Ischemic stroke (IS) is a globally life-threatening disease. Presently, few therapeutic medicines are available for treating IS, and rt-PA is the only drug approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US. In fact, many agents showing excellent neuroprotection but no blood flow-improving activity in animals have not achieved ideal clinical efficacy, while thrombolytic drugs only improving blood flow without neuroprotection have limited their wider application. To address these challenges and meet the huge unmet clinical need, we have designed and identified a novel compound AAPB with dual effects of neuroprotection and cerebral blood flow improvement. AAPB significantly reduced cerebral infarction and neural function deficit in tMCAO rats, pMCAO rats, and IS rhesus monkeys, as well as displayed exceptional safety profiles and excellent pharmacokinetic properties in rats and dogs. AAPB has now entered phase I of clinical trials fighting IS in China.

Osteoporosis and cardiovascular calcification,two major age-related chronic diseases that China is confronting today,pose serious threats to public health.Previous studies have reported overlapping connections in the pathological processes and molecular mechanisms of these two diseases,particularly concerning inflammation,oxidative stress,and dysregulation of mineral metabolism,and that these two diseases tend to share common pathogenic factors.However,research exploring the comorbidity mechanisms of the two diseases remains limited in both depth and scope,largely due to the lack of widely accepted comorbidity animal models.Herein,we analyzed the latest research findings on the comorbidity mechanisms of vascular calcification and osteoporosis,focusing on summarizing the animal disease models currently in extensive use and the relevant evaluation criteria.We aim to provide new references for comorbidity research models and offer scientific evidence for future studies on pathological mechanisms and the development of new therapeutic strategies.

Objective To systematically characterizes the temporal changes in urokinase-type plasminogen activator(uPA)over the course of neoplastic progression using a mouse oral squamous cell carcinoma(OSCC)model induced by 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide(4-NQO).Methods A total of 65 wild-type C57BL/6 mice of 5 weeks old were randomly assigned to two groups,a 4-NQO group(n=50),which received daily administration of 100 μg/mL 4-NQO in drinking water,and a control group(n=15),which received sterile water.At 12,16,20,22,and 24 weeks,10 mice from the 4-NQO group and 3 from the control group were randomly selected,weighed,and sacrificed.Tongue tissues were collected for hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining to preliminarily assess OSCC development,and for immunofluorescence staining and quantitative real-time PCR to evaluate dynamic uPA expression in tongue tissues during OSCC progression.Results After 16 weeks of exposure,4-NQO-treated mice exhibited significantly lower body mass compared with that of the controls(P<0.05)and the weight loss became increasingly more pronounced over time.Histopathological changes in tongue tissues progressed in a clearly time-dependent manner—hyperplasia and mild dysplasia emerged at week 12,while moderate-to-severe dysplasia and carcinoma were observed by week 22,yielding a tumorigenic rate of 25%,which escalated to 70%by week 24.Immunofluorescence and qPCR analyses demonstrated a pronounced,progressive up-regulation of uPA expression in lesional tissues as OSCC progressed(P<0.000 1).Conclusion This study not only confirmed the uniqueness of the 4-NQO model in OSCC research,but also revealed the changes in uPA during tumor invasion.These findings provide a theoretical foundation for the development of early diagnosis and precision treatment strategies,holding significant potential clinical value and research importance for improving patient prognosis.

Objective To analyze the mutation of common driver genes in patients with non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC)in eastern Henan Province.Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on 661 patients with NSCLC admitted to the First People's Hospital of Shangqiu city from March 2022 to July 2023.Five kinds of gene mutation detection kits(fluorescent PCR)were used for gene detection in all enrolled patients.The relationship between the clinical features and the status of each driver gene was analyzed by statistical methods.Results In the 661 patients with NSCLC,the mutation rates of EGFR,KRAS,ALK,ROS1,PIK3CA,BRAF,HER2,RET,MET14 and NRAS were 47.35%,9.68%,5.45%,1.82%,2.87%,1.82%,1.21%,0.91%,0.61%and 0%.Mutations in EGFR,ROS1 and HER2 were more likely to occur in women(P<0.05),while KRAS mutations were more common in men(P<0.05).The mutation rates of EGFR,KRAS and ALK in adenocarcinoma was significantly higher than that in squamous cell carcinoma and NSCLC.NOS(P<0.05),and the mutation rate of PIK3CA in NSCLC.NOS was the highest.The mutation rate of KRAS gene in stage Ⅰ+Ⅱ was significantly higher than that in stage Ⅲ+Ⅳ(P<0.05),and there was no significant correlation between other genes and clinical stage.Compared with smokers,the mutation rate of total driver gene was significantly higher in non-smokers(P<0.05).EGFR,ALK,PIK3CA,ROS1,BRAF and HER2 were more common in non-smokers(P<0.05),while KRAS gene was more common in smokers(P<0.05).The mutation rate of 10 driver genes in sediment cell block samples was 78.67%,and the detection rate was significantly higher than that in other types of samples(P<0.05).Conclusion Com-mon driver genes such as EGFR,KRAS and ALK are correlated with gender,pathological type,clinical stage and smoking.Qualified samples of sediment cells have obvious advantages for gene detection and could be widely pro-moted in patients.ARMS-PCR combined detection of 10 genes could be used as the preferred gene detection method for newly diagnosed and treated NSCLC patients.

Objective To explore the clinical characteristics of drug-induced liver injury(DILI),and provide reference for early clinical recognition,diagnosis and treatment of DILI.Methods Clinical datas of 65 patients with DILI hospitalized in the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine from January 2019 to December 2023 were retrospectively analyzed,and their general conditions,using drugs,distribution type of liver injury,traditional Chinese medicine treatment and outcome were statistically analyzed.Results A total of 65 patients were included,including 27 males and 38 females,with an average age of(46.40±19.19)years old.The majority of patients were 41 to 60 years old.Chinese herbal medicine and Chinese patent medicine accounted for the highest proportion of drugs inducing DILI(30.8％).Hepatocyte injury was the most common type of DILI,with 39 cases.The main clinical manifestations of DILI patients were fatigue,abdominal discomfort,aversion to oil,yellow eyes,yellow urine and so on.In the treatment of traditional Chinese medicine,liquorice root was the most frequently used,with a frequency of 60.7％.After active treatment,59 patients were cured and discharged from hospital.Conclusion Hepatocyte injury is the main type of DILI.Clinical monitoring of hepatotoxicity of traditional Chinese herbal medicine and Chinese patent medicine should be strengthened to reduce the damage to liver caused by adverse drug reactions.

Objective To investigate the role of miRNAs in maternal amniotic fluid exosomes in development of isolated ventriculomegaly(VM)in fetuses.Methods Amniotic fluid samples were collected from 9 cases of moderate isolated VM and 8 normal control cases to extract exosomal miRNA,and miRNA sequencing technique was used to identify differentially expressed miRNAs between the two groups.Three miRNAs with significant differential expression between the two groups,whose high expression was associated with VM,were selected for verification with RT-qPCR.Dual luciferase reporter assays were used to verify the regulatory effect of miR-122-5p on its predicted target genes AKT3 and CCDC88C.Gene ontology(GO)and KEGG pathway analyses were performed to explore the possible roles of the top 40 significant differential miRNAs in the pathophysiology of VM.Results We identified a total of 272 differentially expressed miRNAs in VM cases,including 43 up-regulated and 229 down-regulated miRNAs.The target genes of these differential miRNAs were associated with DNA and transcription factor binding,transmembrane transporter and nucleic acid binding transcription factor activity,and cell developmental process.These miRNAs were mostly enriched in the MAPK,cGMP-PKG and Wnt signaling pathways.Verification with RT-qPCR showed that miR-122-5p expression level was significantly lower in VM group than in the control group(P<0.05),which was consistent with miRNA sequencing results;let-7b-5p expression level was significantly lower in VM group,which was contrary to miRNA sequencing result.Dual luciferase reporter assays showed that miR-122-5p was not capable of regulating AKT3 or CCDC88C expressions.Conclusions The highly abundant differentially expressed miRNAs in maternal amniotic fluid exosomes play important roles in the occurrence of fetal VM possibly by regulating the MAPK,PI3K-Akt,Wnt and cGMP-PKG signaling pathways.

Objective To investigate the role of miRNAs in maternal amniotic fluid exosomes in development of isolated ventriculomegaly(VM)in fetuses.Methods Amniotic fluid samples were collected from 9 cases of moderate isolated VM and 8 normal control cases to extract exosomal miRNA,and miRNA sequencing technique was used to identify differentially expressed miRNAs between the two groups.Three miRNAs with significant differential expression between the two groups,whose high expression was associated with VM,were selected for verification with RT-qPCR.Dual luciferase reporter assays were used to verify the regulatory effect of miR-122-5p on its predicted target genes AKT3 and CCDC88C.Gene ontology(GO)and KEGG pathway analyses were performed to explore the possible roles of the top 40 significant differential miRNAs in the pathophysiology of VM.Results We identified a total of 272 differentially expressed miRNAs in VM cases,including 43 up-regulated and 229 down-regulated miRNAs.The target genes of these differential miRNAs were associated with DNA and transcription factor binding,transmembrane transporter and nucleic acid binding transcription factor activity,and cell developmental process.These miRNAs were mostly enriched in the MAPK,cGMP-PKG and Wnt signaling pathways.Verification with RT-qPCR showed that miR-122-5p expression level was significantly lower in VM group than in the control group(P<0.05),which was consistent with miRNA sequencing results;let-7b-5p expression level was significantly lower in VM group,which was contrary to miRNA sequencing result.Dual luciferase reporter assays showed that miR-122-5p was not capable of regulating AKT3 or CCDC88C expressions.Conclusions The highly abundant differentially expressed miRNAs in maternal amniotic fluid exosomes play important roles in the occurrence of fetal VM possibly by regulating the MAPK,PI3K-Akt,Wnt and cGMP-PKG signaling pathways.

Objective:To analyze the short-term clinical efficacy and safety of arsenic trioxide (ATO) combined with a modified N7 induction regimen in the treatment of children with high-risk neuroblastoma (NB).Methods:This study was a prospective, single-arm, multicenter phase Ⅱ clinical study. Sixty-seven high-risk NB children from eight units of Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Wuhan Children′s Hospital of Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Hainan General Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Kunming Children′s Hospital, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, and Guangdong Provincial Agricultural Reclamation Center Hospital were enrolled from January 2019 to August 2023 and were treated with ATO combined with a modified N7 induction regimen. The efficacy and adverse effects at the end of induction chemotherapy were assessed and analyzed, and the differences in the clinical characteristics were further compared between the treatment-responsive and treatment-unresponsive groups by using the Fisher′s exact test.Results:Among 67 high-risk NB children, there were 40 males (60%) and 27 females (40%), with the age of disease onset of 3.5 (2.6, 4.8) years. Primary NB sites were mostly in retroperitoneum (including adrenal gland) (56/67, 84%) and the common metastases sites at initial diagnosis were distant lymph node in 25 cases (37%),bone in 48 cases (72%),bone marrow in 56 cases (84%) and intracalvarium in 3 cases (4%). MYCN gene amplification were detected in 28 cases (42%). At the end of induction, 33 cases (49%) achieved complete remission, 29 cases (43%) achieved partial remission, 1 case (1%) with stable disease, and 4 cases (6%) were assessed as progressive disease (PD). The objective remission rate was 93% (62/67) and the disease control rate was 94% (63/67). The percentage of central system metastases at the initial diagnosis was higher in the treatment-unresponsive group than in the treatment-responsive group (2/5 vs. 2% (1/62), P=0.013), whereas the difference in MYCN gene amplification was not statistically significant between two groups (3/5 vs.40% (25/62), P=0.786). Grade Ⅲ or higher adverse reactions during the induction chemotherapy period were myelosuppression occurred in 60 cases (90%), gastrointestinal symptoms occurred in 33 cases (49%), infections occurred in 20 cases (30%), hepatotoxicity occurred in 4 cases (6%), and cardiovascular toxicity occurred in 1 case (2%). There were no chemotherapy-related deaths. Conclusion:ATO combined with N7-modified induction regimen had a superiority in efficacy and safety, which deserved further promotion in clinical practice.

Objective To evaluate the bioequivalence of two formulations of minocycline hydrochloride capsules administered orally after fasting administration and fed administration.Methods An open-label,randomized,two-period,self-crossover design was employed to assess the bioequivalence study.Twenty-eight healthy subjects were enrolled in both fasting and fed groups,with each period involving a single administration of either the reference formulation or the test formulation of 50 mg,separated by a washout period of 7 days.The concentration of minocycline in human plasma was determined by HPLC-MS/MS and was used for calculating pharmacokinetic parameters and evaluating the bioequivalence of the test formulation and reference formulation.Results After oral administration of test and reference formulations of minocycline under fasting condition,the Cmax Values of minocycline were(541±137)ng·mL-1 for the test formulation and(558±140)ng·mL-1for the reference formulation.The AUC0-t values were(8 347±1 986)h·ng·mL-1 for the test and(8 205±1 790)h·ng·mL-1 for the reference.The t1/2 values were(18.2±2.84)h for the test and(18.0±3.05)h for the reference.After oral administration of the test and reference formulations of minocycline under fed condition,the Cmax values of minocycline were(349±72.1)ng·mL-1 for the test and(352±73.2)ng·mL-1for the reference.The AUC0-twere(6 428±1 077)h·ng·mL-1 for the test and(6 588±1 118)h·ng·mL-1 for the reference.The t1/2values were(18.5±3.10)h for the test and(18.4±3.21)h for the reference.Under fasting condition,the 90% confidence intervals for the geometric mean ratios of Cmax,AUC0-t,and AUC0-∞ between the test and reference formulations were(90.84%,101.46% ),(95.2%,102.8% ),and(95.31%,102.71% ),respectively.Under fed conditions,the 90% confidence intervals for the geometric mean ratios of Cmax,AUC0-t,and AUC0-∞ between the test formulation and the reference formulation were(94.71%,103.42% ),(95.40%,99.83% ),and(95.79%,100.02% ),respectively.Conclusions Bioequivalence of the two minocycline formulations was demonstrated after fasting administration and fed administration in a healthy Chinese population.

Tripterygium glycosides tablet(TGT),the classical commercial drug of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook.F.has been effectively used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis,nephrotic syndrome,leprosy,Behcet's syndrome,leprosy reaction and autoimmune hepatitis.However,due to its narrow and limited treatment window,TGT-induced organ toxicity(among which liver injury accounts for about 40％of clinical reports)has gained increasing attention.The present study aimed to clarify the cellular and molecular events underlying TGT-induced acute liver injury using single-cell RNA sequencing(scRNA-seq)technology.The TGT-induced acute liver injury mouse model was constructed through short-term TGT exposure and further verified by hematoxylin-eosin staining and liver function-related serum indicators,including alanine aminotransferase,aspartate aminotransferase,alkaline phosphatase and total bilirubin.Using the mouse model,we identified 15 specific subtypes of cells in the liver tissue,including endothelial cells,hepatocytes,cholangiocytes,and hepatic stellate cells.Further analysis indicated that TGT caused a significant inflammatory response in liver endothelial cells at different spatial locations;led to marked inflammatory response,apoptosis and fatty acid metabolism dysfunction in hepatocytes;activated he-patic stellate cells;brought about the activation,inflammation,and phagocytosis of liver capsular macrophages cells;resulted in immune dysfunction of liver lymphocytes;disturbed the intercellular crosstalk in liver microenvironment by regulating various signaling pathways.Thus,these findings elaborate the mechanism underlying TGT-induced acute liver injury,provide new insights into the safe and rational applications in the clinic,and complement the identification of new biomarkers and ther-apeutic targets for liver protection.