this protein binder could effectively inhibit cell proliferation and reduce the phosphorylation level of AKT,a signaling molecule downstream of ErbB2.Conclusion:Based on the strategy of de novo protein design,this study successfully constructed a protein binder that can effectively bind to ErbB2.The binder can effectively inhibit the activation of the downstream signaling pathway mediated by ErbB2 and the proliferation of tumor cells.This indicates the potential application value of de novo designed protein binders targeting ErbB2 in cancer therapy,providing a novel research approach for the field of targeted tumor therapy.

Objective:To design protein binders of human epidermal growth factor receptor-2(HER2,also known as ErbB2)using de novo protein design and to preliminarily evaluate their biological effects on tumor cells.Methods:Based on de novo protein design strategy,RosettaDesign and ProteinMPNN algorithms were used to design the binding proteins targeting ErbB2.Concurrently,AlphaFold was applied to assess structural accuracy of the protein binders and their interactions with ErbB2.Subsequently,yeast surface display technology combined with dual-fluorescence high-throughput flow cytometry were performed to screen for protein binders which were capable of specifically binding to ErbB2 specifically.Selected binding proteins were expressed and purified in Eschrichia coli system.Bio-layer interferometry(BLI)was used to validate the binding specificity of the purified protein binders to ErbB2.Finally,Western blotting and CCK-8 assay were used to evaluate the effects of the candidate binding protein on the downstream signaling of ErbB2 and cell proliferation capacity in ovarian cancer(SK-OV-3)and pancreatic cancer(BxPC-3)cell lines,respectively.Results:In this study,the protein binders targeting ErbB2 were successfully designed,a corresponding binding protein library was established,and a protein binder that specifically binds to ErbB2 was screened out from the library.After BLI verification,this protein binder could effectively bind to ErbB2.Further investigation revealed that in ErbB2-high-expressing SK-OV-3 and BxPC-3 cells,this protein binder could effectively inhibit cell proliferation and reduce the phosphorylation level of AKT,a signaling molecule downstream of ErbB2.Conclusion:Based on the strategy of de novo protein design,this study successfully constructed a protein binder that can effectively bind to ErbB2.The binder can effectively inhibit the activation of the downstream signaling pathway mediated by ErbB2 and the proliferation of tumor cells.This indicates the potential application value of de novo designed protein binders targeting ErbB2 in cancer therapy,providing a novel research approach for the field of targeted tumor therapy.

Objective To investigate assess the bidirectional causal relationship between ulcerative colitis(UC)and hypothyroidism using a two-sample Mendelian randomization(TSMR).Methods Single nucleotide polymorphism(SNP)data relevant to UC and hypothyroidism were retrieved from the Finnish Biobank and the IEU database,respectively.Independent SNPs strongly associated with UC were selected as instrumental variables.Causal associations between UC and hypothyroidism were evaluated using the inverse variance weighted(IVW)method,MR-Egger regression,and weighted median estimator.Additionally,MR-PRESSO was employed to assess the hori-zontal pleiotropy and outlier SNPs.Cochran's Q test and funnel plots were performed to evaluate the heterogeneity among the SNPs.A leave-one-out analysis was conducted to examine the influence of individual SNPs on causal assessments.Results Four instrumental variables strongly associated with UC were identified.The IVW method indicated a causal relationship between UC and hypothyroidism(OR = 0.975,95%CI:0.924～0.990,P = 0.011).Cochran's Q test yielded a Q statistic of 2.566 with a p-value of 0.463,suggesting no heterogeneity among the SNPs.Both MR-Egger(P = 0.523)and MR-PRESSO(P = 0.548)tests suggested the absence of horizontal pleiotropy.However,the results of the reverse TSMR did not support a reverse causal relationship.Conclusion The findings from the TSMR analysis reveal a negative causal relationship between UC and hypothyroidism.

OBJECTIVE To observe the clinical efficacy of Maitong Jun'an Decoction in treating coronary heart disease(CHD)angina of qi deficiency and blood stasis type,and preliminarily elucidate its possible mechanism of action through transcriptomics meth-ods.METHODS A total of 140 patients with CHD angina of qi deficiency and blood stasis type were included and randomly divided into a treatment group and a control group,with 70 cases in each group.During the treatment period,3 patients in the control group dropped out.The control group received basic Western medicine treatment for secondary prevention of CHD,while the treatment group received Maitong Jun'an Decoction in addition to the treatment in the control group.The treatment period for both groups was 8 weeks.Before and after treatment,the patients in both groups were evaluated for the TCM syndrome score,Canadian Cardiovascular Society(CCS)angina grading,Seattle angina questionnaire(SAQ)score,self-rating anxiety scale(SAS),self-rating depression scale(SDS)score,and adverse reactions.The peripheral blood of 9 patients before and after treatment was selected for transcriptomic sequencing based on the principle of gender,age,and disease duration matching.RESULTS After treatment,the TCM syndrome scores and total scores of the 2 groups were significantly reduced(P<0.01).The treatment group was better than the control group in improving chest pain,chest tightness,shortness of breath,fatigue and total score(P<0.05,P<0.01);the overall improvement rate of CCS angina grading in the treatment group was better than that in the control group(P<0.05);the SAQ,SAS and SDS scores of the 2 groups were significantly reduced before and after treatment(P<0.01),and the SAQ score of the treatment group was improved better than that of the control group(P<0.05,P<0.01).The transcriptomics results showed that there were 862 significantly different mR-NAs before and after treatment,including 509 up-regulated and 353 down-regulated.GO analysis showed that there were 666 biologi-cal processes in the differentially expressed mRNAs,mainly including viral gene expression,translation initiation,RNA catabolism,etc.There were 112 cell components,mainly including focal adhesion,ribosome subunit,nuclear spot,etc.There were 94 molecular functions,mainly including double-stranded RNA binding,cadherin binding,transcription co-regulatory factor activity,etc.KEGG analysis showed that the differentially expressed mRNAs enriched in 20 signaling pathways,mainly including glycerophospholipid me-tabolism pathway,AMPK signaling pathway,ribosome pathway,etc.CONCLUSION Maitong Jun'an Decoction can improve clini-cal symptoms in patients with CHD angina of qi deficiency and blood stasis type.Its mechanism of action is multi-target and multi pathway,mainly related to the regulation of glycerophospholipid metabolism pathway,AMPK signaling pathway,ribosome pathway.

Objective·To investigate the effects of sennoside A(SA)on the formation of atherosclerotic plaque and the expression of 5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT)and its receptor in mice with diabetes mellitus type 2(T2DM).Methods·Twelve mice with knocked-out apolipoprotein E gene were randomly divided into two groups,namely the model group and the model+SA group,with six mice in each group.Six C57BL/6J mice with the same genetic background were used as the control group.The control group was fed with normal diet,and the model group and the model+SA group were given intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin(30 mg/kg)daily on the basis of high-fat diet to establish a model of T2DM.The model+SA group was given SA daily by gavage for 8 weeks,and the control group and the model group were given equal volume of distillation-distillation H2O by gavage.The body weight,fasting blood glucose(FBG)and 2-h postprandial blood glucose of mice were compared before and after modeling and treatment.The area of aortic plaque was observed by oil red O staining and hematoxylin-eosin(H-E)staining,and the level of 5-HT in serum and thoracic aorta was measured by ELISA kit.Western blotting was used to detect the expression of 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 2B(HTR2B)and serotonin transporter(SERT)in thoracic aorta of mice.Results·Compared with the control group,the body weight,FBG and 2-h postprandial blood glucose in the model group increased,and glucose metabolism was disordered.The expression of HTR2B and SERT protein in thoracic aorta increased,while the concentration of 5-HT in thoracic aorta decreased.The serum 5-HT concentration increased(all P<0.05).After treatment with SA,compared with the model group,the body weight of the model+SA group decreased,and FBG and 2-h postprandial blood glucose were significantly improved.The area of aortic plaque and the expression of HTR2B and SERT protein in thoracic aorta significantly decreased,while the concentration of 5-HT increased.The serum 5-HT concentration decreased(all P<0.05).Conclusion·SA can reduce atherosclerotic plaque area in T2DM mice,which may be related to lowering blood glucose and inhibiting the expression of 5-HT and its receptor.

Objective:To explore the protective effect of labor analgesia on pelvic floor muscle function of primipara after vaginal delivery.Methods:A total of 140 cases of primipara with vaginal delivery admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical College from March to August 2022 were selected retrospectively, and they were divided into control group (routine delivery) and observation group (painless delivery) according to the intention of delivery, each group with 70 cases. Labor pain, pelvic floor muscle function score and pelvic floor muscle status at 6 weeks postpartum, Female Sexual Function Scale (FSFI) score at 3 months postpartum and reported postpartum symptoms were compared between the two groups.Results:The scores of Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) at immediately after gastric antral empting, after drinking carbohydrates (5, 30, 60, 120 min) and at full opening of uterine orifice in the observation group were lower than those in control group, there were statistical differences ( P<0.05). At 6 weeks postpartum, the maximum muscle voltage of pelvic floor muscle and the average muscle voltage of continuous contraction of pelvic floor muscle for 60 s in the observation group were higher than those in control group: (20.97 ± 2.64) μV vs. (17.31 ± 2.48) μV, (17.33 ± 3.01) μV vs. (13.42 ± 2.77) μV; the mobility of bladder neck and the hiatus area of levator anal muscle in resting state in the observation group were lower than those in the control group: (27.15 ± 3.55) mm vs. (31.05 ± 4.75) mm, (9.97 ± 2.12)cm 2 vs. (11.57 ± 2.84) cm 2, there were statistical differences ( P<0.05). At 6 weeks postpartum, the scores of static pre-stage, static post-stage, type Ⅰ muscle fiber, type Ⅱ muscle fiber and total scores in the observation group were higher than those in the control group: (67.21 ± 12.54) scores vs. (54.17 ± 10.84) scores, (69.12 ± 14.11) scores vs. (56.47 ± 11.24) scores, (63.54 ± 11.45) scores vs. (50.97 ± 10.74) scores, (57.15 ± 8.15) scores vs. (49.76 ± 6.44) scores, (64.25 ± 12.14) scores vs. (57.84 ± 20.57) scores, there were statistical differences ( P<0.05). At 6 weeks postpartum, the scores of FSFI in the observation group were higher than those in the control group ( P<0.05). The rate of urine leakage, fever and mattress sweat reported in the observation group were lower than those in the control group: 22.86%(16/70) vs. 40.00%(28/70), 15.71%(11/70) vs. 30.00%(21/70), 30.00%(21/70) vs. 47.14%(33/70), there were statistical differences ( χ2 = 4.77, 4.05, 4.34, P<0.05). Conclusions:Labor analgesia can effectively shorten labor process, relieve labor pain and protect pelvic floor muscle function during vaginal labor in primipara.

Background: s/Aims: Transmembrane 6 superfamily member 2 (TM6SF2) E167K variant is closely associated with the occurrence and development of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). However, the role and mechanism of TM6SF2 E167K variant during MASLD progression are not yet fully understood. Methods: The Tm6sf2167K knock-in (KI) mice were subjected to high-fat diet (HFD). Hepatic lipid levels of Tm6sf2167K KI mice were detected by lipidomics analysis. Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) was used to measure the newly synthesized triglyceride (TG) and phosphatidylcholine (PC). Results: The TM6SF2 E167K variant significantly aggravated hepatic steatosis and injury in HFD-induced mice. Decreased polyunsaturated PC level and increased polyunsaturated TG level were found in liver tissue of HFDinduced Tm6sf2167K KI mice. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that the TM6SF2 E167K variant increased the interaction between TM6SF2 and PNPLA3, and impaired PNPLA3-mediated transfer of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) from TG to PC. The TM6SF2 E167K variant increased the level of fatty acid-induced malondialdehyde and reactive oxygen species, and decreased fatty acid-downregulated cell membrane fluidity. Additionally, the TM6SF2 E167K variant decreased the level of hepatic PC containing C18:3, and dietary supplementation of PC containing C18:3 significantly attenuated the TM6SF2 E167K-induced hepatic steatosis and injury in HFD-fed mice. Conclusions The TM6SF2 E167K variant could promote its interaction with PNPLA3 and inhibit PNPLA3-mediated transfer of PUFAs from TG to PC, resulting in the hepatic steatosis and injury during MASLD progression. PC containing C18:3 could act as a potential therapeutic supplement for MASLD patients carrying the TM6SF2 E167K variant.

Objective:To investigate the effect of de novo designed epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR)binding protein EGn and fibroblast growth factor receptor(FGFR)Ⅲc binding protein FG2 on pancreatic cancer cells.Methods:EGn and FG2 sequences were obtained from an existing study,and the proteins were amplified and expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3)followed by purification through Ni-NTA affinity chromatography and size exclusion chromatography.The purified protein was tested with SDS-PAGE followed by Coomassie Brilliant Blue staining for purity evaluation.The expression level of EGFR and FGFR2 Ⅲc in PANC-1,MIA PaCa-2 and BxPC-3 cells was compared using Western blotting and real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR.The binding of EGn and FG2 in different pancreatic cancer cell lines was assessed by flow cytometry.The effect of EGn and FG2 on the phosphorylation of the target receptors or the down-stream extracellular signal-regulated kinase(ERK)molecules was analyzed by Western blotting.The effect of EGn and FG2 on the proliferation of PANC-1 and MIA PaCa-2 cells was evaluated by CCK-8 assay and colony formation assay.The effect of EGn and FG2 on the migration of PANC-1 cells was examined by Transwell assay.Results:EGn and FG2 proteins were successfully purified and can specifically bind to pancreatic cancer cell lines expressing target receptors,with the binding efficiency positively correlated with target receptor expression levels.EGn and FG2 can competitively inhibit the down-stream signaling of target receptors in PANC-1 cells,and significantly suppress the proliferation and migration of PANC-1 cells(P<0.05).However,their inhibitory effects on the down-stream signaling or proliferation in MIA PaCa-1 and BxPC-3 cells were relatively limited.Conclusion:EGn and FG2 demonstrate inhibitory effects on the proliferation and migration of PANC-1 cells with high expression of EGFR and ectopic high-expression of FGFR2 Ⅲc,indicating their potential therapeutic efficacy in pancreatic cancer and supporting the potential application of de novo designed binding proteins in targeted therapy for pancreatic cancer.