ObjectiveTo explore the molecular mechanisms by which serum containing Gegen Qinlian Tang （GQT） inhibits glycolysis and enhances chemotherapy sensitivity in 5-fluorouracil （5-FU）-resistant colorectal cancer （CRC） cells based on the cyclin-dependent kinase 16 （CDK16）/MYC proto-oncogene （MYC） pathway. MethodsHCT-116/5-FU cells were treated with different concentrations （5%， 10%， 20%， 30%） of GQT-containing serum. Cell viability and 5-FU sensitivity were assessed using the cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8） assay， and the experimental concentrations of 5-FU and GQT for subsequent experiments were determined. Cell proliferation and apoptosis under individual 5-FU， GQT， and combined 5-FU + GQT treatments were evaluated using 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine （EDU） staining and annexin V-FITC/PI double staining， respectively. Glucose consumption， adenosine triphosphate （ATP） production， and lactate levels were measured by colorimetric assays. Expression levels of glycolysis-related proteins， CDK16， MYC， and phosphorylated MYC were detected by Western blot. Co-immunoprecipitation （CoIP） was used to examine the protein interaction between CDK16 and MYC， and cycloheximide （CHX） treatment was applied to assess the effect of CDK16 overexpression on MYC protein stability. ResultsCCK-8 assays showed that 2.5 mg·L^-1 5-FU significantly inhibited HCT-116 cell viability in a dose-dependent manner. In HCT-116/5-FU cells， significant inhibition was observed only at 5 mg·L^-1 5-FU （P<0.05）， which was used for model establishment. Compared with 5-FU alone， addition of 5% GQT-containing serum significantly suppressed HCT-116/5-FU cell viability （P<0.05）， with stronger inhibition at higher serum concentrations. Thus， 5% GQT-containing serum was used in subsequent experiments. Compared with the control group， 5-FU， GQT， and 5-FU + GQT treatments all significantly reduced cell proliferation （P<0.05） and increased apoptosis （P<0.01）. The 5-FU + GQT combination showed superior inhibition of proliferation compared with 5-FU or GQT alone （P<0.01）， accompanied by more pronounced reductions in glucose consumption， ATP production， and lactate generation （P<0.01）. Additionally， compared with control， 5-FU， and GQT groups， the 5-FU + GQT group exhibited stronger suppression of MYC and its phosphorylated forms （P<0.01） and greater inhibition of glycolytic enzymes， including hexokinase 2 （HK2）， 3-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase 1 （PDK1）， lactate dehydrogenase A （LDHA）， and pyruvate kinase M2 （PKM2） （P<0.01）. CDK16， MYC， and MYC phosphorylation expression levels were significantly downregulated in the 5-FU + GQT group compared with the 5-FU group （all P<0.01）. MYC protein stability decreased in a time-dependent manner in the 5-FU + GQT group （P<0.05）， which was rescued by CDK16 overexpression （P<0.05）. ConclusionGQT significantly enhances the sensitivity of HCT-116/5-FU cells to 5-FU， potentially by inhibiting CDK16 and thereby reducing MYC-mediated glycolysis.

ObjectiveTo explore the molecular mechanisms by which serum containing Gegen Qinlian Tang （GQT） inhibits glycolysis and enhances chemotherapy sensitivity in 5-fluorouracil （5-FU）-resistant colorectal cancer （CRC） cells based on the cyclin-dependent kinase 16 （CDK16）/MYC proto-oncogene （MYC） pathway. MethodsHCT-116/5-FU cells were treated with different concentrations （5%， 10%， 20%， 30%） of GQT-containing serum. Cell viability and 5-FU sensitivity were assessed using the cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8） assay， and the experimental concentrations of 5-FU and GQT for subsequent experiments were determined. Cell proliferation and apoptosis under individual 5-FU， GQT， and combined 5-FU + GQT treatments were evaluated using 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine （EDU） staining and annexin V-FITC/PI double staining， respectively. Glucose consumption， adenosine triphosphate （ATP） production， and lactate levels were measured by colorimetric assays. Expression levels of glycolysis-related proteins， CDK16， MYC， and phosphorylated MYC were detected by Western blot. Co-immunoprecipitation （CoIP） was used to examine the protein interaction between CDK16 and MYC， and cycloheximide （CHX） treatment was applied to assess the effect of CDK16 overexpression on MYC protein stability. ResultsCCK-8 assays showed that 2.5 mg·L^-1 5-FU significantly inhibited HCT-116 cell viability in a dose-dependent manner. In HCT-116/5-FU cells， significant inhibition was observed only at 5 mg·L^-1 5-FU （P<0.05）， which was used for model establishment. Compared with 5-FU alone， addition of 5% GQT-containing serum significantly suppressed HCT-116/5-FU cell viability （P<0.05）， with stronger inhibition at higher serum concentrations. Thus， 5% GQT-containing serum was used in subsequent experiments. Compared with the control group， 5-FU， GQT， and 5-FU + GQT treatments all significantly reduced cell proliferation （P<0.05） and increased apoptosis （P<0.01）. The 5-FU + GQT combination showed superior inhibition of proliferation compared with 5-FU or GQT alone （P<0.01）， accompanied by more pronounced reductions in glucose consumption， ATP production， and lactate generation （P<0.01）. Additionally， compared with control， 5-FU， and GQT groups， the 5-FU + GQT group exhibited stronger suppression of MYC and its phosphorylated forms （P<0.01） and greater inhibition of glycolytic enzymes， including hexokinase 2 （HK2）， 3-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase 1 （PDK1）， lactate dehydrogenase A （LDHA）， and pyruvate kinase M2 （PKM2） （P<0.01）. CDK16， MYC， and MYC phosphorylation expression levels were significantly downregulated in the 5-FU + GQT group compared with the 5-FU group （all P<0.01）. MYC protein stability decreased in a time-dependent manner in the 5-FU + GQT group （P<0.05）， which was rescued by CDK16 overexpression （P<0.05）. ConclusionGQT significantly enhances the sensitivity of HCT-116/5-FU cells to 5-FU， potentially by inhibiting CDK16 and thereby reducing MYC-mediated glycolysis.

Objective To investigate the factors affecting the distribution of Pomacea and project the trends in the spread of suitable distribution areas of Pomacea in 2050 and 2070 in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, so as to provide insights into Pomacea control in the prefecture. Methods The longitudes and latitudes of Pomacea sampling sites were captured based on Pomacea field survey data in 12 cities (counties) of Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture from 2023 to 2024. A total of 19 climatic factors (annual mean temperature, mean diurnal range, isothermality, temperature seasonality, maximum temperature of the warmest month, minimum temperature of the coldest month, temperature annual range, mean temperature of the wettest quarter, mean temperature of the driest quarter, mean temperature of the warmest month, mean temperature of the coldest month, annual precipitation, precipitation of the wettest month, precipitation of the driest month, precipitation seasonality, precipitation of the wettest quarter, precipitation of the driest quarter, mean temperature of the warmest quarter, and mean temperature of the coldest quarter) and representative concentration pathways (RCPs) were retrieved from the world climate database (www.worldclim.org). All climatic variables were employed to create a maximum entropy (MaxEnt) model. The predictive accuracy of the model was assessed with the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC), and the contributions of these 19 climatic factors to the distribution of Pomacea were analyzed in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture using Jackknife test. In addition, the suitable distribution areas of Pomacea were predicted with the MaxEnt model in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture in 2024 and in 2050 and 2070 under RCP4.5. Results Data pertaining to 91 Pomacea sampling sites were captured. ROC analysis revealed the MaxEnt model had an AUC value of 0.885 ± 0.088 for predicting the suitable distribution areas of Pomacea in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture. Of the 19 climatic factors, the maximum temperature of the warmest month had the highest contribution to the distribution of Pomacea in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, followed by mean temperature of the driest quarter, mean temperature of the wettest quarter and minimum temperature of the coldest month. The suitable distribution area of Pomacea was predicted to be 14 555.69 km² in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture in 2024, and would expand gradually to the southeastern part of the prefecture in the future due to climatic factors. The suitable distribution areas of Pomacea were projected to expand to 21 475.61 km² in 2050 and 25 782.52 km² in 2070 in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, respectively. Conclusions Temperature is an important contributor to the distribution of Pomacea in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, and the suitable distribution area of Pomacea will gradually expand to the southeastern part of the prefecture in 2050 and 2070.

Objective To exploring the expression of microRNA-93-5p(miRNA-93-5p)and neuregulin protein 1(NRG1)in thyroid cancer tissues and their relationship with clinicopathological characteristics and survival prognosis.Methods Frozen tissue specimens of 136 patients with thyroid diseases who underwent surgical treatment in the hospital from January 2018 to May 2020 were selected,including 84 cases of thyroid cancer(thyroid cancer group),52 cases of benign thyroid diseases(benign thyroid disease group),and another 40 cases of normal thyroid tissues(control group).The relative expression levels of miRNA-93-5p and the positive expression rate of NRG1 in the tissues of the thyroid cancer group,the benign thyroid disease group and the control group were compared,and the relationship between the expression of miRNA-93-5p and NRG1 in patients with thyroid cancer and the clinicopathological characteristics was analyzed.Multivariate Logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of miRNA-93-5p and NRG1 expression.Kaplan-Meier survival curve was used to analyze the relationship between the expression of miRNA-93-5p and NRG1 and survival prognosis in patients with thyroid cancer.Results There were statistically significant differences in the relative expression levels of miRNA-93-5p and the positive expression rate of NRG1 among the thyroid cancer group,the benign thyroid disease group and the control group(P＜0.05).The relative expression level of miRNA-93-5p in thyroid cancer tissues was negatively correlated with the positive expression rate of NRG1(r=-0.216,P=0.013).The proportion of tumor maximum diameter＞1 cm,the rate of moderate and low differentiation,the rate of capsular invasion,the rate of lymphatic metastasis,and the proportion of TNM stage Ⅲ+Ⅳ in the miRNA-93-5p high-expression group were higher than those in the miRNA-93-5p low-ex-pression group(P＜0.05),and the above indicators in the NRG1 high-expression group were all lower than those in the NRG1 low-expression group(P＜0.05).Multivariate Logistic regression analysis revealed that the maximum diameter of the tumor,degree of differentiation,capsular invasion,lymphatic metastasis and TNM stage were all influencing factors for the expression of miRNA-93-5p and NRG1.The 3-year cumulative survival rate of the miRNA-93-5p high-expression group was lower than that of the miRNA-93-5p low-expres-sion group(P＜0.05),and the 3-year cumulative survival rate of the NRG1 high-expression group was higher than that of the NRG1 low-expression group(P＜0.05).Conclusion In thyroid cancer tissues,miRNA-93-5p is highly expressed and NRG1 is lowly expressed.Both can be used as biomarkers for evaluating the survival prognosis of patients.

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of Quhan Tongluo Formula in treating knee osteoarthritis(KOA)of cold-dampness obstruction pattern.Methods A retrospective study was conducted on 231 patients with KOA of cold-dampness obstruction pattern admitted to Dongfang Hospital,Beijing University of Chinese Medicine from December 2022 to December 2023.The patients were divided into an exposed group(105 cases)and a non-exposed group(126 cases)based on whether Quhan Tongluo Formula was applied.The exposed group received Quhan Tongluo Formula combined with celecoxib,while the non-exposed group received only celecoxib.Using propensity score matching based on the baseline data of the medical records,76 pairs(a total of 152 cases)were matched.The changes in Visual Analog Scale(VAS)scores,Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index(WOMAC)total scores,and traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome scores before treatment and at 2,4,and 6 weeks after treatment were compared between the two groups,and safety was evaluated.Results Before treatment,there were no significant differences in VAS scores or WOMAC pain scores between the two groups.After treatment,both groups exhibited significant reductions in VAS scores and WOMAC pain scores,with the exposed group demonstrating significantly greater reductions compared to the non-exposed group(P＜0.01).The total clinical effective rate was significantly higher in the exposed group than in the non-exposed group(P＜0.01).Conclusion The clinical application of Quhan Tongluo Formula combined with celecoxib demonstrated superior efficacy over celecoxib monotherapy in treating knee osteoarthritis of cold-dampness obstruction pattern.The combined regimen significantly reduced VAS scores,total WOMAC scores,and TCM syndrome scores,with marked improvements in long-term efficacy.

Objective To evaluate the potential risk of transmission of angiostrongyliasis by common freshwater snails in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, so as to provide insights into local surveillance of angiostrongyliasis. Methods Common freshwater snails were collected from Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province from March to April, 2020, and identified and bred in laboratory. SD rats were infected with third-stage larvae of Angiostrongylus cantonensis that were isolated from commercially available Pomacea canaliculata snails in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, and freshwater snails were infected with the first-stage larvae of A. cantonensis that were isolated from the feces of SD rats 39 days post-infection at room temperature. The developmental process and morphological characteristics of worms in hosts were observed, and the percentages of A. cantonensis infections in different species of freshwater snails were calculated. Then, SD rats were infected with the third-stage larvae of A. cantonensis that were isolated from A. cantonensis-infected freshwater snails, and the larval development and reproduction was observed. Results More than 3 000 freshwater snail samples were collected from farmlands, ditches and wetlands around Erhai Lake in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, and Cipangopaludina chinensis, P. canaliculata, Parafossarulus striatulus, Oncomelania hupensis robertsoni, Galba pervia, Physa acuta, Radix swinhoei, Assiminea spp., Tricula spp. and Bellamya spp. were morphologically identified. A total of 105 commercially available P. canaliculata snails were tested for A. cantonensis infections, and 2 P. canaliculata snails were found to be infected with A. cantonensis, in which the third-stage larvae of A. cantonensis were isolated. Ten species of freshwater snails were artificially infected with the third-stage larvae of A. cantonensis, and all 10 species of freshwater snails were found to be infected with A. cantonensis, with the highest positive rate of A. cantonensis infections in Bellamya spp. (62.3%, 137/204), and the lowest in C. chinensis (35.5%, 11/31). After SD rats were infected with the third-stage larvae of A. cantonensis isolated from different species of freshwater snails, mature adult worms of A. cantonensis were yielded. Conclusions Multiple species of freshwater snails may serve as intermediate hosts of A. cantonensis under laboratory conditions in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture of Yunnan Province. Further investigations on natural infection of A. cantonensis in wild snails in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture seem justified.

AIM: To assess the accuracy of predicting intraocular lens(IOL)power after myopic refractive surgery using the Pentacam system's true net power(TNP)in the 3 mm zone combined with the SRK/T formula [i.e. TNP 3 mm(SRK/T)].METHODS: Retrospective study. This study enrolled 35 cases(50 eyes)of patients undergoing cataract surgery after laser assisted in situ keratomileusis(LASIK)or photorefractive keratectomy(PRK)from July 2019 to December 2021. Preoperatively, IOL power of 50 eyes, 34 eyes and 41 eyes was calculated by TNP 3 mm(SRK/T), Barrett True-K and Olsen 2 formulas, respectively, with at least 2 formulas used to calculate IOL power for each patient. The actual diopter was recorded 3 mo postoperatively. Prediction errors(PE)of IOL power were compared among the three calculation methods, and the proportion of eyes with PE within ±0.5 D and ±1.0 D was analyzed.RESULTS: The PE at 3 mo postoperatively for TNP 3 mm(SRK/T), Barrett True-K, and Olsen 2 was -0.02±0.63, -0.54±0.80, and 0.25±0.80 D, respectively(P<0.001). The proportions of PE within ±0.5 D were 66%(33/50), 44%(15/34)and 37%(15/41), respectively(P<0.05); the proportions of PE within ±1.0 D were 88%(44/50), 71%(24/34)and 80%(33/41), respectively(P>0.05).CONCLUSION: The Pentacam TNP 3 mm(SRK/T)method is simple to operate and provides accurate calculation of IOL power after corneal refractive surgery.

Background and purpose:Rectal cancer is one of the malignant tumors that seriously harm human health in the world,ranking third in incidence and second in mortality.With the development of social and economic level,the incidence and mortality of colorectal cancer in China are increasing,and China becomes one of the countries with high incidence of colorectal cancer disease in the world.The recommended treatment for locally advanced rectal cancer is neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy combined with surgery,which greatly improves the prognosis of patients.However,intestinal adverse reactions such as diarrhea caused by neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy are increased,and some patients are forced to delay or interrupt treatment due to serious side effects.Amifostine is a broad-spectrum normal cell protective agent,which has good protective effect against various radiochemotherapy toxicity.We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients with locally advanced rectal cancer who received neoadjuvant radiotherapy combined with irinotecan concurrent chemotherapy to investigate whether concurrent use of amifostine alleviated gastrointestinal and hematological toxicities.Methods:A retrospective cohort analysis was used in this study.Clinical data of patients with locally advanced rectal cancer who received neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy at the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Fudan University during the period of discharge from January 1,2018 to December 31,2019 were retrospectively collected.The patients were divided into 2 groups by whether amifostine was used during the same period.The main purpose of the study was to analyze whether amifostine can reduce gastrointestinal and hematological toxicities,and secondary objectives included whether amifostine could alter tumor marker levels,mesorectal fascia invasion(MRF)positive rate,extramural vascular invasion,positive rate of EMVI and pathological complete response(pCR).Using SAS9.4 statistical software,the normality test was carried out for continuous variables.The rank sum test of Wilcoxon was performed when the diarrhea grade did not conform to normal distribution.Analysis of variance was performed for intra-group comparison,and Wilcoxon rank sum test was performed for inter-group comparison.Because of the imbalance between groups,the difference between the two groups was compared using a generalized linear model.This study strictly followed the STrengthening the Reporting of OBservational studies in Epidemiology(STROBE)guidelines to ensure the transparency of the research methodology and the reliability of the results.Results:Finally,154 eligible patients were included,of whom 78 were in the amifostine group and 76 were in the control group.The highest grade of diarrhea in amifostine group was 1.00(1.00,1.00),lower than that in control group(2.00,3.00),and the difference between groups was statistically significant(P＜0.01).After radiotherapy,white blood cell count(WBC),hemoglobin(HB)and absolute neutrophil count(ANC)from the two groups were obtained.ANC and platelet count(PLT)showed no statistically significant difference(P＞0.05),and the lowest values of WBC,RBC and PLT did not have statistically significant difference between the two groups during neoadjuvant period(P＞0.05).Amifostine may not alleviate hematological toxicity.Carbohydrate antigen 72-4(CA72-4)(Z=2.22,P=0.03),carbohydrate antigen 50(CA50)(Z=-2.49,P=0.01)and carbohydrate antigen 24-2(CA24-2)had statistically significant difference(Z=-2.29,P=0.02).There were no significant differences in MRF positive rate(P=0.11),EMVI positive rate(P=0.61)and pCR rate(P=0.94)between the two groups.Conclusion:Concurrent administration of amifostine in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer receiving neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy can reduce gastrointestinal toxicity and reduce the levels of tumor markers CA72-4,CA50 and CA24-2.However,it may have no significant effect on improving hematological toxicity,MRF and EMVI positive rate and pCR rate.

Angiostrongyliasis cantonensis is an emerging infectious disease in China. Snails are intermediate hosts of Angiostrongylus cantonensis and play a critical role in the transmission of angiostrongyliasis cantonensis. Detection of A. cantonensis in snails is an important part of epidemiological surveys. Currently, the rapid developments in the techniques for detection of A. cantonensis in snails facilitate the surveillance of angiostrongyliasis cantonensis and provide an important support for angiostrongyliasis cantonensis prevention and control. This review summarizes the advances in the techniques for detection of A. cantonensis in snails.

Objective:To study the population distribution of Pomacea spp. in Shandong Province and the risk of angiostrongyliasis cantonensis in the local population, and to provide a basis for scientific prevention and control of related diseases. Methods:From July to December 2021, Yanzhou District of Jining City, Ningyang County of Taian City, and Dongying District of Dongying City were selected as surveillance sites to investigate the population and distribution range of Pomacea spp., live snail samples were collected for morphological and genetic identification, and Pomacea spp. infected with the larva of Angiostrongylus cantonensis was detected by lung test. At the same time, sentinel hospital case surveillance was carried out in Yanzhou District, Jining City, and questionnaire was used to study the local residents' awareness of angiostrongyliasis cantonensis and their personal health behaviors. Results:A total of 312 live snail samples were collected. After morphological identification, they were all Pomacea spp.. After gene sequencing, two populations of Pomacea canaliculata and Pomacea maculata were found. No positive snails infected with Angiostrongylus cantonensis were found. A total of 126 patients with headache as the main neurological symptom were admitted to the sentinel hospital, but there were no monitoring cases that met the inclusion criteria. Among the survey population, 48.38% (134/277) of the respondents had heard of angiostrongyliasis cantonensis, 44.77% (124/277) knew that eating Margarya melanioides might cause angiostrongyliasis cantonensis, and 83.39% (231/277) had no related unhealthy eating behavior. Conclusion:Pomacea spp. is found and reported for the first time in Shandong Province, and there is a risk of population infection with angiostrongyliasis cantonensis.