The aim of this study was to investigate the contribution of lung zinc ions to pathogenesis of lung ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in rats. Male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into control group, lung I/R group (I/R group), lung I/R + low-dose zinc chloride group (LZnCl₂+I/R group), lung I/R + high-dose ZnCl₂ group (HZnCl₂+I/R group), lung I/R + medium-dose ZnCl₂ group (MZnCl₂+I/R group) and TPEN+MZnCl₂+I/R group (n = 8 in each group). Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was used to measure the concentration of zinc ions in lung tissue. The degree of lung tissue injury was analyzed by observing HE staining, alveolar damage index, lung wet/dry weight ratio and lung tissue gross changes. TUNEL staining was used to detect cellular apoptosis in lung tissue. Western blot and RT-qPCR were used to determine the protein expression levels of caspase-3 and ZIP8, as well as the mRNA expression levels of zinc transporters (ZIP, ZNT) in lung tissue. The mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) of lung tissue was detected by JC-1 MMP detection kit. The results showed that, compared with the control group, the lung tissue damage, lung wet/dry weight ratio and alveolar damage index were significantly increased in the I/R group. And in the lung tissue, the concentration of Zn²⁺ was markedly decreased, while the cleaved caspase-3/caspase-3 ratio and apoptotic levels were significantly increased. The expression levels of ZIP8 mRNA and protein were down-regulated significantly, while the mRNA expression of other zinc transporters remained unchanged. There was also a significant decrease in MMP. Compared with the I/R group, both MZnCl₂+I/R group and HZnCl₂+I/R group exhibited significantly reduced lung tissue injury, lung wet/dry weight ratio and alveolar damage index, increased Zn²⁺ concentration, decreased ratio of cleaved caspase-3/caspase-3 and apoptosis, and up-regulated expression levels of ZIP8 mRNA and protein. In addition, the MMP was significantly increased in the lung tissue. Zn²⁺ chelating agent TPEN reversed the above-mentioned protective effects of medium-dose ZnCl₂ on the lung tissue in the I/R group. The aforementioned results suggest that exogenous administration of ZnCl₂ can improve lung I/R injury in rats.
Animals ; Reperfusion Injury/pathology* ; Male ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rats ; Chlorides/administration & dosage* ; Lung/pathology* ; Zinc Compounds/administration & dosage* ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Caspase 3/metabolism* ; Cation Transport Proteins/metabolism*

Heat acclimation provides cardiovascular protection in high-temperature environments through multilevel mechanisms; however, the complete molecular basis of its effects remains unclear. In this paper, we systematically review the effects of heat acclimation on blood volume, vascular function, cardiac structure, energy metabolism, and anti-stress regulation, revealing their potential mechanisms in cardiovascular adaptive protection. We also summarizes the multilevel responses induced by heat stress and heat acclimation, including the modulatory effects of heat acclimation on heat shock proteins (HSPs), hypoxia inducible factor 1 (HIF-1), and apoptotic pathways. Additionally, we highlights the comprehensive protective effects of heat acclimation across various stressors (e.g., hypoxia, heat stress). This review provides a significant physiological basis for cardiovascular disease management and sports medicine, emphasizing the potential application of heat acclimation in response to multiple stressors and supporting its role as an effective tool in cardiovascular health management and stress protection interventions.
Humans ; Acclimatization/physiology* ; Hot Temperature ; Heat-Shock Proteins/metabolism* ; Animals ; Heat-Shock Response/physiology* ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1/metabolism* ; Apoptosis/physiology*

Emodin is a hydroxyanthraquinone compound that is widely distributed and has multiple pharmacological activities, including anti-diarrheal, anti-inflammatory, and liver-protective effects. Research indicates that emodin may be one of the main components responsible for inducing hepatotoxicity. However, studies on the mechanisms of liver injury are relatively limited, particularly those related to bile acids(BAs) metabolism. This study aims to systematically investigate the effects of different dosages of emodin on BAs metabolism, providing a basis for the safe clinical use of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)containing emodin. First, this study evaluated the safety of repeated administration of different dosages of emodin over a 5-week period, with a particular focus on its impact on the liver. Next, the composition and content of BAs in serum and liver were analyzed. Subsequently, qRT-PCR was used to detect the mRNA expression of nuclear receptors and transporters related to BAs metabolism. The results showed that 1 g·kg~(-1) emodin induced hepatic damage, with bile duct hyperplasia as the primary pathological manifestation. It significantly increased the levels of various BAs in the serum and primary BAs(including taurine-conjugated and free BAs) in the liver. Additionally, it downregulated the mRNA expression of farnesoid X receptor(FXR), retinoid X receptor(RXR), and sodium taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide(NTCP), and upregulated the mRNA expression of cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase(CYP7A1) in the liver. Although 0.01 g·kg~(-1) and 0.03 g·kg~(-1) emodin did not induce obvious liver injury, they significantly increased the level of taurine-conjugated BAs in the liver, suggesting a potential interference with BAs homeostasis. In conclusion, 1 g·kg~(-1) emodin may promote the production of primary BAs in the liver by affecting the FXR-RXR-CYP7A1 pathway, inhibit NTCP expression, and reduce BA reabsorption in the liver, resulting in BA accumulation in the peripheral blood. This disruption of BA homeostasis leads to liver injury. Even doses of emodin close to the clinical dose can also have a certain effect on the homeostasis of BAs. Therefore, when using traditional Chinese medicine or formulas containing emodin in clinical practice, it is necessary to regularly monitor liver function indicators and closely monitor the risk of drug-induced liver injury.
Emodin/administration & dosage* ; Bile Acids and Salts/metabolism* ; Animals ; Male ; Liver/injuries* ; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury/genetics* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/adverse effects* ; Humans ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Mice ; Rats

Pulpotomy, which belongs to vital pulp therapy, has become a strategy for managing pulpitis in recent decades. This minimally invasive treatment reflects the recognition of preserving healthy dental pulp and optimizing long-term patient-centered outcomes. Pulpotomy is categorized into partial pulpotomy (PP), the removal of a partial segment of the coronal pulp tissue, and full pulpotomy (FP), the removal of whole coronal pulp, which is followed by applying the biomaterials onto the remaining pulp tissue and ultimately restoring the tooth. Procedural decisions for the amount of pulp tissue removal or retention depend on the diagnostic of pulp vitality, the overall treatment plan, the patient's general health status, and pulp inflammation reassessment during operation. This statement represents the consensus of an expert committee convened by the Society of Cariology and Endodontics, Chinese Stomatological Association. It addresses the current evidence to support the application of pulpotomy as a potential alternative to root canal treatment (RCT) on mature permanent teeth with pulpitis from a biological basis, the development of capping biomaterial, and the diagnostic considerations to evidence-based medicine. This expert statement intends to provide a clinical protocol of pulpotomy, which facilitates practitioners in choosing the optimal procedure and increasing their confidence in this rapidly evolving field.
Humans ; Calcium Compounds/therapeutic use* ; Consensus ; Dental Pulp ; Dentition, Permanent ; Oxides/therapeutic use* ; Pulpitis/therapy* ; Pulpotomy/standards*

177Lu-prostate specific membrane antigen(PSMA)radio-ligand therapy has been approved abroad for advanced prostate cancer and has been in several clinical trials in China.Based on domestic clinical practice and experimental data and referred to international experience and viewpoints,the expert group forms a consensus on the clinical application of 177Lu-PSMA radio-ligand therapy in prostate cancer to guide clinical practice.

Objective To investigate the protective effect and mechanism of hyperoside(HYP)on paraquat(PQ)-induced acute lung injury in rats.Methods Rats were randomly divided into the control group,the PQ group,the low-dose hyperoside group(HYP-L group),the middle-dose hyperoside group(HYP-M group)and the high-dose hyperoside group(HYP-H group),with 12 rats in each group.After 7 days of corresponding treatment,the levels of interleukin(IL)-1β,IL-6 and macrophage inflammatory protein-2(MIP-2)in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF)of rats in each group,as well as the levels of malondialdehyde(MDA)and superoxide dismutase(SOD)in lung tissue were detected.The degree of lung injury and fibrosis of rats were evaluated by hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining and Masson's trichrome staining.The expression levels of E-cadherin,α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA),Vimentin,and protein expression levels of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2(Nrf2),nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB)p65,p-NF-κB p65,transforming growth factor-β1(TGF-β1),Smad3 and p-Smad3 in lung tissue were detected by Western blot.Results Compared with the control group,the levels of IL-1β,IL-6 and MIP-2 in BALF of rats in the PQ group increased(P<0.05),the level of SOD in the lung tissue decreased,while the level of MDA increased(P<0.05),and the lung tissue showed obvious damage and fibrosis(P<0.05).Compared with the PQ group,the levels of IL-1β,IL-6 and MIP-2 in BALF of rats in the HYP-L group,the HYP-M group and the HYP-H group decreased(P<0.05),the levels of SOD in the lung tissue increased(P<0.05),while the levels of MDA decreased(P<0.05),and the lung tissue damages were alleviated,and the fibrosis score decreased(P<0.05).Compared with the control group,the expression level of E-cadherin in the lung tissue of rats in the PQ group decreased(P<0.05),the expression levels of α-SMA and Vimentin increased(P<0.05),the protein expression level of Nrf2 decreased(P<0.05),the protein expression level of TGF-β1 and the phosphorylation levels of NF-κB p65 and Smad3 proteins increased(P<0.05).Compared with the PQ group,the expression levels of E-cadherin in the lung tissues of rats in the HYP-L group,the HYP-M group and the HYP-H group increased(P<0.05),the expression levels of α-SMA and Vimentin decreased(P<0.05),the protein expression levels of Nrf2 increased(P<0.05),the protein expression level of TGF-β1 and the phosphorylation levels of NF-κB p65 and Smad3 proteins decreased(P<0.05).Conclusion Hyperoside effectively alleviates paraquat-induced acute lung injury in rats,and it may reduce lung oxidative stress,inflammation and fibrosis by regulating Nrf2,NF-κB and TGF-β1/Smad2/3 signal pathways.

ObjectiveTo explore the effect of Buzhong Yiqitang on the immune imbalance of helper T cell 17 （Th17）/regulatory T cell （Treg） and Notch1 signaling pathway in mice with autoimmune thyroiditis （AIT）. MethodA total of 60 8-week-old NOD.H-2^h4 mice were randomly divided into the normal group， model group， western medicine group （selenium yeast tablet， 32.5 mg·kg^-1）， and low-dose （4.78 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， middle-dose （9.56 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， and high-dose （19 g·kg^-1·d^-1） Buzhong Yiqitang groups， with 10 mice in each group. The normal group was fed with distilled water， and the other groups were fed with water containing 0.05% sodium iodide for eight weeks. After the animal model of AIT was formed spontaneously， the mice were killed under anesthesia after intragastric administration for eight weeks. Serum anti-thyroglobulin antibodies （TGAb）， thyroid-stimulating hormone （TSH）， free triiodothyronine （FT3）， and free thyroid hormone （FT4） were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）， and thyroid tissue changes were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. The mRNA and protein expressions of retinoid-related orphan receptor-γt （RORγt）， interleukin （IL）-17， forkhead box P3 （FoxP3）， IL-10， Notch1， and hair division-related enhancer 1 （Hes1） in thyroid tissue were detected by Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） and Western blot， respectively. ResultCompared with the normal group， the thyroid structure of the model group was severely damaged， and lymphocytes were infiltrated obviously. The levels of serum TGAb， FT3， and FT4 contents were significantly increased， and TSH content was significantly decreased （P<0.01）. The mRNA and protein expression levels of RORγt， IL-17， Notch1， and Hes1 were significantly increased， while those of FoxP3 and IL10 were significantly decreased in the model group （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， thyroid structural damage and lymphocyte infiltration were improved in the treatment groups， and serum TGAb， FT3， and FT4 contents were significantly decreased. TSH content was increased， and mRNA and protein expression levels of RORγt， IL-17， Notch1， and Hes1 were decreased. mRNA and protein expression levels of FoxP3 and IL-10 were increased to different degrees （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the middle-dose Buzhong Yiqitang group had the most significant intervention effect. ConclusionBuzhong Yiqitang can alleviate the thyroid structural damage in AIT mice， and its mechanism may be related to improving the abnormal differentiation of Th17/Treg immune cells and inhibiting the activation of the Notch1 signaling pathway.

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics of survival in patients with high-risk myelodysplastic syndromes(HR-MDS)and provide a reference for the clinical prognosis of patients with HR-MDS.Methods General data,blood routine test,bone marrow smear with histopathology,cytogenetics,and other clinical data of 200 patients diagnosed with HR-MDS at Xiyuan Hospital of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences,during the period of January 2016-September 2022,were retrospectively analyzed.The included patients were categorized into the arsenic-containing herbal combination combined with demethylating agents(HMAs)treatment group and the arsenic-containing Chinese medicine compound combined with androgen treatment group.The influence of clinical indices on the survival characteristics of each group was analyzed.Results Comparison of the impact of clinical indicators on survival in 200 patients with HR-MDS who were treated with arsenic-containing herbal compounds in combination with HMAs or androgens showed that high-risk vs.very high-risk(P=0.018),hemoglobin(Hb)<80 g/L vs.Hb≥80 g/L(P=0.035),platelet(PLT)counts<50×109 L-1 vs.PLT counts≥50×109 L-1(P<0.001),and the difference in median progression-free survival(PFS)time between myelodysplastic syndromes converted to leukemia(MDS-AML)and non-MDS-AML(P=0.003)were statistically significant.Comparison of survival effects of clinical indicators in 68 patients with HR-MDS who were treated with arsenic-containing Chinese medicine compound combined with HMAs showed that the difference in median PFS between PLT count<50×109 L-1 and PLT count≥50×109 L-1(P<0.001)and the difference in median PFS between<5 and≥5 courses of chemotherapy(P=0.018)were statistically significant.Comparison of survival effects of clinical indicators in 132 patients with HR-MDS who were treated with arsenic-containing Chinese medicine compound combined with androgens showed that Hb<80 g/L and Hg≥80 g/L(P=0.028),PLT count<50×109 L-1 and PLT count≥50×109 L-1(P=0.002),and the mean differences in PFS between MDS-AML and non-MDS-AML(P=0.024)were statistically significant.Conclusion The clinical characteristics of long-surviving patients treated with arsenic-containing herbal combination in combination with HMAs included PLT counts≥50×109 L-1 and≥5 courses of chemotherapy.The clinical characteristics of long-surviving patients treated with arsenic-containing herbal combination in combination with androgens included Hg≥80 g/L,PLT count≥50×109 L-1,and non-MDS-AML.

Objective To investigate the distribution and antimicrobial resistance profiles of the common pathogens isolated from urine from 2015 to 2021 in the CHINET Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Program.Methods The bacterial strains were isolated from urine and identified routinely in 51 hospitals across China in the CHINET Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Program from 2015 to 2021.Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined by Kirby-Bauer method,automatic microbiological analysis system and E-test according to the unified protocol.Results A total of 261 893 nonduplicate strains were isolated from urine specimen from 2015 to 2021,of which gram-positive bacteria accounted for 23.8％(62 219/261 893),and gram-negative bacteria 76.2％(199 674/261 893).The most common species were E.coli(46.7％),E.faecium(10.4％),K.pneumoniae(9.8％),E.faecalis(8.7％),P.mirabilis(3.5％),P.aeruginosa(3.4％),SS.agalactiae(2.6％),and E.cloacae(2.1％).The strains were more frequently isolated from inpatients versus outpatients and emergency patients,from females versus males,and from adults versus children.The prevalence of ESBLs-producing strains in E.coli,K.pneumoniae and P.mirabilis was 53.2％,52.8％and 37.0％,respectively.The prevalence of carbapenem-resistant strains in E.coli,K.pneumoniae,P.aeruginosa and A.baumannii was 1.7％,18.5％,16.4％,and 40.3％,respectively.Lower than 10％of the E.faecalis isolates were resistant to ampicillin,nitrofurantoin,linezolid,vancomycin,teicoplanin and fosfomycin.More than 90％of the E.faecium isolates were ressitant to ampicillin,levofloxacin and erythromycin.The percentage of strains resistant to vancomycin,linezolid or teicoplanin was＜2％.The E.coli,K.pneumoniae,P.aeruginosa and A.baumannii strains isolated from ICU inpatients showed significantly higher resistance rates than the corresponding strains isolated from outpatients and non-ICU inpatients.Conclusions E.coli,Enterococcus and K.pneumoniae are the most common pathogens in urinary tract infection.The bacterial species and antimicrobial resistance of urinary isolates vary with different populations.More attention should be paid to antimicrobial resistance surveillance and reduce the irrational use of antimicrobial agents.

Objective To understand the distribution and changing resistance profiles of clinical isolates of Enterococcus in hospitals across China from 2015 to 2021.Methods Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was conducted for the clinical isolates of Enterococcus according to the unified protocol of CHINET program by automated systems,Kirby-Bauer method,or E-test strip.The results were interpreted according to the Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institute(CLSI)breakpoints in 2021.WHONET 5.6 software was used for statistical analysis.Results A total of 124 565 strains of Enterococcus were isolated during the 7-year period,mainly including Enterococcus faecalis(50.7％)and Enterococcus faecalis(41.5％).The strains were mainly isolated from urinary tract specimens(46.9％±2.6％),and primarily from the patients in the department of internal medicine,surgery and ICU.E.faecium and E.faecalis strains showed low level resistance rate to vancomycin,teicoplanin and linezolid(≤3.6％).The prevalence of vancomycin-resistant E.faecalis and E.faecium was 0.1％and 1.3％,respectively.The prevalence of linezolid-resistant E.faecalis increased from 0.7％in 2015 to 3.4％in 2021,while the prevalence of linezolid-resistant E.faecium was 0.3％.Conclusions The clinical isolates of Enterococcus were still highly susceptible to vancomycin,teicoplanin,and linezolid,evidenced by a low resistance rate.However,the prevalence of linezolid-resistant E.faecalis was increasing during the 7-year period.It is necessary to strengthen antimicrobial resistance surveillance to effectively identify the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and curb the spread of resistant pathogens.