Objective To elucidate the mechanism by which the BANCR/miR-145-5p axis regulates the AKT-GLUT1/HK2 pathway through downstream targets Reg3A/DMBT1 to facilitate the Warburg effect in gastric cancer. Methods Expression levels of BANCR, miR-145-5p, Reg3A, and DMBT1 were detected by RT-qPCR and Western blot in gastric cancer tissues and cell lines. Dual-luciferase reporter assays confirmed targeted relationships. Glycolytic capacity was assessed via glucose uptake. Immunohistochemistry analyzed molecular expression in 60 paired clinical samples. The prognostic values of key molecules in the BANCR/miR-145-5p-Reg3A/DMBT1 axis were evaluated by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox proportional hazards regression model. Results BANCR was significantly upregulated, whereas miR-145-5p was downregulated in gastric cancer tissues, correlating with advanced TNM stage, lymph node metastasis, and poor differentiation. Reg3A and DMBT1 were identified as direct targets of miR-145-5p. Knockdown of BANCR or overexpression of miR-145-5p significantly suppressed Reg3A/DMBT1 expression, reduced AKT phosphorylation and GLUT1/HK2 levels, and inhibited glycolysis. Clinical analysis revealed positive correlations between Reg3A/DMBT1 expression and glycolytic markers, with both serving as independent risk factors for poor prognosis. Conclusion The BANCR/miR-145-5p axis activates the AKT pathway by targeting Reg3A/DMBT1, thereby promoting GLUT1/HK2/LDHA-mediated glycolysis and facilitating the Warburg effect in gastric cancer. This regulatory axis represents a potential therapeutic target and prognostic biomarker.

ObjectiveTo develop a patient-reported traditional Chinese medicine kidney deficiency pattern (TCM-KDP) scale for colorectal cancer (CRC) patients and evaluate its reliability and validity.MethodsWe administered the TCM-KDP questionnaire to postoperative patients with stage II and III CRC as part of a multicenter randomized controlled trial (RCT) conducted in China from December 2018 to September 2021. The TCM-KDP scale consists of eight items on patient-reported symptoms and is scored on a five-point Likert scale. The scale’s reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s α and test-retest reliability, while content validity was evaluated with the content validity index. We compared the differences in serum cytokine levels and other clinical factors between patients with higher and lower KDP scores.ResultsOf the 378 patients analyzed in the original RCT, 352 (93.2%) completed the TCM-KDP questionnaire. The Cronbach’s α of the eight-item TCM-KDP scale was 0.734, and the test-retest reliability was 0.745. Our exploratory factor analysis yielded eight factors that explained the variance of 50.34%. The mean TCM-KDP score was 2.80 ± 0.92. Compared with patients with stage II CRC, those with stage III CRC had significantly higher TCM-KDP scores (2.25 vs. 2.50, P = .026). We categorized all patients into high- or low-KDP score groups (the cut-off score was 2.8). Patients with lower TCM-KDP scores had significantly higher serum interleukin-1β expression levels (P = .04).ConclusionThe patient-reported TCM-KDP scale demonstrated relatively good feasibility, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability among patients with CRC. Future studies could apply this scale to other cancer types and diseases.

Background: Optimizing cultivation techniques for traditional Chinese medicine has become a crucial means to improve the quality of medicinal materials. Microbial agents, as environmentally friendly and efficient plant growth promoters and soil conditioners, have increasingly attracted attention in eco-agriculture research. Objective: Our understanding remains limited regarding how the application of microbial agents, alone or in combination, affects changes in the rhizosphere microbiome and its association with the bioactive components of medicinal materials. Methods: In this study, Epimedium pubescens Maxim. was employed as a model plant to examine the effects of 2 microbial agents(Paenibacillus mucilaginosus and Bacillus subtilis) applied individually and in combination on plant growth and the accumulation of bioactive components. Additionally, this study explored the relationship between the rhizosphere microbiome and plant development. Results: The application of microbial agents increased the yield of E. pubescens leaves by 20.30% to 33.66% and enhanced the total flavonol glycosides content by 11.40% to 29.94%. Meanwhile, microbial treatments reshaped the rhizosphere microbiome, promoted the enrichment of beneficial microorganisms (e.g., Frankia and Paenibacillus), suppressed phytopathogenic fungi such as Didymella and Scytalidium, and enhanced the stability of the soil microbial co-occurrence network. The partial least squares path model suggested that microbial agents not only directly impact the quality of medicinal herbs but also indirectly alter the accumulation of bioactive components by modulating the soil microbiome. Conclusion: These findings deepen our understanding of the relationship between medicinal plant quality and rhizosphere microbiomes as mediated by microbial agents. They also provide a basis for designing and manipulating synthetic microbial communities to promote sustainable development in eco-agriculture.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the regulatory role of the NLRP3 signaling pathway in hepatocyte pyroptosis in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) under hypoxia. METHODS: Twenty-four male C57BL/6 mice were randomized equally into hypoxic control (A), hypoxic NASH model (B), hypoxic NASH+NLRP3 inhibitor (C), and hypoxic NASH+caspase-1 inhibitor (D) groups. In groups B-D, the mice were fed a methionine choline-deficient (MCD) diet under hypoxic conditions (to simulate a 5000 m altitude) for 6 weeks; the mice in groups C and D received intraperitoneal injections of the respective inhibitors every other day. RESULTS: Compared with those in group A, the mice in group B showed significantly elevated serum levels of FBG, TC, TG, ALT and AST, increased liver lipid content, inflammatory cell infiltration and collagen fiber deposition, and enhanced hepatic expressions of NLRP3, caspase-1, IL-1β and GSDMD proteins, with obvious swelling, cristae breakage, vacuolization, and outer membrane disruption of the mitochondria, ribosome loss in the cytoplasm, destruction of the nuclear membrane, and pathological changes of the rough endoplasmic reticulum. Treatment with NLRP3 inhibitor and caspase-1 inhibitor both significantly lowered serum levels of TC, TG, ALT and AST (but without significantly affecting FBG) in the mouse models, and reduced liver lipid content, inflammatory cell infiltration, collagen deposition, and expression levels of NLRP3, caspase-1, GSDMD and IL-1β. The treatments also significantly improved pathological changes in the mitochondria, ribosomes and endoplasmic reticulum in liver tissues of the mice. CONCLUSIONS NLRP3 signaling pathway plays a key role in promoting hepatocyte pyroptosis in NASH mice under hypoxic condition, and inhibiting this pathway can effectively reduce liver inflammation, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic target for NASH treatment.
Animals ; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease/metabolism* ; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein/metabolism* ; Pyroptosis ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Male ; Hepatocytes/pathology* ; Signal Transduction ; Mice ; Hypoxia/metabolism* ; Caspase 1/metabolism* ; Interleukin-1beta/metabolism* ; Liver/metabolism*

Objective:To explore the clinical utility of peripheral immune-inflammatory markers in predicting late-life depression with cognitive impairment(LLD+ CI + ). Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted between January 2020 and December 2021, collecting demographic data, peripheral blood inflammatory markers, and cognitive function scores from 40 patients with LLD+ CI + , 38 patients with late-life depression without cognitive impairment(LLD+ CI -), and 26 healthy controls(HCs). Logistic regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis were employed to assess the value of peripheral blood inflammatory markers in differentiating LLD+ CI + . Results:Patients with LLD+ CI + exhibited significantly different levels of lymphocytes, C-reactive protein(CRP), systemic immune-inflammation index(SII), systemic inflammation response index(SIRI), neutrophil-to-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio(NHR), and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR)compared with the LLD+ CI - group and the HGs group( F=4.000, 11.642, 13.541, 10.441, 6.623, 4.193; P=0.022, 0.003, 0.001, 0.005, 0.036, 0.018). The multivariate logistic regression analysis of factors influencing LLD+ CI + revealed that elevated levels of CRP( OR=4.933, 95% CI: 1.385-17.563, P=0.014), SII( OR=5.534, 95% CI: 1.336-22.927, P=0.018), and NLR( OR=3.386, 95% CI: 1.470-7.797, P=0.004)constitute risk factors for geriatric depression with cognitive impairment, while an increased lymphocyte count( OR=0.206, 95% CI: 0.058-0.725, P=0.014)serves as a protective factor.Further analysis identified CRP, lymphocytes, SII, and NLR as significant predictors for LLD+ CI + , with areas under the curve (AUC) values of 0.849(95% CI: 0.760-0.934), 0.847(95% CI: 0.761-0.933), 0.860(95% CI: 0.777-0.943), and 0.857(95% CI: 0.777-0.938), respectively, in distinguishing LLD with or without cognitive impairment. Conclusions:Peripheral immune-inflammatory markers represent an economical and effective approach for investigating the pathophysiological changes and predictive factors associated with LLD+ CI + .These findings provide valuable insights into the underlying mechanisms and potential therapeutic avenues.

Objective To investigate the effect of angiotensinogen (AGT), angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and AngII receptor (ATR) gene polymorphisms combined with climatic factors on the incidence of essential hypertension (EH) in Tibetan population in Gannan area. Methods A follow-up study was conducted to select 671 Tibetan people in Gannan area who were physically examined in April 2019 at the Health Management Center of the Second Hospital of Lanzhou University and agreed to be enrolled as a fixed cohort, and the blood pressure values of the enrolled subjects were measured after 3.5 years of follow-up, and a total of 501 cases were obtained. At the same time, the peripheral blood of all subjects was collected and the polymorphisms of AGT, ACE and ATR genes were detected by gene chip technology, and the possible interactions were analyzed by logistic regression model, fork generation method and multifactor-dimensionality reduction (MDR). Results Sunshine time was a protective factor for the incidence of hypertension in the Tibetan population of Gannan (OR=0.781), while relative humidity (OR=1.182), air pressure (OR=1.338) and temperature (OR=1.449) were the risk factors for the incidence of hypertension. According to the results of partial correlation analysis, temperature had no effect on the incidence of hypertension after controlling air pressure. There was an additive interaction between high air pressure and the polymorphisms of rs699 (OR=1.650, 95%CI: 1.293-2.399, P<0.001) and rs5049 (OR=1.711, 95%CI: 1.337-4.920, P<0.001) genes of AGT gene; there was a multiplicative interaction between relative humidity and rs699 (OR=0.472, 95%CI: 0.120-0.783, P<0.05);there was a multiplicative interactions between the altitude ≥ 3000m and rs699 (OR=1.503, 95%CI: 1.220-3.174, P<0.01), rs5049 (OR=1.673, 95%CI: 1.380-3.961, P<0.001) or rs2148582 (OR=0.519, 95%CI: 0.284-0.716, P<0.05).However, there was no interaction between climatic factors and ACE or ATR gene polymorphisms on the incidence of hypertension. Conclusion Climatic factors and altitude ≥3 000 m are closely related to the incidence of hypertension in the Tibetan population of Gannan area, and the interaction between AGT gene polymorphisms and climatic factors affects the incidence of hypertension in the population of this area.

Background:Optimizing cultivation techniques for traditional Chinese medicine has become a crucial means to improve the quality of medicinal materials.Microbial agents,as environmentally friendly and efficient plant growth promoters and soil conditioners,have increasingly attracted attention in eco-agriculture research.Objective:Our understanding remains limited regarding how the application of microbial agents,alone or in combination,affects changes in the rhizosphere microbiome and its association with the bioactive components of medicinal materials.Methods:In this study,Epimedium pubescens Maxim.was employed as a model plant to examine the effects of 2 microbial agents(Paenibacillus mucilaginosus and Bacillus subtilis)applied individually and in combination on plant growth and the accumulation of bioactive components.Additionally,this study explored the relationship between the rhizosphere microbiome and plant development.Results:The application of microbial agents increased the yield of E.pubescens leaves by 20.30％to 33.66％and enhanced the total flavonol glycosides content by 11.40％to 29.94％.Meanwhile,microbial treatments reshaped the rhizosphere microbiome,promoted the enrichment of beneficial microorganisms(e.g.,Frankia and Paenibacillus),suppressed phytopathogenic fungi such as Didymella and Scytalidium,and enhanced the stability of the soil microbial co-occurrence network.The partial least squares path model suggested that microbial agents not only directly impact the quality of medicinal herbs but also indirectly alter the accumula-tion of bioactive components by modulating the soil microbiome.Conclusion:These findings deepen our understanding of the relationship between medicinal plant quality and rhizosphere micro-biomes as mediated by microbial agents.They also provide a basis for designing and manipulating synthetic microbial communities to promote sustainable development in eco-agriculture.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the current status of monitoring indicators related to the"Perioperative In-fection Control"in medical institutions above the secondary level in Guizhou Province,and to delve into the imple-mentation of key measures for infection prevention and control during the perioperative period for patients under-going surgical operations.METHODS Based on the"Implementation Plan for the'Perioperative Infection Control'Initiative in Guizhou Province",a"Case Investigation Form on Key Measures for Infection Prevention and Control During the Perioperative Period for Patients Undergoing Surgical Operation"was developed.A total of 138 medi-cal institutions participated in the case investigation,and a total of 2 128 cases were investigated.RESULTS The overall monitoring indicators for the"Perioperative Infection Control"initiative in the 138 medical institutions a-bove the secondary level in Guizhou Province were at a relatively low level.The skin cleansing compliance rate was 80.32％,the hair removal compliance rate was 16.43％,the prophylactic antibacterial drug administration rate within 0.5-1 hour before surgery was 55.94％and the antibacterial drug discontinuation rate within 24 hours after prophylactic medication for type Ⅰ incision surgeries was 56.48％.The hair removal compliance rate was higher in tertiary medical institutions(19.21％)than in secondary medical institutions(14.34％)(P=0.039).The distri-bution of the four monitoring indicators varied in clinical departments and surgery types,with statistically signifi-cant differences(P＜0.05).The preferred method for surgical site skin cleansing in medical institutions across the province was local wiping,primarily with clean water(57.21％).The primary method for hair removal was razors(68.82％),and hair removal on the day of surgery was most common(61.75％).CONCLUSIONS Conduc-ting a survey on the current status of"Perioperative Infection Control"initiative monitoring indicators in medi-cal institutions in Guizhou Province helps to understand the implementation of key measures for perioperative in-fection prevention and control and set intervention targets,thus providing references for establishing a dynam-ic monitoring indicator change mechanism.

Objective:To evaluate the effectiveness of a patient-family-centered visiting model in improving caregivers'beliefs and attitudes toward visiting patients with mental disorders.Methods:A total of 140 caregivers of inpatients diagnosed with mental disorders according to the ICD-10 were randomly assigned to an intervention group(n=71)and a control group(n=69).The intervention group participated a patient-family-centered visiting model for 4 weeks,while the control group followed routine visitation.Caregivers' beliefs and attitudes were assessed using the Beliefs and Attitudes toward Visitation in ICU Questionnaire(BAVIQ)was used to assess the improvement in caregivers' beliefs and attitudes before the intervention and at the end of the 1st,2nd,3rd,and 4th weeks after the intervention.Results:Repeated measures ANOVA showed that the belief score and attitude score of the BAVIQ questionnaire in the intervention group were significantly higher than those in the control group(Ps＜0.05)across time points.Chi-square test further confirmed that the improvement in the intervention group were significantly bet-ter than in the control group(Ps＜0.05).Conclusion:The patient-family-centered visiting model is more effective than routine visiting model in improving the caregivers' visiting beliefs and attitudes in mental health settings.