OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of salvianolic acid A(SAA)on functions of neutro-phils after activation in vitro.METHODS Rat neutrophils were extracted and activated by lipopolysac-charide(LPS)at 0.3,1,3 mg·L-1,and the number of adherent neutrophils and myeloperoxidase(MPO)activity were detected to determine the concentration of LPS.Neutrophils were divided into the control,model,model+4-aminobenzohydrazide(ABH)20 μmol·L-1,and model+SAA 1,3 and 10 μmol·L-1 groups.LPS was stimulated with 3 mg·L-1 for 30 min,and the neutrophil adhesion rate was detected by immunofluorescence after 1 h of drug incubation.After 2 h of drug incubation,phagocytosis of neutro-phils was detected by immunofluorescence and fluorescein isothiocyanate-immunoglobulin G.After 3 h of drug incubation,the neutrophil adhesion rate to endothelial cells was detected by colorimetric assay.Intracellular MPO activity and hypochlorous acid(HOCl)production were investigated by colorimetric assay in response to the degranulation function.Intracellular reactive oxygen species(ROS)levels were detected by probe assay,and mitochondrial membrane potential by JC-1 assay.The levels of malondialdehyde(MDA),superoxide dismutase(SOD),glutathione(GSH)and total antioxidant capacity(T-AOC)were measured to reflect oxidation function of neutrophils.RESULTS LPS increased the number of adherent cells and MPO activity in a concentration-dependent manner,with 3 mg·L-1 of LPS showing the most significant effect,which was used for subsequent experiments.Compared with the control group,LPS-activated neutrophil adhesion and phagocytosis were significantly enhanced.MPO activity and HOCl production significantly increased.The levels of ROS and MDA in LPS-activated neutrophils were significantly increased while the mitochondrial membrane potential and the levels of SOD,GSH,T-AOC were significantly decreased,indicating that the oxidative stress ability was enhanced.Compared with the model group,SAA dose-dependently inhibited LPS-induced adhesion,phagocytosis,degranu-lation,and ROS generation of neutrophils,with significant effects at medium and high doses.CONCLU-SION SAA can inhibit different functions of neutrophils after activation,which may be a potential drug for targeting neutrophil function regulation.

Objective:To investigate the inpact of thyroid cancer-derived cancer-associated fibroblasts(CAF) autophagy on papillary thyroid cancer(PTC).Methods:CAF and normal fibroblasts were isolated from cancerous and adjacent normal thyroid tissues from four PTC patients. Expressions of fibroblast activation protein(FAP) and α-smooth muscle actin in cells were assessed. Conditioned medium of CAF and normal fibroblasts were prepared and used to culture PTC cells. The effects of CAF and normal fibroblasts on survival, proliferation, migration, invasion and iodine uptake of PTC cells were evaluated through cell proliferation assay, cell scratch assay, cell invasion assay, and cell iodine uptake assay. The autophagy level of CAF was also evaluated. Autophagy inhibition and activation were used to regulate the autophagy of CAF, and then their effects on PTC cell proliferation, migration and invasion were further evaluated. The in vivo effect of CAF autophagy on PTC xenograft tumor growth was evaluated.Results:CAF exhibited higher FAP expression and basal autophagy levels. PTC cells co-cultured with CAF-conditioned media showed enhanced proliferation, migration, invasion, and reduced iodine uptake. Autophagy inhibition reduced these effects, while autophagy activation further promoted them. In vivo, inhibiting CAF autophagy suppressed tumor growth.Conclusions:CAF promotes PTC cell malignancy through autophagy activation, enhancing proliferation, migration, and invasion while reducing iodine uptake.

Objective To find out whether photobiomodulation(PBM)can mitigate cognitive dysfunction caused by chronic stress by affecting levels of adenosine triphosphate(ATP)and adenosine receptors.Methods Twenty-four C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into a control group,a stress group,and a treatment group.Chronic unpredictable mild stress was used to establish a mouse model of stress.Six weeks into modeling,the treatment group was subjected to one week of PBM interventions.Behavioral tests were conducted to observe behavioral changes in the mice.Western blotting(WB)was used to detect the expressions of A1,A2B,and A3 adenosine receptors in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of mice in the three groups.Twelve C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into a control group and an intervention group.The intervention group received a week of PBM interventions and underwent behavioral testing.WB was used to detect the expression changes of A1,A2B,and A3 adenosine receptors in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex in both groups.Immunofluorescence assay was adopted to detect the expression of c-Fos in the hippocampus of mice in the two groups.The ATP assay kit made by Beyotime Biotechnology Co.,Ltd.was used to measure changes in ATP contents in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex tissues of mice.Cell experiments were conducted to verify the effect of PBM on intracellular ATP contents.Results Mice in the stress group covered a similar distance to the control group,but finished far fewer platform crossings.There was no significant difference between the treatment group and the control group in the number of times of platform crossings,but compared favorably with the stress group where the levels of adenosine receptors in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex were lower,but were increased by PBM.After PBM interventions in normal mice,platform crossings were increased significantly compared to the control group.PBM also raised adenosine receptor levels and ATP contents in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex,and increased hippocampal c-Fos expressions.In vitro,PBM elevated intracellular ATP levels.Conclusion PBM may improve chronic stress-induced cognitive dysfunction by regulating ATP levels and adenosine receptor expressions,thereby modulating neuronal responsiveness in the hippocampus.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of salvianolic acid A(SAA)on functions of neutro-phils after activation in vitro.METHODS Rat neutrophils were extracted and activated by lipopolysac-charide(LPS)at 0.3,1,3 mg·L-1,and the number of adherent neutrophils and myeloperoxidase(MPO)activity were detected to determine the concentration of LPS.Neutrophils were divided into the control,model,model+4-aminobenzohydrazide(ABH)20 μmol·L-1,and model+SAA 1,3 and 10 μmol·L-1 groups.LPS was stimulated with 3 mg·L-1 for 30 min,and the neutrophil adhesion rate was detected by immunofluorescence after 1 h of drug incubation.After 2 h of drug incubation,phagocytosis of neutro-phils was detected by immunofluorescence and fluorescein isothiocyanate-immunoglobulin G.After 3 h of drug incubation,the neutrophil adhesion rate to endothelial cells was detected by colorimetric assay.Intracellular MPO activity and hypochlorous acid(HOCl)production were investigated by colorimetric assay in response to the degranulation function.Intracellular reactive oxygen species(ROS)levels were detected by probe assay,and mitochondrial membrane potential by JC-1 assay.The levels of malondialdehyde(MDA),superoxide dismutase(SOD),glutathione(GSH)and total antioxidant capacity(T-AOC)were measured to reflect oxidation function of neutrophils.RESULTS LPS increased the number of adherent cells and MPO activity in a concentration-dependent manner,with 3 mg·L-1 of LPS showing the most significant effect,which was used for subsequent experiments.Compared with the control group,LPS-activated neutrophil adhesion and phagocytosis were significantly enhanced.MPO activity and HOCl production significantly increased.The levels of ROS and MDA in LPS-activated neutrophils were significantly increased while the mitochondrial membrane potential and the levels of SOD,GSH,T-AOC were significantly decreased,indicating that the oxidative stress ability was enhanced.Compared with the model group,SAA dose-dependently inhibited LPS-induced adhesion,phagocytosis,degranu-lation,and ROS generation of neutrophils,with significant effects at medium and high doses.CONCLU-SION SAA can inhibit different functions of neutrophils after activation,which may be a potential drug for targeting neutrophil function regulation.

Objective:To investigate the inpact of thyroid cancer-derived cancer-associated fibroblasts(CAF) autophagy on papillary thyroid cancer(PTC).Methods:CAF and normal fibroblasts were isolated from cancerous and adjacent normal thyroid tissues from four PTC patients. Expressions of fibroblast activation protein(FAP) and α-smooth muscle actin in cells were assessed. Conditioned medium of CAF and normal fibroblasts were prepared and used to culture PTC cells. The effects of CAF and normal fibroblasts on survival, proliferation, migration, invasion and iodine uptake of PTC cells were evaluated through cell proliferation assay, cell scratch assay, cell invasion assay, and cell iodine uptake assay. The autophagy level of CAF was also evaluated. Autophagy inhibition and activation were used to regulate the autophagy of CAF, and then their effects on PTC cell proliferation, migration and invasion were further evaluated. The in vivo effect of CAF autophagy on PTC xenograft tumor growth was evaluated.Results:CAF exhibited higher FAP expression and basal autophagy levels. PTC cells co-cultured with CAF-conditioned media showed enhanced proliferation, migration, invasion, and reduced iodine uptake. Autophagy inhibition reduced these effects, while autophagy activation further promoted them. In vivo, inhibiting CAF autophagy suppressed tumor growth.Conclusions:CAF promotes PTC cell malignancy through autophagy activation, enhancing proliferation, migration, and invasion while reducing iodine uptake.

Objective To investigate the effect of MALAT1 expressions on cell proliferation and apoptosis in astrocytes by regulating mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase(ERK1,2)pathway.Methods The MALAT1 gene was knocked down and over-expressed in C8-D1A cells by lentiviral and plasmid vectors,respectively.The expressions of MALAT1,cell proliferation-related markers(Ki67,MCM2,PCNA)and apoptosis-related proteins(Caspase-3,Bax,Bcl-2)were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction(qPCR).CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry were used for cell proliferation and apoptosis in C8-D1A cells.Immunofluorescence was adopted to detect the protein expressions of Caspase-3 and Ki67.Western blotting was used to detect the protein expressions of Caspase-3,Bax,Bcl-2,ERK1/2,p-ERK1/2,p38MAPK and p-p38MAPK.Results Compared with the control group,over-expressed MALAT1 inhibited cell proliferation and induced cell apoptosis in C8-D1A cells while the knockdown of MALAT1 significantly enhanced cell proliferation and anti-apoptotic ability in C8-D1A cells.The proportion of C8-D1A cells in G0/G1-phase and G2/M-phase was higher than in the control group as evidenced by flow cytometry,but was lower in S-phase.Meanwhile,data showed that Caspase-3 was increased while p-ERK1/2 was decreased in terms of protein levels.The mRNA expressions of Ki67 and PCNA were decreased.After knockdown of MALAT1,the proportion of C8-D1A cells in S-phase was higher,but was lower in G2/M-phase.The protein expressions of Caspase-3 and Bax decreased while those of p-ERK1/2 and p-p38MAPK increased.The mRNA expressions of Ki67,MCM2 and PCNA were increased.The differences were all statistically significant(P＜0.05).Conclusion MALAT1 promotes astrocyte apoptosis and inhibits proliferation by regulating the MAPK/ERK1,2 signaling pathway.

Objective:To investigate the predictive value of early thyroid function changes on the efficacy of patients with Graves′ disease (GD) after 131I therapy. Methods:Data of patients with GD (59 males, 214 females; age (37.4±11.4) years) who underwent single therapy of 131I in Tianjin Medical University General Hospital from November 2017 to January 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Symptoms, signs and laboratory tests (serum free triiodothyronine (FT 3) and serum free thyroxine (FT 4)) of patients were observed to assess the efficacy of 131I treatment. Efficacy was divided into complete remission (CR), partial remission (PR), non-remission (NR) or relapse. The changes of thyroid function (ΔFT 3=FT 3 before treatment-FT 3 after treatment)/FT 3 before treatment×100%; ΔFT 4=FT 4 before treatment-FT 4 after treatment)/FT 4 before treatment×100%) 1 month after 131I therapy in each efficacy group and differences among them were compared by using independent-sample t test, χ2 test, one-way analysis of variance and the least significant difference t test. ROC curves were drawn to analyze the predictive values of early thyroid function changes on the efficacy of 131I treatment for GD. Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the influencing factors for the efficacy of 131I therapy. Results:CR rate and total effective rate of 273 GD patients after single therapy of 131I were 67.03%(183/273) and 92.67%(253/273), respectively. After 1 month, CR rate of euthyroidism group ( n=95) was significantly higher than that of hyperthyroidism group ( n=178; 81.05%(77/95) vs 59.55%(106/178); χ2=4.60, P=0.032). ΔFT 3 and ΔFT 4 at the first month were statistically significant and decreased sequentially in the CR group ( n=183), PR group ( n=70), NR or relapse groups ( n=20; F values: 15.40, 12.54, both P<0.001). ROC curve analysis showed that patients with ΔFT 3≥73.64% and (or) ΔFT 4≥59.03% had a higher probability of achieving CR, with sensitivities of 84.3% and 86.7%, and specificities of 62.6% and 62.6%, respectively. Logistic regression analysis showed that 24 h radioactive iodine uptake (odds ratio ( OR)=1.095, 95% CI: 1.031-1.139), dose of 131I given per gram of thyroid tissue ( OR=1.562, 95% CI: 1.321-1.694), ΔFT 3 ( OR=1.354, 95% CI: 1.295-1.482), ΔFT 4 ( OR=1.498, 95% CI: 1.384-1.608) were factors affecting the outcome of patients with GD treated with 131I treatment (all P<0.05). Conclusion:Effects of 131I treatment can be predicted based on the change of the thyroid function at the first month after 131I treatment in patients with GD.

Objective:To analyze the clinical outcomes of initial radioactive iodine 131I therapy (RIT) for patients with familial differentiated thyroid cancer (FDTC) and sporadic differentiated thyroid cancer (SDTC), along with their influencing factors. Methods:The clinical data of 120 FDTC and 480 SDTC patients who received RIT at the Department of Nuclear Medicine, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital from January 2016 to January 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. These patients, categorized into the FDTC and SDTC groups, were further divided into three subgroups based on their response to initial RIT: no evidence of disease (NED), biochemical persistence of disease (BPD), or structural/functional persistence of disease (S/FPD). For the NED subgroup, the disease-free survival (DFS) was analyzed. For the BPD and S/FPD subgroups, the progression-free survival (PFS) was investigated. Furthermore, risk factors for failure to reach the NED status were identified.Results:After initial RIT, 56 (46.7%), 50 (41.7%), 14 (11.6%) patients in the FDTC group reached the NED, BPD, and S/FPD statuses, respectively, while 284 (59.1%), 160 (33.3%), 36 (7.5%) and SDTC patients in the SDTC group were in the NED, BPD, and S/FPD statuses, respectively ( χ2 = 10.10, P = 0.013). The last follow-up revealed that 71 (59.1%), 36 (30.1%), 13 (10.8%) patients in the FDTC group were in the NED, BPD and S/FPD statuses, respectively, while 337 (70.2%), 114 (23.7%), 29 (6.1%) patients in the SDTC group reached the NED, BPD and S/FPD statuses, respectively ( χ2 = 8.99, P = 0.026). The F-NED and S-NED subgroups exhibited 5-year DFS rates of 92.4% and 97.4%, respectively, the F-BPD and S-BPD subgroups displayed 5-year PFS rates of 88.3% and 90.8%, respectively, while the F-S/FPD and S-S/FPD subgroups yielded in 5-year PFS rates of 78.2% and 79.6%, respectively. Univariate binary logistic regression analysis indicated that the maximum diameter of tumors, T stage, M stage, recurrence risk stratification, and postoperative stimulated thyroglobulin (p-sTg) were correlated with the achievement of the NED status ( χ2=6.37-13.10, P < 0.05). Multivariable binary logistic regression analysis showed that T stage and p-sTg were independent risk factors in the achievement of the NED status ( χ2=0.11-11.33, P < 0.05). Conclusions:The response to initial RIT assists in guiding the development of subsequent treatment and follow-up strategies for DTC patients. Given that the SDTC patients exhibited better outcomes than the FDTC patients, more alertness should be paid to the RIT for FDTC patients. For patients with higher p-sTg and T stage, the initial RIT dose and follow-up interval should be increased and reduced respectively as appropriate.

Objective:To analyze the metabolic mechanism of papillary thyroid cancer(PTC) in normal and Hashimoto′s thyroiditis(HT) background, and to explore the relationship between HT and PTC.Methods:This study included a matched sample set collected from Tianjin Medical University General Hospital between January 2018 and January 2019, consisting of PTC and paracancular tissue from 31 cases with coexisting HT(HT group), and 30 cases without(NC group), all confirmed pathologically following thyroidectomy. The ultra-high performance liquid chromatography combined with mixed four-stage poles time-of-flight mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) was employed to acquire data from the samples. Metabolite differences between the two groups were compared, aiming to identify distinct metabolic mechanisms of PTC under different backgrounds. Metabolic pathway analysis was conducted using Metabo-Analyst 5.0 to explore relevant metabolic pathways.Results:The HT group and NC group shared 7 common differentially expressed metabolites, including arginine, glutamic acid, cysteine, citric acid, malic acid, uracil, and taurine. Logistic regression model combined with receiver operating characteristic(ROC) analysis of these 7 biomarkers yielded excellent discriminatory capacity for PTC(area under ROC curve of HT group and NC group were 0.867 and 0.973, respectively). The common metabolic pathways were taurine and hypotaurine metabolism, arginine biosynthesis, alanine, aspartic acid and glutamic acid metabolism, arginine and proline metabolism, and glutamine and glutamic acid metabolism. The specific metabolic pathways in HT group were aminoacyl tRNA biosynthesis, glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism.Conclusion:The metabolic profiles of thyroid cancer exhibit significant differences between cases with normal backgrounds and those with HT. The specific pathways for PTC and HT are aminoacyl tRNA biosynthesis and the metabolism of glycine, serine, and threonine.

Objective:To analyze the short-term effect of targeted drugs on quality of life in patients with radioactive iodine-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer (RAIR-DTC).Methods:From February 2020 to April 2022, 19 RAIR-DTC patients (10 males, 9 females; age (54.5±14.5) years) who received targeted drugs therapy (sorafenib, lenvatinib or anlotinib) in Tianjin Medical University General Hospital were prospectively enrolled. The thyroglobulin (Tg) levels prior and 1, 3, 6 months post the targeted treatment, and the adverse events were measured and recorded. Response evaluation criteria in solid tumors (RECIST) 1.1 version was used to evaluate the treatment response. The quality of life based on five-level EuroQol five-dimensional questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L) was monitored prior and 3 months post the targeted treatment, and the prevalence rates of mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression were analyzed, and the scores of health assessment were assessed. Paired t test, Kruskal-Wallis rank sum test and χ2 test were used to analyze data. Results:The prevalence rates of mobility (8/19), self-care (6/19), usual activities (10/19), pain/discomfort (10/19), and anxiety/depression (12/19) in 3 months post treatment were higher than those prior treatment (1/19, 1/19, 1/19, 2/19, 2/19; χ2 values: 4.38-11.31, all P<0.05). The score of health assessment prior treatment was (84.37±6.25), which was higher than that at 3 months post treatment (71.63±9.14; t=5.02, P=0.001). After targeted treatment, 10 patients were with skin toxicity, 8 patients were with hypertension, 8 patients were with weight loss, 7 patients were with diarrhea, 6 patients were with fatigue, 5 patients were with hepatic dysfunction, 2 patients were with proteinuria, 2 patients were with muscle pain and 1 patient was with oral ulcer. Of 19 patients, 17 insisted on continuing treatment, and the other two stopped treatment. The Tg levels at 1, 3 and 6 months post treatment were 56.26(44.60, 210.50), 53.36(41.25, 203.07) and 54.35(34.71, 223.52) mg/L, respectively, which were lower than the level prior treatment with no significant difference (110.16(49.63, 294.50) mg/L; H=2.42, P=0.490). After 3 months of targeted treatment, the progression-free survival (PFS) rate was 16/17, including 7 patients with partial response (PR), 9 patients with stable disease (SD), and 1 patient with progression of disease (PD). After 6 months of targeted treatment, the PFS rate was 10/17, including 5 patients with PR, 5 patients with SD, and 7 patients with PD. Conclusion:After 3-6 months of targeted treatment, the tumor markers of most patients are decreased with metastases improved, but the adverse events of targeted drugs have a great impact on quality of life in patients with RAIR-DTC.