Flavonoid 3-O-glucosyltransferase (3GT) is a key enzyme in the glucosidation of anthocyanins. To investigate the 3GT gene in rhododendron, we cloned an open reading frame (ORF) of 3GT gene (named Rh3GT) from Rhododendron hybridum Hort (Red cultivar) and then characterized this gene and the deduced protein in terms of the biochemical characteristics, expression level, and enzymatic function. The results showed that Rh3GT had a full length of 993 bp and encoded 330 amino acid residues. The deduced protein was hydrophilic, stable, weak acid, belonging to the glycosyltransferase family (GT-B type), with glutamine (Q) at position 44 in the PSPG box. The phylogenetic analysis showed that Rh3GT was most closely related to Vc3GT from Vaccinium corymbosum and Vm3GT from Vaccinium myrtillus. Rh3GT was expressed in the stems, leaves, and flowers and almost not expressed in the roots, with the highest expression level in petals during full blooming stage. Introduction of pCAMBIAL1302-Rh3GT into petals significantly up-regulated the expression level of Rh3GT and increased the total anthocyanin accumulation. Rh3GT was successfully expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 in the form of inclusion bodies with a size of about 36 kDa. The results of HPLC showed that the recombinant Rh3GT after denaturation, purification, and dilution could catalyze the synthesis of cyanidin and UDP-glucose to synthesize cyanidin 3-O-glucoside, indicating that the expressed protein had 3GT activity. This study provides basic data for further studying the molecular regulation mechanism of anthocyanin biosynthesis and theoretical support for molecular breeding of rhododendron.
Rhododendron/classification* ; Glucosyltransferases/metabolism* ; Cloning, Molecular ; Escherichia coli/metabolism* ; Recombinant Proteins/biosynthesis* ; Anthocyanins/biosynthesis* ; Phylogeny ; Plant Proteins/metabolism* ; Amino Acid Sequence

Objective The aim of this study was to detect the expression of miR-383-5p in bladder cancer tissues and bladder cancer 5637 cells,BIU-87 cells,TCCSUP cells and HT-1376 cells,and to explore the effects of miR-383-5p on the prolif-eration,invasion,migration and apoptosis of bladder cancer cells by targeting CIP2A.Methods The expression of miR-383-5p was detected by qRT-PCR in human bladder cancer tissues and their corresponding adjacent tissues,5637 cells,BIU-87 cells,TCCSUP cells,HT-1376 cells,human bladder transitional epithelial cells.BIU-87 cells with low miR-383-5p expression were selected for subsequent experiments.BIU-87 cells were divided into the blank group(normal culture),miR-383-5p NC group(negative control,transfected with miR-383-5p negative control),miR-383-5p mimic group(transfected with miR-383-5p mimic),and miR-383-5p mimic+pc-CIP2A group(co-transfected with miR-383-5p mimic and CIP2A overexpression plasmid pc-CIP2A).CCK-8 kit was used to detect the viability of BIU-87 cells in each group;Flow cytometry was used to detect apoptosis of BIU-87 cells;Transwell assay was used to measure cell invasion ability of BIU-87 cells;Scratch assay was used to measure cell migration ability of BIU-87 cells;Western blot was used to determine the expression of proteins related to apoptosis,invasion(MMP-2,MMP-9),and CIP2A/PP2A in BIU-87 cells;The dual luciferase assay was used to verify the targeting relationship between miR-383-5p and CIP2A in BIU-87 cells.Results The expression of miR-383-5p was low in bladder cancer tissues and bladder cancer cells.Compared with the blank group,BIU-87 cells in the miR-383-5p mimic group showed a significant increase the level of miR-383-5p(0.91±0.10 vs.1.67±0.24,P<0.01)and a significant decrease in the expression of CIP2A protein(1.32±0.17 vs.0.45±0.03,P<0.001),the cell viability,invasion,migration abilities,the expression of proteins related to invasion(MMP-2,MMP-9),and the expression of Bcl-2 protein[(100.00±4.36)% vs.(32.15±2.65)% ,(150.20±12.95)vs.(82.35±7.01),(77.91±3.63)% vs.(46.12±2.54)% ,1.02±0.11 vs.0.22±0.04,1.03±0.18 vs.0.21±0.04,1.01±0.14 vs.0.27±0.05,P<0.001];The apoptosis rate,the expression of caspase-3 and Bax proteins related to apoptosis,and PP2A expression were significantly increased[(14.02±2.29)% vs.(38.21±3.20)% ],0.81±0.11 vs.1.78±0.24,0.83±0.12 vs.1.72±0.24,0.27±0.02 vs.0.95±0.16,P<0.001].Compared with the miR-383-5p mimic group,BIU-87 cells in the miR-383-5p mimic+pc-CIP2A group significantly increased the cell viability,invasion,migration abilities,the expression of proteins related to invasion,and the expression of Bcl-2 protein[(32.15±2.65)% vs.(50.18±3.77)% ,(82.35±7.01)% vs.(116.30±13.70),(46.12±2.54)% vs.(58.43±3.15)% ,0.22±0.04 vs.0.60±0.08,0.21±0.04 vs.0.5 8±0.06,0.27±0.05 vs.0.64±0.08,P<0.05];The apoptosis rate,the expression of caspase-3,Bax,and PP2A was signifi-cantly reduced in the miR-383-5p mimic+pc-CIP2A group[(38.21±3.20)% (23.15±2.74)% ,1.78±0.24 vs.1.25±0.21,1.72±0.24 vs.1.23±0.18,0.95±0.16 vs.0.60±0.13,P<0.05].The results of dual luciferase experiments showed a corresponding tar-geting relationship between miR-383-5p and CIP2A.Conclusion Increasing the expression of miR-383-5p can inhibit the prolif-eration,invasion and migration of bladder cancer BIU-87 cells,and enhance the ability of apoptosis,which may be achieved by targe-ted regulation of CIP2A.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy and toxicity of blinatumomab in the first-line and second-line treatment of pediatric B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL).Methods:A multi-center retrospective cohort study was conducted to analyze clinical data from 323 pediatric B-ALL patients treated with blinatumomab across 14 hospitals in China from May 2021 to July 2023. Patients were divided into four groups based on the treatment phase and disease status when blinatumomab was used: relapsed/refractory group, post-consolidation minimal residual disease (MRD)-positive group, early MRD-positive group, and MRD-negative group. Blinatumomab for the relapsed/refractory group was considered as second-line treatment, while the other 3 groups as first-line treatment. The MRD negativity rate after treatment, the survival rates and the incidence of severe adverse events were compared across these groups. Patients who received blinatumomab for more than 7 days were included in the efficacy analysis. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method, and Log-Rank test was used to compare the survival rates among groups.Results:Among the 323 patients, 191 (59.1%) were male, with the age of 6.2 (3.9, 10.5) years. There were 117 patients in the relapsed/refractory group, 62 cases in the post-consolidation MRD-positive group, 43 cases in the early MRD-positive group, and 101 cases in the MRD negative group. In the relapsed/refractory group, the complete remission rate and MRD negativity rate after one course of blinatumomab were 71.4% (35/49) and 81.5% (75/92) for the 49 children without complete remission and the 92 children with flow cytometry-positive MRD, respectively. In the post-consolidation MRD-positive group, the MRD negativity rates after one course of blinatumomab were 100.0% (27/27), 12/16 and 9/19 for patients with MRD positivity detected by flow cytometry, polymerase chain reaction and next-generation sequencing, respectively. In the early MRD-positive group, the MRD negativity rates were 96.7% (29/30) and 9/9 for flow cytometry and next-generation sequencing, respectively. The 2-year overall survival rate and event-free survival rate for the 319 children evaluable for efficacy were (90.6±1.7)% and (87.6±1.9)%, respectively, with the relapsed/refractory group showing significantly lower overall survival rates and event-free survival rate compared to the other groups ( χ2=21.40, 26.21,both P<0.001). Grade 3 or higher adverse events occurred in 128 cases (39.6%), with hematological toxicity observed in 101 cases, while cytokine release syndrome (CRS), infection, and neurotoxicity occurred in 11, 26 and 8 cases, respectively. In addition, there were statistically significant differences in the grade 3 or higher CRS among the four groups ( χ2=8.03, P<0.05). Conclusion:Blinatumomab can clear MRD more effectively and achieve superior survival outcomes when used as first-line treatment for pediatric B-ALL, with less CRS.

Objective To investigate the risk factors for cardiovascular disease(CVD)in patients with rheumatoid arthritis(RA).Methods Clinical data of 225 patients with RA admitted to the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2023 to September 2024 were collected,and the patients were divided into CVD group(n=50)and non-CVD group(n=175)according to whether they were complicated by CVD.Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression was used to analyze the risk factors of CVD in RA patients.Results Univariate Logistic regression analysis showed that age,hematocrit,red cell volume distribution width(RDW),erythrocyte sedimentation rate,neutrophil to high density lipoprotein ratio(NHR)and platelet to lymphocyte ratio(PLR)were all influencing factors for CVD in RA patients(P＜0.05).Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that age,RDW,NHR and PLR were all risk factors for CVD in RA patients(P＜0.05).The results of receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the area under the curve(AUC)of age,RDW,NHR and PLR diagnosed CVD in RA patients were 0.844,0.797,0.572 and 0.713,respectively.The combined diagnosis AUC of four indexes was 0.898.Conclusion The risk of CVD in RA patients is influenced by many factors,and the combination of age,RDW,NHR,and PLR can improve early diagnosis of CVD in RA patients.

Objective:To explore the change of energy metabolism in wound tissue of diabetic rats.Methods:This study was an experimental study. Six 8-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into diabetic group inflicted with a diabetic full-thickness skin defect wound and control group only inflicted with a full-thickness skin defect wound according to the random number table method, with 3 rats in each group. The wound healing rates of rats in the two groups were calculated at 14 d after operation. The wound tissue of two groups of rats was collected at 14 d after operation, the targeted energy metabolomics detection was carried out by chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis, and the differential energy metabolites in the wound tissue were screened with significant change in the expression between the two groups of rats. The Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes enrichment analysis was performed on the differential energy metabolites.Results:At 14 d after operation, the wound healing rate of rats in diabetic group was (68.3±2.8)%, which was significantly lower than (98.1±1.2)% in control group ( t=16.92, P<0.05). At 14 d after operation, compared with those in control group, the expressions of cis-aconitic acid, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate, and 5'-guanosine diphosphate were significantly increased in wound tissue of rats in diabetic group (with t values of 4.74, 3.09, and 3.99, respectively, P<0.05), the expressions of L-malic acid and lactic acid were significantly decreased (with t values of 3.45 and 12.20, respectively, P<0.05), and there were no statistically significant differences in the expression levels of the other 21 energy metabolites in wound tissue of rats in the two groups ( P>0.05). The five differential energy metabolites were enriched mainly in the glucagon, Rap1, Ras, hypoxia-inducible factor 1 signaling pathways as well as the tricarboxylic acid cycle, pyruvate metabolism, mitochondrial autophagy,and endocytosis pathways. Conclusions:The expressions of lactic acid and L-malic acid in wound tissue of diabetic rats decreased, while the expressions of cis-aconitic acid, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate, and 5'-guanosine diphosphate increased. The differential energy metabolites were mainly enriched in oxidative stress, energy regulation, inflammatory reaction, and other related signaling pathways or pathways.

Pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) is a primary surgical approach for treating mali-gnant tumors of the pancreatic head and the periampullary region. With the advance in medical technology in recent years, the long-term survival rate of patients undergoing PD has significantly improved, and the incidence of early perioperative complications has markedly decreased. However, current researches predominantly focuse on early postoperative complications, while, limited studies addressing long-term complications. Long-term complications after PD have a significant impact on patients′ quality of life and long-term survival. This authors systematically summarize the common long-term complications following PD, and explore their mechanisms, clinical manifestations, dia-gnostic methods, and treatment strategies, aiming to provide a reference for clinical practice.

Objective:To investigate the factors influencing the prognosis of critically ill patients and the predictive value of the C-reactive protein-albumin-lymphocyte (CALLY) index.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 122 critically ill patients admitted to Guoyao Dongfeng General Hospital affiliated with Hubei University of Medicine from June 2022 to December 2023. Patients were divided into a death group and a survival group based on their 28-day prognosis. Clinical data were compared between the two groups to analyze the factors influencing prognosis and assess the predictive value of various indicators. Normally distributed measurement data were expressed as Mean±SD, and intergroup comparisons were performed by independent samples t-test; non-normally distributed measurement data were expressed as M( Q1,Q3), and intergroup comparisons were performed by the Mann-Whitney U test. Counting data were expressed as case (%), and intergroup comparisons were performed by the χ2 test. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze factors influencing patient prognosis, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted to analyze the predictive value of each indicator. Results:The Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation Ⅱ (APACHE Ⅱ) score, blood lactate, CRP, and B-type natriuretic peptide levels in the death group were higher than those in the survival group [22 (17, 30) points vs. 17 (14, 22) points, (4.8±1.4) mmol/L vs. (3.3±1.0) mmol/L, 134 (83, 2 381) mg/L vs. 13 (10, 27) mg/L, 259 (111, 592) ng/L vs. 108 (40, 247) ng/L; Z=3.04, P=0.002; t=5.79, P<0.001; Z=8.57, P<0.001; Z=3.28, P=0.001, respectively]. Albumin, neutrophil count, lymphocyte count (LYC), and the CALLY index were lower in the death group than in the survival group [(31±5) g/L vs. (37±6) g/L, (58±9)×10 9/L vs. (63±10)×10 9/L, 0.6 (0.4, 0.8)×10 9/L vs. 1.3 (0.8, 1.7)×10 9/L, 0.03 (0.02, 0.11) vs. 0.26 (0.13, 0.49); t=6.05, P<0.001; t=3.04, P=0.003; Z=5.82, P<0.001; Z=6.52, P<0.001, respectively]. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that the APACHE Ⅱ score and CRP were risk factors for poor prognosis in critically ill patients ( OR=1.349, 95% CI: 1.004-1.821, P=0.048; OR=1.006, 95% CI: 1.003-1.010, P=0.001, respectively), while LYC and the CALLY index were protective factors ( OR=0.297, 95% CI: 0.111-0.795, P=0.016; OR=0.989, 95% CI: 0.955-0.999, P=0.001, respectively). The area under the ROC curve for the CALLY index predicting 28-day mortality in critically ill patients was 0.872 (95% CI: 0.800-0.926), which was higher than that of the APACHE Ⅱ score, LYC, and CRP [0.673 (95% CI: 0.582-0.756), 0.664 (95% CI: 0.573-0.748), 0.576 (95% CI: 0.482-0.665), respectively]. The cut-off values were 0.06, 20 points, 0.8×10 9/L, and 50 mg/L, respectively. When the CALLY index was 0.06, the specificity was 97.65%, the sensitivity was 72.97%, and the Youden index was 0.706. Conclusions:The APACHE Ⅱ score, CRP, LYC, and CALLY index are all factors influencing the prognosis of critically ill patients. The CALLY index has certain predictive value, but its false negative rate is relatively high. Further combination with other indicators is needed to improve its predictive value.

Objective: To investigate independent risk factors for lower extremity amputation (LEA) in hospitalized patients with diabetic foot ulcers ( DFUs) . Methods: A multicenter retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 329 DFUs hospitalized patients with diabetic foot ulcers from four general hospitals across the na⁃tion. A multivariate Logistic regression model was constructed , and prediction analysis was performed using R 4. 2. 1 . The discriminative ability of the model was assessed using receiver operating characteristic curves , while calibration accuracy and clinical applicability were evaluated via calibration curves and decision curve analysis. Results : The study revealed that patients with higher education backgrounds showed lower disease severity (Wagnergrade) (Z = - 4. 331 , P < 0. 05) . A history of amputation , pre⁃existing lower extremity vascular disease , abnormal dorsalis pedis artery pulsation , and a history of coronary heart disease were significantly associated with the severity of DFUs , resulting in higher Wagner scores (P < 0. 05) . In the amputation prognosis analysis , prolonged duration of diabetes and elevated white blood cell count were positively correlated with amputation risk ( both P < 0. 01) .Multivariable regression identified non⁃higher education , low hemoglobin levels , decreased total cholesterol , and abnormally elevated platelet counts as independent risk factors for high Wagner grades ( ≥ grade 3 ) ( all P <0. 05) . The integrated predictive model incorporating these factors demonstrated strong discriminative performance ,with an area under curve of 0. 880 (95% CI: 0. 801 - 0. 960) . The calibration curve slope approached the ideal value , and decision curve analysis confirmed the model ′s clinical net benefit within a threshold probability range of 10% - 65% . Conclusion Lower education level , poor baseline nutritional status , infection , hypercoagulability ,and underlying vascular diseases collectively constitute key factors contributing to elevated amputation risk in DFUs patients. The developed predictive model exhibits high accuracy and may assist clinicians in formulating individual⁃ized intervention strategies.

Poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation (PARylation) is a specific form of post-translational modification (PTM) predominantly triggered by the activation of poly-ADP-ribose polymerase 1 (PARP1). However, the role and mechanism of PARylation in the advancement of acute kidney injury (AKI) remain undetermined. Here, we demonstrated the significant upregulation of PARP1 and its associated PARylation in murine models of AKI, consistent with renal biopsy findings in patients with AKI. This elevation in PARP1 expression might be attributed to trimethylation of histone H3 lysine 4 (H3K4me3). Furthermore, a reduction in PARylation levels mitigated renal dysfunction in the AKI mouse models. Mechanistically, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry indicated that PARylation mainly occurred in receptor for activated C kinase 1 (RACK1), thereby facilitating its subsequent phosphorylation. Moreover, the phosphorylation of RACK1 enhanced its dimerization and accelerated the ubiquitination-mediated hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) degradation, thereby exacerbating kidney injury. Additionally, we identified a PARP1 proteolysis-targeting chimera (PROTAC), A19, as a PARP1 degrader that demonstrated superior protective effects against renal injury compared with PJ34, a previously identified PARP1 inhibitor. Collectively, both genetic and drug-based inhibition of PARylation mitigated kidney injury, indicating that the PARylated RACK1/HIF-1α axis could be a promising therapeutic target for AKI treatment.

Objective:To investigate the differential impact of ultra-high-resolution photon-counting detector CT (UHR PCD-CT) and energy-integrating detector CT (EID-CT) on image quality and calcified plaque-induced luminal stenosis in coronary CT angiography (CCTA).Methods:This retrospective analysis was conducted on patients who underwent both EID-CT and UHR PCD-CT CCTA at the Geriatric Hospital of Nanjing Medical University between January 2021 and November 2024. A total of 141 patients were included in the study, within 46 patients having scans within a 12-month interval. Image quality of all coronary artery segments was subjectively evaluated. Patients with paired scans (interval≤12 months) were included for calcified plaque analysis. Subjective visualization of calcified plaques evaluated. The blooming artifact was calculated as an objective evaluation index for assessing the calcified plaques. Additionally, the degree of coronary artery lumen stenosis resulting from calcified plaques was assessed, along with the measurement of plaque volume and the Agatston score. Changes in lumen stenosis between the two scans were also evaluated. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare the subjective scores of coronary artery image quality and calcified plaques between the two groups, and paired-sample t-tests were used to compare the blooming artifact and lumen stenosis degree. Results:The PCD-CT image quality score was significantly higher than that of EID-CT [PCD-CT : 5 (4,5), EID-CT: 4 (4,5); Z=-21.38, P<0.001]. Compared to EID-CT, PCD-CT reduced the blooming artifact (PCD-CT: 38.88%±9.09%, EID-CT: 50.11%±11.52%; t=-12.97, P<0.001), significantly improving the subjective score for visualization of calcified plaques [PCD-CT: 5 (4,5), EID-CT: 3 (2,3); Z=-9.68, P<0.001], and the measured lumen stenosis was notably lower in PCD-CT(PCD-CT:34.88%±18.20%, EID-CT:45.31%±23.42%; t=-9.93, P<0.001). Among 129 analyzed calcified plaques, luminal stenosis was reduced on PCD-CT in 110 plaques (85.3%) and increased in 19 (14.7%), including 4 plaques that had unclear boundaries with the adjacent lumen in EID-CT CCTA images, making the stenosis difficult to assess. Conclusion:Compared to EID-CT, UHR PCD-CT for CCTA significantly improves coronary artery image quality, provides clearer visualization of calcified plaques and adjacent lumen details, and it can reduce the overestimation of coronary artery caleified plaque stenosis.