This study investigated the effects and underlying mechanisms of vanillic acid(VA) against cardiac fibrosis(CF) induced by isoproterenol(ISO) in mice. Male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into control group, VA group(100 mg·kg~(-1), ig), ISO group(10 mg·kg~(-1), sc), ISO + VA group(10 mg·kg~(-1), sc + 100 mg·kg~(-1), ig), ISO + dynamin-related protein 1(Drp1) inhibitor(Mdivi-1) group(10 mg·kg~(-1), sc + 50 mg·kg~(-1), ip), and ISO + VA + Mdivi-1 group(10 mg·kg~(-1), sc + 100 mg·kg~(-1), ig + 50 mg·kg~(-1), ip). The treatment groups received the corresponding medications once daily for 14 consecutive days. On the day after the last administration, cardiac functions were evaluated, and serum and cardiac tissue samples were collected. These samples were analyzed for serum aspartate aminotransferase(AST), lactate dehydrogenase(LDH), creatine kinase-MB(CK-MB), cardiac troponin I(cTnI), reactive oxygen species(ROS), interleukin(IL)-1β, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-18, and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) levels, as well as cardiac tissue catalase(CAT), glutathione(GSH), malondialdehyde(MDA), myeloperoxidase(MPO), superoxide dismutase(SOD), total antioxidant capacity(T-AOC) activities, and cytochrome C levels in mitochondria and cytoplasm. Hematoxylin-eosin, Masson, uranium acetate and lead citrate staining were used to observe morphological and mitochondrial ultrastructural changes in the cardiac tissues, and myocardial injury area and collagen volume fraction were calculated. Flow cytometry was applied to detect the relative content and M1/M2 polarization of cardiac macrophages. The mRNA expression levels of macrophage polarization markers [CD86, CD206, arginase 1(Arg-1), inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS)], CF markers [type Ⅰ collagen(Coll Ⅰ), Coll Ⅲ, α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA)], and cytokines(IL-1β, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-18, TNF-α) in cardiac tissues were determined by quantitative real-time PCR. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression levels of Coll Ⅰ, Coll Ⅲ, α-SMA, Drp1, p-Drp1, voltage-dependent anion channel(VDAC), hexokinase 1(HK1), NOD-like receptor protein 3(NLRP3), apoptosis-associated speck-like protein(ASC), caspase-1, cleaved-caspase-1, gasdermin D(GSDMD), cleaved N-terminal gasdermin D(GSDMD-N), IL-1β, IL-18, B-cell lymphoma-2(Bcl-2), B-cell lymphoma-xl(Bcl-xl), Bcl-2-associated death promoter(Bad), Bcl-2-associated X protein(Bax), apoptotic protease activating factor-1(Apaf-1), pro-caspase-3, cleaved-caspase-3, pro-caspase-9, cleaved-caspase-9, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1(PARP-1), and cleaved-PARP-1 in cardiac tissues. The results showed that VA significantly improved cardiac function in mice with CF, reduced myocardial injury area and cardiac index, and decreased serum levels of AST, CK-MB, cTnI, LDH, ROS, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-18, and TNF-α. VA also lowered MDA and MPO levels, mRNA expressions of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-18, and TNF-α, and mRNA and protein expressions of Coll Ⅰ, Coll Ⅲ, and α-SMA in cardiac tissues, and increased serum levels of IL-4 and IL-10, cardiac tissue levels of CAT, GSH, SOD, and T-AOC, and mRNA expressions of IL-4 and IL-10. Additionally, VA ameliorated cardiac pathological damage, inhibited myocardial cell apoptosis, inflammatory infiltration, and collagen fiber deposition, reduced collagen volume fraction, and alleviated mitochondrial damage. VA decreased the ratio of F4/80~+CD86~+ M1 cells and the mRNA expressions of CD86 and iNOS in cardiac tissue, and increased the ratio of F4/80~+CD206~+ M2 cells and the mRNA expressions of CD206 and Arg-1. VA also reduced protein expressions of p-Drp1, VDAC, NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1, cleaved-caspase-1, GSDMD, GSDMD-N, IL-1β, IL-18, Bad, Bax, Apaf-1, cleaved-caspase-3, cleaved-caspase-9, cleaved-PARP-1, and cytoplasmic cytochrome C, and increased the expressions of HK1, Bcl-2, Bcl-xl, pro-caspase-3, pro-caspase-9 proteins, as well as the Bcl-2/Bax and Bcl-xl/Bad ratios and mitochondrial cytochrome C content. These results indicate that VA has a significant ameliorative effect on ISO-induced CF in mice, alleviates ISO-induced oxidative damage and inflammatory response, and its mechanism may be closely related to the inhibition of Drp1/HK1/NLRP3 and mitochondrial apoptosis signaling pathways, suppression of myocardial cell inflammatory infiltration and collagen fiber deposition, reduction of collagen volume fraction and CollⅠ, Coll Ⅲ, and α-SMA expressions, thus mitigating CF.
Animals ; Isoproterenol/adverse effects* ; Male ; Mice ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Vanillic Acid/administration & dosage* ; Dynamins/genetics* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Fibrosis/genetics* ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Mitochondria/metabolism* ; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein/genetics* ; Myocardium/metabolism* ; Humans

OBJECTIVE: EPF3 is a fibrinolysin monomer isolated and purified from Pheretima vulgaris Chen, an earthworm used in traditional Chinese medicine as Dilong for treating blood stasis syndrome. Its composition, anticoagulant and fibrinolytic activities, and relevant mechanisms have been confirmed through in vitro experiments. However, whether it has antithrombotic effects in vivo and can be absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract is unknown. This study evaluates the antithrombotic effect in zebrafish and investigates the gastrointestinal stability and intestinal absorption mechanism of this protein in vitro. METHODS: The antithrombotic effect of EPF3 in vivo was verified using the zebrafish thrombus model induced by arachidonic acid and FeCl₃. Then, the protein bands of EPF3 incubated with simulated gastric fluid (SGF), simulated intestinal fluid (SIF), and homogenate of Caco-2 cells (HC2C) were analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis to evaluate its gastrointestinal stability. Finally, the transport behavior and absorption mechanism of EPF3 were studied using Caco-2 cell monolayer. RESULTS: EPF3 could significantly enhance the returned blood volume and blood flow velocity in zebrafish with platelet aggregation thrombus induced by arachidonic acid. It could also prolong the formation time of tail artery thrombus and increase the blood flow velocity in zebrafish with vessel injury thrombus induced by FeCl₃. EPF3 was stable in SIF and HC2C and unstable in SGF. The permeability of EPF3 in Caco-2 monolayer was time-dependent and concentration-dependent. The efflux ratio was less than 1.2 during transport, and the transport behavior was not affected by inhibitors. EPF3 could reversibly reduce the expression of tight junction-related proteins, including zonula occludens-1, occludin, and claudin-1 in Caco-2 cells. CONCLUSION EPF3 could play a thrombolytic and antithrombotic role in zebrafish. It could be transported and absorbed into the intestine through cellular bypass pathway by opening the intestinal epithelium tight junction. This study provides a scientific explanation for the antithrombotic effect of earthworm and provides a basis for the feasibility of subsequent development of EPF3 as an antithrombotic enteric-soluble preparation. Please cite this article as: Zhong WL, Yang JQ, Liu H, Wu YL, Shen HJ, Li PY, Du SY. Antithrombotic effect in zebrafish of a fibrinolytic protein EPF3 from Dilong (Pheretima vulgaris Chen) and its transport mechanism in Caco-2 monolayer through cell bypass pathway. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(4): 415-428.
Animals ; Zebrafish ; Humans ; Caco-2 Cells ; Fibrinolytic Agents/pharmacology* ; Thrombosis/drug therapy* ; Intestinal Absorption

Objective:To explore the clinical characteristics and treatment methods of patients with small bowel obstruction secondary to mesenteric ischemia (MI).Methods:The clinical data of 24 patients with small intestinal obstruction secondary to MI from December 2021 to December 2024 in the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University were retrospectively analyzed, including the clinical characteristics and surgical treatment.Results:Among the 24 patients with small intestinal obstruction secondary to MI, 19 were male and 5 were female, with ages ranging from 21 to 65 years old, and the disease course was 0.5 (1.0, 5.5) months. There were 8 cases of deep vein thrombosis, 6 cases of hypertension, 6 cases of atrial fibrillation, 5 cases of short bowel syndrome, 4 cases of abdominal trauma and 23 cases with a history of abdominal surgery. There were 4 cases of acute onset, presenting with full abdominal pain, elevated D-dimer and hematogenous intestinal obstruction. There were 20 cases of chronic onset, presenting with recurrent abdominal pain, weight loss and mechanical intestinal obstruction. The pathogenic factors were superior mesenteric vein thrombosis in 7 cases, superior mesenteric arteriosclerosis in 6 cases, mesenteric injury repair in 4 cases, superior mesenteric artery embolism in 3 cases, superior mesenteric aneurysm in 2 cases, superior mesenteric artery dissection in 1 case, and ileocolic aneurysm in 1 case. Three patients underwent surgical operations after the failure of interventional surgeries, and 20 patients were directly treated with surgery. The small intestinal obstruction was completely relieved in all cases. Another case was treated conservatively, but the small intestinal obstruction was not completely relieved.Conclusions:Small bowel obstruction secondary to MI is often atypical. CT angiography should be performed to identify the cause of obstruction due to deep vein thrombosis, atrial fibrillation, abdominal trauma or abdominal surgery. Surgery is the preferred treatment.

Aim To investigate the effect of neogam-bogic acid(NGA)on inducing ferroptosis in osteosar-coma K7M2 cells and subcutaneous transplanted tumor mice and explore the underlying mechanism.Methods MTT assay was employed to detect the effect of NGA(1,2,4,8,16,32,64,128 μmol·L-1)on cell prolif-eration,and the IC50 value was calculated.Calcein AM assay was used to detect cell viability.Transwell was applied to detect cell invasion.TEM was utilized to ob-serve the mitochondria morphology.K7M2 cells were subjected to treat with ferroptosis inducers erastin(Era)and inhibitors ferrostatin-1(Fer-1)to assess the levels of MDA,GSH,Fe2+,and LDH.RT-qPCR and Western blot were used to detect the mRNA and protein expression of STAT3,GPX4,and SLC7A11.A transplanted tumor model was established and treated with NGA to assess the impact of it on tumor growth and ferroptosis in vivo.HE staining was applied to ana-lyze the pathological status of tumor tissues.Nile red fluorescence staining was applied to detect the level of lipid components in tumor tissues.Results The pro-liferation,viability and invasion ability of K7M2 cells were significantly reduced after treatment with NGA at different concentrations(P＜0.05),and typical fea-tures of ferroptosis such as decreased mitochondrial vol-ume and reduced mitochondrial spine were observed.Compared to the control,the expression of MDA,Fe2+and LDH significantly increased(P＜0.01),while the content of GSH significantly decreased(P＜0.01).The ferroptosis in osteosarcoma was enhanced by the erastin,while inhibited by ferrostatin-1.In terms of mechanism,NGA inhibited the mRNA and protein ex-pression levels of STAT3,GPX4 and SLC7A11(P＜0.05).In vivo experiments confirmed that NGA signif-icantly improved the pathological state of tumor tissues,inhibited tumor growth,and induced ferroptosis in os-teosarcoma tissue cells.Conclusion NGA induces ferroptosis in osteosarcoma cells both in vitro and in vi-vo by inhibiting the STAT3/GPX4/SLC7A11 signaling axis,thereby exerting an anti-osteosarcoma effect.

Aim To investigate the effect of neogam-bogic acid(NGA)on inducing ferroptosis in osteosar-coma K7M2 cells and subcutaneous transplanted tumor mice and explore the underlying mechanism.Methods MTT assay was employed to detect the effect of NGA(1,2,4,8,16,32,64,128 μmol·L-1)on cell prolif-eration,and the IC50 value was calculated.Calcein AM assay was used to detect cell viability.Transwell was applied to detect cell invasion.TEM was utilized to ob-serve the mitochondria morphology.K7M2 cells were subjected to treat with ferroptosis inducers erastin(Era)and inhibitors ferrostatin-1(Fer-1)to assess the levels of MDA,GSH,Fe2+,and LDH.RT-qPCR and Western blot were used to detect the mRNA and protein expression of STAT3,GPX4,and SLC7A11.A transplanted tumor model was established and treated with NGA to assess the impact of it on tumor growth and ferroptosis in vivo.HE staining was applied to ana-lyze the pathological status of tumor tissues.Nile red fluorescence staining was applied to detect the level of lipid components in tumor tissues.Results The pro-liferation,viability and invasion ability of K7M2 cells were significantly reduced after treatment with NGA at different concentrations(P＜0.05),and typical fea-tures of ferroptosis such as decreased mitochondrial vol-ume and reduced mitochondrial spine were observed.Compared to the control,the expression of MDA,Fe2+and LDH significantly increased(P＜0.01),while the content of GSH significantly decreased(P＜0.01).The ferroptosis in osteosarcoma was enhanced by the erastin,while inhibited by ferrostatin-1.In terms of mechanism,NGA inhibited the mRNA and protein ex-pression levels of STAT3,GPX4 and SLC7A11(P＜0.05).In vivo experiments confirmed that NGA signif-icantly improved the pathological state of tumor tissues,inhibited tumor growth,and induced ferroptosis in os-teosarcoma tissue cells.Conclusion NGA induces ferroptosis in osteosarcoma cells both in vitro and in vi-vo by inhibiting the STAT3/GPX4/SLC7A11 signaling axis,thereby exerting an anti-osteosarcoma effect.

Objective:To explore the clinical characteristics and treatment methods of patients with small bowel obstruction secondary to mesenteric ischemia (MI).Methods:The clinical data of 24 patients with small intestinal obstruction secondary to MI from December 2021 to December 2024 in the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University were retrospectively analyzed, including the clinical characteristics and surgical treatment.Results:Among the 24 patients with small intestinal obstruction secondary to MI, 19 were male and 5 were female, with ages ranging from 21 to 65 years old, and the disease course was 0.5 (1.0, 5.5) months. There were 8 cases of deep vein thrombosis, 6 cases of hypertension, 6 cases of atrial fibrillation, 5 cases of short bowel syndrome, 4 cases of abdominal trauma and 23 cases with a history of abdominal surgery. There were 4 cases of acute onset, presenting with full abdominal pain, elevated D-dimer and hematogenous intestinal obstruction. There were 20 cases of chronic onset, presenting with recurrent abdominal pain, weight loss and mechanical intestinal obstruction. The pathogenic factors were superior mesenteric vein thrombosis in 7 cases, superior mesenteric arteriosclerosis in 6 cases, mesenteric injury repair in 4 cases, superior mesenteric artery embolism in 3 cases, superior mesenteric aneurysm in 2 cases, superior mesenteric artery dissection in 1 case, and ileocolic aneurysm in 1 case. Three patients underwent surgical operations after the failure of interventional surgeries, and 20 patients were directly treated with surgery. The small intestinal obstruction was completely relieved in all cases. Another case was treated conservatively, but the small intestinal obstruction was not completely relieved.Conclusions:Small bowel obstruction secondary to MI is often atypical. CT angiography should be performed to identify the cause of obstruction due to deep vein thrombosis, atrial fibrillation, abdominal trauma or abdominal surgery. Surgery is the preferred treatment.

Objective To investigate the prevalence and influencing factors of isolated diastolic hypertension(IDH)in the Tibetan population in Tibet and to provide some evidence for the prevention and control of hypertension and other related diseases in high-altitude areas.Methods A multistage stratified whole-group random sampling method was used to enroll participants from Ngari Prefecture,Nagqu City,Shannan City,and Lhasa City,Tibet.A total of 3 918 native Tibetans with complete data were enrolled in the survey between June 2020 and August 2023.The participants were aged from 18 to 80.The demographic data,life habits,and chronic disease prevalence of the participants were collected.Fasting venous blood samples were collected to perform the routine blood tests and blood biochemistry tests.The prevalence of IDH in subgroups with different characteristics was analyzed and the influencing factors were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression,accordingly.The predictive value of influencing factors on the prevalence of IDH was analyzed by the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve and the findings were compared with those of the previous prediction models for IDH.Results The prevalence of hypertension in the participants was 33.7%(n=1 321),among which,395 had IDH,accounting for 29.9%of the hypertensive patients.The results of multivariate regression showed that age,heart rate,body mass index,waist circumference,hemoglobin,and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were associated with risks of developing IDH(P＜0.05).The area under the ROC curve(AUC)was 0.71,which indicated improved accuracy for predicting the risks for IDH in comparison with previous predictive models for IDH.Among the influencing factors,BMI showed the best predictive value for IDH risks.Conclusion The prevalence of IDH is high among Tibetans in Tibet,suggesting the necessity for rational allocation of health resources in accordance.Compared with the previous IDH prediction models,the model proposed in this study is more suited for the Tibetan population.Targeted interventions should be carried out for the high-risk populations,such as young and middle-aged adults and populations suffering from overweight/obesity,central obesity,high-altitude polycythemia,and dyslipidemia,so as to effectively control the occurrence and development of IDH.

Long-segment lichen sclerosus (LS) urethral stricture is a challenge for urologists. Limited data are available for surgeons to make a surgical decision between Kulkarni and Asopa urethroplasty. In this retrospective study, we investigated the outcomes of these two procedures in patients with LS urethral stricture. Between January 2015 and December 2020, 77 patients with LS urethral stricture underwent Kulkarni and Asopa procedures for urethroplasty in the Department of Urology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine (Shanghai, China). Of the 77 patients, 42 (54.5%) underwent the Asopa procedure and 35 (45.5%) underwent the Kulkarni procedure. The overall complication rate was 34.2% in the Kulkarni group and 19.0% in the Asopa group, and no difference was observed ( P = 0.105). Among the complications, no statistical difference was observed in the incidence of urethral stricture recurrence ( P = 0.724) or glans dehiscence ( P = 0.246) except for postoperative meatus stenosis ( P = 0.020). However, the recurrence-free survival rate between the two procedures was significantly different ( P = 0.016). Cox survival analysis showed that antiplatelet/anticoagulant therapy use ( P = 0.020), diabetes ( P = 0.003), current/former smoking ( P = 0.019), coronary heart disease ( P < 0.001), and stricture length ( P = 0.028) may lead to a higher hazard ratio of complications. Even so, these two techniques can still provide acceptable results with their own advantages in the surgical treatment of LS urethral strictures. The surgical alternative should be considered comprehensively according to the patient characteristics and surgeon preferences. Moreover, our results showed that antiplatelet/anticoagulant therapy use, diabetes, coronary heart disease, current/former smoking, and stricture length may be contributing factors of complications. Therefore, patients with LS are advised to undergo early interventions for better therapeutic effects.
Male ; Humans ; Urethral Stricture/etiology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Constriction, Pathologic/surgery* ; Lichen Sclerosus et Atrophicus/surgery* ; Treatment Outcome ; Urologic Surgical Procedures, Male/methods* ; China ; Urethra/surgery* ; Postoperative Complications/etiology* ; Mouth Mucosa ; Diabetes Mellitus/etiology* ; Anticoagulants ; Coronary Disease

Breast cancer has become the most prevalent malignant tumor among women, putting the health of women at serious risk. Screening for lead compounds in the active ingredients of plant that are effective and less toxic continues to be an important strategy for treating breast cancer. Gerbeloid J, a coumarin isolated from Gerbera piloselloides (L.) Cass., showed significant anti-cancer activity. But there is no report on the effect and mechanism of gerbeloid J on cycle and apoptosis of breast cancer. By using the CCK-8, clone formation, and PI staining assays, the effects of gerbeloid J on the proliferation of MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells were assessed in this study. The effects of gerbeloid J on the apoptosis and mitochondrial function of MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells were assessed using DAPI, Annexin V/TO-PRO-3, Rhod-2 AM, TMRM, DCFDA staining assays, and Western blot. The results demonstrated that gerbeloid J regulated the P21/CDC25C/CDK-1/cyclin B1 pathway and arrested the cell cycle at G2/M phase to suppressed the proliferation of MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells. Additionally, gerbeloid J induced apoptosis through the stimulation of mitochondrial calcium excess, reduction of mitochondrial membrane potential, and promotion of ROS generation, and its mechanism was related to the activation of mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. In conclusion, by regulating the P21/CDC25C/CDK-1/cyclin B1 pathway and activating the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway, gerbeloid J could cause breast cancer cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, which might offer a promising candidate for the creation of new drugs against breast cancer.

Objective: To investigate the response characteristics of patients with locally advanced/metastatic non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (nsq-NSCLC) treated with tislelizumab in combination with chemotherapy in the first line. Methods: Patients with nsq-NSCLC who achieved complete or partial remission after treatment with tislelizumab in combination with chemotherapy or chemotherapy alone in the RATIONALE 304 study, as assessed by an independent review board, were selected to analyze the response characteristics and safety profile of the responders. Time to response (TTR) was defined as the time from randomization to the achievement of first objective response. Depth of response (DpR) was defined as the maximum percentage of tumor shrinkage compared with the sum of the baseline target lesion length diameters. Results: As of January 23, 2020, 128 patients treated with tislelizumab in combination with chemotherapy achieved objective tumor response (responders), representing 57.4%(128/223) of the intention-to-treat population, with a TTR of 5.1 to 33.3 weeks and a median TTR of 7.9 weeks. Of the responders (128), 50.8%(65) achieved first remission at the first efficacy assessment (week 6), 31.3%(40) at the second efficacy assessment (week 12), and 18.0%(23) at the third and subsequent tumor assessments. The percentages of responders who achieved a depth of tumor response of 30% to <50%, 50% to <70% and 70% to 100% were 45.3%(58/128), 28.1%(36/128) and 26.6%(34/128), respectively, with median progression-free survival (PFS) of 9.0 months (95% CI: 7.7 to 9.9 months), 11.5 months (95% CI: 7.7 months to not reached) and not reached (95% CI: 11.8 months to not estimable), respectively. Tislelizumab plus chemotherapy were generally well tolerated in responders with similar safety profile to the overall safety population. Conclusion: Among responders to tislelizumab in combination with chemotherapy for nsq-NSCLC, 82.0%(105/128) achieves response within the first two tumor assessments (12 weeks) and 18.0%(23/128) achieves response at later (18 to 33 weeks) assessments, and there is a trend toward prolonged PFS in responders with deeper tumor response.
Humans ; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized/therapeutic use* ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/adverse effects* ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/pathology* ; Lung Neoplasms/pathology* ; Treatment Outcome