Twelve pre-processing protocols for formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded(FFPE)tissue samples were developed by orthogonal experimental design,incorporating different dewaxing buffers(Triton X-100 and xylene),lysis buffers(TFE and RapiGest),and enzyme digestion methods(iST,SP3,and FASP)to explore the optimal experimental conditions.These protocols were assessed based on protein and peptide identification depth,identification stability,and quantitative levels of protein abundance.The results indicated that Triton X-100 and xylene minimally impacted proteomics identification,whereas the TFE lysis buffer and iST digestion method significantly enhanced the proteomics analysis of FFPE samples.Considering the potential toxicity of xylene,the TTI protocol based on Triton X-100,TFE,and iST was determined to be the optimal choice.This protocol exhibited the best repeatability and stability,and a higher number of proteins associated with significant biological functions were identified.In conclusion,the established TTI protocol offered an efficient and comprehensive approach for proteomic analysis of FFPE samples,significantly enhancing the repeatability and stability of protein identification.

With the continuous rise in the incidence of colorectal cancer and the trend towards younger patient population,the existing treatment options,while able to prolong survival,are difficult to avoid significant side effects.It is imperative to develop new treatment strategies.Luteolin(LUT),as a natural herbal active ingredient,has been proved to have broad-spectrum anti-tumor effects in studies of multiple cancer types.However,the mechanism of LUT action in colorectal cancer has not been systematically elucidated.In this study,for the first time,the molecular mechanism of LUT on colorectal cancer SW620 cells from the perspective of proteomics-glycoproteomics co-regulation was revealed.Proteomic analysis identified 472 differentially expressed proteins.Functional enrichment analysis showed that down-regulated proteins were mainly involved in oxidative stress response,mRNA processing,RNA splicing,and actin filament organization among key biological processes,involving oxidative phosphorylation and peroxisome pathways.Up-regulated proteins were mainly involved in DNA replication,protein folding,and rRNA metabolism,closely related to DNA replication and protein processing pathways in the endoplasmic reticulum.At the level of glycoproteomics,231 differentially expressed intact N-glycopeptides were identified.Functional enrichment analysis of corresponding glycoproteins indicateed that LUT might exert biological effects by regulating biological processes such as nuclear organization,nuclear membrane organization,and Fc receptor-mediated signaling pathways,as well as endoplasmic reticulum protein processing and N-glycan biosynthesis pathways.Analysis of key interaction networks revealed 5 core target proteins namely RPS15A,WDR43,FBL,UTP18,and UTP11.The loss of these proteins had been confirmed to inhibit the proliferation and migration of various tumor cells.Notably,altered glycosylation modifications of the lysosome-associated membrane proteins LAMP1 and LAMP2 suggested that LUT might affect tumor metastatic potential by regulating organelle dynamics.It was found that LUT could inhibit the malignant phenotype of colon cancer cells through a dual mechanism of specifically regulating protein expression networks and glycosylation modification patterns,providing new molecular targets and theoretical basis for precise treatment of colorectal cancer based on natural products.

In this study, ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS~E) was used to analyze the plasma components of Danzhi Xiaoyao Formula after oral administration. Forty-nine plasma components were found in the serum of rats by comparing the compound extract, drug-containing serum, and blank serum. Components, such as 6-hydroxycoumarin, poricoic acid F, deoxoglabrolide, 30-norhederagenin, kanzonol R, 3',6'-di-O-galloylpaeoniflorin, 16α-hydroxytrametenolic acid, 16-deoxyporicoic acid B, 3-O-acetyl-16α-hydroxytrametenolic acid, and 16α,25-dihydroxydehydroeburiconic acid, were first found in rat serum. Behavioral tests, including the tail suspension test, novel object recognition test, and novelty-suppressed feeding test, were conducted for behavioral analysis. It was confirmed that this formula had therapeutic effects on perimenopausal depression. Furthermore, in combination with the network pharmacology method, 53 core targets including MAPK1, HRAS, AKT1, EGFR, and ESR1 were screened, and these targets participated in 165 signaling pathways, including PI3K-AKT, AMPK, VEGFA, MAPK, and HIF-1. In summary, the potential effects of Danzhi Xiaoyao Formula in treating perimenopausal depression are associated with mechanisms in accelerating inflammation repair, improving neuroplasticity, affecting neurotransmitters, regulating estrogen levels, and promoting new blood vessel formation.
Animals ; Rats ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Depression/drug therapy* ; Network Pharmacology ; Perimenopause ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Molecular Docking Simulation

AIM: To evaluate the necessity of slit-lamp biomicroscopy(referred to here as “slit-lamp”)training from the student's perspective and reach a consensus on slit-lamp training in medical students during ophthalmology clerkship.METHODS: A controlled before-after clerkship study was performed on 117 students of the class of 2017 enrolled in clinical medicine at Sun Yat-sen University. All medical students underwent slit-lamp training during ophthalmology clerkship. We evaluated the students' cognition, perceived need and recommendations for slit-lamp teaching, using a self-completed questionnaire survey and compared the students' scores in these aspects before and after their ophthalmology clerkships. Additionally, the efficiency of slit-lamp training was evaluated by subjective student assessment after the ophthalmology clerkship. Each item was scored on a five-point Likert Scale. Statistical analysis was performed by IBM SPSS(Version 20.0; SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA).RESULTS: A total of 116(99.1%)medical students completed the survey. The average score before clerkship was 19.99±3.03, which indicated a high level of cognition regarding slit-lamp utility; However, this score significantly increased to 22.97±2.37 after clerkship(P<0.001). The average score regarding perceived need was also higher for post-clerkship students than for pre-clerkship students(24.62±3.15 vs. 23.60±2.36, P=0.009). Moreover, 86.2% of post-clerkship students reported that hands-on slit-lamp practice could help promote clerkship quality. More than three-quarters of the surveyed students tended to agree that slit-lamp practice time should be increased(76.7% and 77.6% before and after clerkship, respectively).CONCLUSION: A hands-on approach to slit-lamp training is more favored by medical students in ophthalmology clerkships, and this training should be recommended in ophthalmology clerkships given its potential usefulness for improving clerkship quality.

Objective: To investigate the clinical and molecular biological characteristics of patients with accelerated chronic lymphocytic leukemia (aCLL) . Methods: From January 2020 to October 2022, the data of 13 patients diagnosed with aCLL at The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University were retrospectively analyzed to explore the clinical and molecular biological characteristics of aCLL. Results: The median age of the patients was 54 (35-72) years. Prior to aCLL, five patients received no treatment for CLL/small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL), while the other patients received treatment, predominantly with BTK inhibitors. The patients were diagnosed with aCLL through pathological confirmation upon disease progression. Six patients exhibited bulky disease (lesions with a maximum diameter ≥5 cm). Positron emission tomography (PET) -computed tomography (CT) images revealed metabolic heterogeneity, both between and within lesions, and the median maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of the lesion with the most elevated metabolic activity was 6.96 (2.51-11.90). Patients with unmutated IGHV CLL accounted for 76.9% (10/13), and the most frequent genetic and molecular aberrations included +12 [3/7 (42.9% ) ], ATM mutation [6/12 (50% ) ], and NOTCH1 mutation [6/12 (50% ) ]. Twelve patients received subsequent treatment. The overall response rate was 91.7%, and the complete response rate was 58.3%. Five patients experienced disease progression, among which two patients developed Richter transformation. Patients with aCLL with KRAS mutation had worse progression-free survival (7.0 month vs 26.3 months, P=0.015) . Conclusion: Patients with aCLL exhibited a clinically aggressive course, often accompanied by unfavorable prognostic factors, including unmutated IGHV, +12, ATM mutation, and NOTCH1 mutation. Patients with CLL/SLL with clinical suspicion of disease progression, especially those with bulky disease and PET-CT SUVmax ≥5, should undergo biopsy at the site of highest metabolic uptake to establish a definitive pathological diagnosis.
Humans ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/genetics* ; Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography ; Retrospective Studies ; Biopsy ; Disease Progression

Aim To investigate the effects of combined administration of loganin and berberine on bone structure and metabolism in diabetic mice and its potential mechanism.Methods The diabetic ICR mouse model was induced by high fat diet(HFD).After 10 weeks of combined intervention, the effects of loganin and berberine on body weight, body fat rate, blood glucose, blood lipid and serum oxidative stress levels were observed.Bone microstructure was scanned by micro-CT.Biomechanical characteristics of bone were measured by three-point bending test, and material properties were detected by fourier transform infrared(FTIR).The pathological changes were observed by HE and TRAP staining.Protein expressions involved in advanced glycation end products(AGEs)and their receptors(RAGE)/nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB)signaling pathway were detected by immunohistochemistry.Results The combined administration of loganin and berberine could significantly inhibit the weight gain, reduce the levels of blood glucose, blood lipid and oxidative stress, as well as improve glucose tolerance.In addition, combined intervention also decreased the expression levels of the proteins involved in AGEs/RAGE/NF-κB signaling pathway, and improved bone microstructure, finally contributing to increasing bone quality in diabetic mice.Conclusions The combination of loganin and berberine could improve bone metabolism in diabetic mice, which may be related to AGEs/RAGE/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Objective To investigate the effect of frequency on osteoblast apoptosis induced by tensile strain. Methods MC3T3-E1 cells were applied with 1% biaxial tensile strain at the frequency of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Hz, respectively for 1 hour per day in 8 days. The survival rate of the cells was determined by activity of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Annexin V-FITC/ PI Flow cytometry was used to test cell apoptosis. Real-time RT-PCR was used to detect the gene level of apoptosis markers caspase-3, -9 as well as Bcl-2 and Bax, and Western blotting was used to test protein expressions of caspase-3, -9. Results Different loading frequencies had no effect on osteoblast activity of LDH. There was no significant difference in the total apoptosis rate of flow cytometry at different frequencies. However, the frequency of 2 Hz could induce early osteoblast apoptosis. Tensile strain at the frequency of 2 Hz could significantly increase the expression of caspase-3, -9 gene and protein, and induce cell apoptosis with the up-regulation of the Bax/Bcl-2. Conclusions Osteoblast apoptosis and death cannot be induced by 1% biaxial tensile strain at the frequency of 1-5 Hz, but the frequency of 2 Hz can induce the early apoptosis of osteoblasts by up-regulating the expression of Bax/BCl-2.

Objective To investigate the effect of frequency on osteoblast apoptosis induced by tensile strain.Methods MC3T3-E1 cells were applied with 1％ biaxial tensile strain at the frequency of 1,2,3,4,5 Hz,re spectively for 1 hour per day in 8 days.The survival rate of the cells was determined by activity of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH).Annexin V-FITC/ PI Flow cytometry was used to test cell apoptosis.Real-time RT-PCR was used to detect the gene level of apoptosis markers caspase-3,-9 as well as Bcl-2 and Bax,and Western blotting was used to test protein expressions of caspase-3,-9.Results Different loading frequencies had no effect on osteoblast activity of LDH.There was no significant difference in the total apoptosis rate of flow cytometry at different frequencies.However,the frequency of 2 Hz could induce early osteoblast apoptosis.Tensile strain at the frequency of 2 Hz could significantly increase the expression of caspase-3,-9 gene and protein,and induce cell apoptosis with the up-regulation of the Bax/Bcl-2.Conclusions Osteoblast apoptosis and death cannot be induced by 1％ biaxial tensile strain at the frequency of 1-5 Hz,but the frequency of 2 Hz can induce the early apoptosis of osteoblasts by up-regulating the expression of Bax/BCI-2.