This case report describes a 68-year-old male patient diagnosed with primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). After receiving Yttrium-90 microsphere selective internal radiation therapy (⁹⁰Y-SIRT), the tumor significantly reduced in size, and tumor markers alpha fetoprotein (AFP) and abnormal prothrombin (PIVKA-Ⅱ) decreased. Postoperative pathological results showed minimal residual tumor cells, indicating that ⁹⁰Y-SIRT has good efficacy and safety in downstaging and conversion of HCC, thereby facilitating subsequent surgical resection.

ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism of Huazhuo Jiedu prescription in treating ulcerative colitis （UC） by regulating mitophagy. MethodsThe genes related to mitophagy and UC were retrieved from GeneCards， and then the common genes of mitophagy and UC were analyzed by metascape to identify the genes related to mitophagy in UC. Animal experiments were carried out to decipher the mechanism by which Huazhuo Jiedu prescription treated UC by regulating mitophagy. Sixty C57BL/6 male mice were randomized into normal， model， high-， medium-， and low-dose （50， 25， 12.5 g·kg^-1， respectively） Huazhuo Jiedu prescription， and mesalazine （0.52 g·kg^-1·d^-1） groups， with 10 mice in each group. After successful modeling by the dextran sulfate sodium-free drinking method， the colonic mucosal damage was observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining， and the ultracellular structure of colon mucosa was observed by transmission electron microscopy. The expression levels of mitophagy-related proteins PTEN-induced putative kinase 1 （PINK1） and Parkin protein were determined by Western blot. The expression of prohibitin 2 （PHB2）， ubiquitin-specific protease 15 （USP15）， ubiquitin-specific protease 30 （USP30） in the colon tissue was detected by immunofluorescence （IF）. ResultsAll the drug intervention groups showed ameliorated pathological manifestations of the colonic mucosa and improved mitochondrial structures in UC mice. Compared with the normal group， the model group demonstrated up-regulated protein levels of PINK1 and Parkin （P<0.05）， enhanced average fluorescence intensity of PHB2 （P<0.05）， and weakened average fluorescence intensity of USP15 and USP30 （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， the mesalazine group and the high- and medium-dose Huazhuo Jiedu prescription groups showcased down-regulated protein levels of PINK1 and Parkin （P<0.05）， decreased average fluorescence intensity of PHB2 （P<0.05）， and enhanced average fluorescence intensity of USP15 and USP30 （P<0.05）. The low-dose Huazhuo Jiedu prescription group showed down-regulated protein levels of PINK1 and Parkin （P<0.05）， weakened average fluorescence intensity of PHB2 （P<0.05）， and enhanced average fluorescence intensity of USP15 and USP30 （P<0.05）. ConclusionHuazhuo Jiedu prescription can attenuate the intestinal mucosal injury and improve the mitochondrial cell ultrastructure in UC mice by regulating the expression of PINK1-Parkin pathway and inhibiting excessive mitophagy.

ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism of Huazhuo Jiedu prescription in treating ulcerative colitis （UC） by regulating mitophagy. MethodsThe genes related to mitophagy and UC were retrieved from GeneCards， and then the common genes of mitophagy and UC were analyzed by metascape to identify the genes related to mitophagy in UC. Animal experiments were carried out to decipher the mechanism by which Huazhuo Jiedu prescription treated UC by regulating mitophagy. Sixty C57BL/6 male mice were randomized into normal， model， high-， medium-， and low-dose （50， 25， 12.5 g·kg^-1， respectively） Huazhuo Jiedu prescription， and mesalazine （0.52 g·kg^-1·d^-1） groups， with 10 mice in each group. After successful modeling by the dextran sulfate sodium-free drinking method， the colonic mucosal damage was observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining， and the ultracellular structure of colon mucosa was observed by transmission electron microscopy. The expression levels of mitophagy-related proteins PTEN-induced putative kinase 1 （PINK1） and Parkin protein were determined by Western blot. The expression of prohibitin 2 （PHB2）， ubiquitin-specific protease 15 （USP15）， ubiquitin-specific protease 30 （USP30） in the colon tissue was detected by immunofluorescence （IF）. ResultsAll the drug intervention groups showed ameliorated pathological manifestations of the colonic mucosa and improved mitochondrial structures in UC mice. Compared with the normal group， the model group demonstrated up-regulated protein levels of PINK1 and Parkin （P<0.05）， enhanced average fluorescence intensity of PHB2 （P<0.05）， and weakened average fluorescence intensity of USP15 and USP30 （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， the mesalazine group and the high- and medium-dose Huazhuo Jiedu prescription groups showcased down-regulated protein levels of PINK1 and Parkin （P<0.05）， decreased average fluorescence intensity of PHB2 （P<0.05）， and enhanced average fluorescence intensity of USP15 and USP30 （P<0.05）. The low-dose Huazhuo Jiedu prescription group showed down-regulated protein levels of PINK1 and Parkin （P<0.05）， weakened average fluorescence intensity of PHB2 （P<0.05）， and enhanced average fluorescence intensity of USP15 and USP30 （P<0.05）. ConclusionHuazhuo Jiedu prescription can attenuate the intestinal mucosal injury and improve the mitochondrial cell ultrastructure in UC mice by regulating the expression of PINK1-Parkin pathway and inhibiting excessive mitophagy.

ObjectiveTo explore the therapeutic effect and mechanism of Xianglian Huazhuo prescription on chronic atrophic gastritis （CAG） in rats based on the Hedgehog signaling pathway. MethodsThe CAG rat model was established by sodium salicylate， N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitroguanidine （MNNG）， and irregular feeding. The successfully modeled rats were randomly divided into a model group （180 mg·L^-1）， a moradan group （1.4 g·kg^-1）， and Xianglian Huazhuo Prescription groups with high， medium， and low doses （36， 9， 18 g·kg^-1）， followed by drug intervention. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to observe morphological changes in the gastric mucosa. Transmission electron microscopy was used to observe the ultrastructure of gastric mucosa cells. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to detect the mRNA expression of Sonic Hedgehog （Shh）， Patched 1 （Ptch1）， and Glioma-associated oncogene homolog 1 （Gli1）. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression levels of Shh， Ptch1， and Gli1 in the gastric mucosa. Immunohistochemistry was used to observe the protein expression of the epithelial marker E-cadherin. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the CAG model group showed a reduction in gastric mucosal intrinsic glands and infiltration of inflammatory cells. The ultrastructure of gastric mucosal cells showed nuclear pyknosis， fewer mitochondria， and abnormal mitochondrial structure. The mRNA and protein expression of Shh， Ptch1， and Gli1 in the gastric mucosa were significantly decreased （P<0.05）， and E-cadherin protein expression was decreased. Compared with the model group， the intervention groups showed varying degrees of improvement in histopathological morphology and cellular ultrastructure. The mRNA and protein expression of Shh， Ptch1， Gli1， and E-cadherin increased to varying degrees. Xianglian Huazhuo Prescription upregulated the expression of key Hedgehog pathway factors and E-cadherin at both the mRNA and protein levels （P<0.05）. ConclusionXianglian Huazhuo prescription has a therapeutic effect on CAG in rats， and its mechanism may be related to activation of the Hedgehog signaling pathway and inhibition of epithelial-mesenchymal transition （EMT）.

BACKGROUND: Despite some studies identifying a potential association between obesity and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) risk, previous research had overlooked the dynamic nature of body weight over time, leading to inconsistent findings. The purpose of this study is to elucidate the relationship between adult weight change and COPD risk by adjusting for potential confounding factors. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis using data from ten NHANES cycles (1999-2018), including adults aged 40-74 years. Weight change patterns were assessed using BMI at three time points and classified into five categories per period. Absolute weight change was also grouped into five levels. Multivariate logistic regression models, incorporating sampling weights, were used to examine associations between weight change and COPD, adjusting for demographic and lifestyle covariates. RESULTS: Compared with participants who maintained normal weight, stable obesity participants had increased risk of COPD from age 25 years to 10 years before the survey (OR = 1.45, 95% CI = 1.15 to 1.83), in the 10 years period before the survey (OR = 1.75, 95% CI = 1.47 to 2.08), and from age 25 years to survey (OR = 1.84, 95% CI = 1.46 to 2.31). Three periods indicate that weight gain in adulthood was associated with risk of COPD. In addition, substantial weight gain of more than 20 kg was associated with a higher risk of COPD. In stratified analyses, we also observed a more significant association between weight change and the risk of COPD in never smokers compared to former smokers. CONCLUSIONS Our study suggested that stable obesity and weight gain in adulthood were associated with an increased risk of COPD compared to those who maintain a normal weight, and that the association between weight gain and the incidence of COPD appears closer in patients who have never smoked.
Humans ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/etiology* ; Middle Aged ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Weight Gain ; Obesity/complications* ; Risk Factors ; United States/epidemiology* ; Nutrition Surveys ; Body Mass Index

OBJECTIVE: To explore whether streptococcal infection may aggravate renal damage in children with Henoch-Schönlein purpura nephritis and its possible mechanism. METHODS: In the study, 485 children diagnosed with Henoch-Schönlein purpura nephritis from July 2015 to December 2019 were selected to analyze their clinical data retrospectively. According to the diagnosis of discharge, whether it was combined with streptococcal infection, the children were divided into two groups. The experimental group contained 91 children with Henoch-Schönlein purpura nephritis combined with streptococcal infection, and there were 394 children who were not infected with Streptococcus in the control group. Suitable test items were preliminarily selected through artificial neural network, and then data analysis was performed through SPSS 23.0. RESULTS: The children with Henoch-Schönlein purpura nephritis infected with streptococcus had statistically significant differences compared with the uninfected children in the test items of urine protein, liver and kidney function, immunoglobulin and complement. Anti-streptolysin O had mild correlation with IgG (Spearman r=-0.328), fibrin degradation products (Spearman r=-0.207), total protein (Spearman r=-0.202) and globulin (Spearman r=-0.223). Compared with the children who were not infected with streptococcus, the differences of the average levels of age (P=0.001), IgG (P < 0.001), fibrin degradation products (P=0.019), total protein (P < 0.001), globulin (P < 0.001), IgA (P < 0.001), IgM (P=0.003), complement 3 (P=0.016), complement 4 (P=0.002), albumin/globulin ratio (P=0.007), alkaline phosphatase (P=0.036), and estimated glomerular filtration rate (P=0.039) in the infected children were statistically significant. In order to explore the risk factors of kidney damage in the children with Henoch-Schönlein purpura nephritis, Logistic regression was performed using anti-streptolysin O, age, immunoglobulin and complement as independent variables, urine protein detection parameters, liver and kidney functions as dependent variables. Age ≤10 years old and hypocomplementemia might be risk factors for aggravating renal damage in the children with Henoch-Schönlein purpura nephritis. CONCLUSION Streptococcal infections may aggravate renal damage in children with Henoch-Schönlein purpura nephritis, in which hypocomplementemia, inflammation, fibrinolysis and disorders of coagulation perhaps play an important role. Children with streptococcal infection should be treated with anti-infective treatment in time and necessarily, and followed up after discharge regularly.
Humans ; IgA Vasculitis/complications* ; Streptococcal Infections/complications* ; Child ; Male ; Female ; Nephritis/microbiology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Child, Preschool ; Kidney/pathology* ; Adolescent

Nanotechnologies seek to overcome inherent deficiencies of conventional diagnosis and treatment, which attracted sustained attention and a limited number of nanomedicines approved by the FDA. However, the critical gaps in clinical translation remain, and nanomedicines that were initially heralded as magic bullets have yet to reach their realistic potential. The major obstacles of fabrication technologies may be overlooked in the nanoparticles' journey. Suboptimal manufacturing strategies partly hampered the inefficient transformation. In this review, we discuss the nanoparticle manufacturing strategies of "Top-Down" and "Bottom-Up" on precise nanoscale fabrication, including artificial intelligence introduced to guided nanomedicine fabrication for accelerating the transformation. Re-engineering existing nanomedicine fabrication, individual manufacturing, and modular technology might highlight the dilemmas of nanomedicines to meet their initial expectations.

Objective: To investigate the scientific research capacity building of administrative offices of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCs) across 31 provinces (autonomous regions, municipalities), the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, and 5 separately listed cities in China, so as to provide the reference for improving the positioning of office functions and promoting the enhancement of scientific research capabilities. Methods: A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted among heads and staff members of administrative offices in 37 CDCs. Data on office setup, general information, staffing, scientific research incentive measures and outputs were collected and analyzed. Results: The 37 administrative offices of the CDCs had an average authorized staffing size of 12 personnel. There were 17 of them setting independently allocated budgets. A total of 511 staff members were surveyed, comprising 238 males and 273 females, resulting in a male-to-female ratio of 0.87∶1. In terms of educational attainment, the majority held bachelor's degrees (225 individuals, 44.03%) or master's degrees and above (157 individuals, 30.72%). Professional technical personnel constituted the main occupational category, 302 individuals accounting for 59.10%. Intermediate professional titles were most common, 138 individuals accounting for 27.00%. From 2021 to 2023, a total of 68 research incentive measures have been implemented, and 579 personnel have received further training. These offices cumulatively led or participated in 80 scientific research projects and published 253 papers. Sixteen offices reported 10 and above scientific research outputs. These offices generally exhibited higher proportions of independently allocated budgets, greater numbers of senior professional titles, more staff with master's degrees or above, more implemented research incentive measures, and higher frequencies of staff further trainings. Conclusions The staff in the administrative offices of CDCs generally have a high level of educational attainment and include a significant number of professional technical personnel. However, their scientific research capacity remains relatively underdeveloped. It is recommended to conduct targeted professional training and research-focused lectures to enhance research literacy, leverage the strengths of multidisciplinary backgrounds, and promote cross-departmental and cross-institutional scientific research activities.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of Fuhe Decoction （敷和汤） with different doses of Suanzaoren （Ziziphus jujuba） for atopic dermatitis （AD）. MethodsForty-eight female BALB/c mice were randomly divided into normal group， model group， loratadine group， and Fuhe Decoction groups with high， medium， and low doses of Fuhe Decoction （Fuhe Decoction high-， medium-， and low-dose groups）， with eight mice in each group. The AD model was prepared by continuous stimulation with 2，4-dinitrofluorobenzene （DNFB） in all groups but the normal group. After modelling， the Fuhe Decoction high-， medium- and low-dose groups were given 24， 18 and 15 g/（kg·d） of Fuhe Decoction， the loratadine group was given 0.001 g/（kg·d） of loratadine dry suspension， and the normal group and the model group were given 10 ml/（kg·d） of normal saline by gavage. All groups were gavaged for 14 days. The number of scratches within 10 min and the score of skin lesions were observed on the 7th and 14th days of modelling and on the 7th and 14th days of drug administration， respectively； serum immunoglobulin E （IgE） was detected by ELISA； the histopathological and morphological changes of the skin were observed by HE staining； and the diversity and abundance of intestinal flora were detected by 16S rRNA sequencing of fecal matter from the colon of the mice. ResultsCompared with the normal group， mice in the model group on the 7th day and the 14th day of modelling and the 7th day， the 14th day of gavage showed increased scratching within 10 min and higher skin lesion scores （P＜0.05）， with hyperkeratotic or incomplete epidermis， marked thickening of spiny cells， and a large number of inflammatory cells infiltrated in the mice after gavage； serum levels of IgE elevated （P＜0.05）， and the abundance of Bacillota decreased， that of the Bacteroidota and bacteria elevated， and relative abundance of Lactobacillus spp. and Prevotella spp. decreased， and relative abundance of Anaplasma spp. and Treponema spp. increased （P＜0.05）. Compared with the model group， the number of scratches within 10 min and the skin lesion scores of mice in the loratadine group and the Fuhe Decoction medium- and high-dose groups decreased on the 7th day and the 14th day of gavage （P＜0.05）， serum IgE reduced， and the bacteria reduced in the loratadine group， the abundance of Bacteroidesmus spp. increased and Bacteriodesmus spp. decreased in the medium-dose group of Fuhe Decoction， the abundance of Bacteriodesmus spp. decreased in the loratadine group， the abundance of Bacteriodesmus spp. decreased， and that of both Lactobacillus spp. and Prevotella spp. increased in Fuhe Decoction medium-dose group （P＜0.05）. Compared with the loratadine group， the skin lesion scores increased in Fuhe Decoction low-dose group， and the number of scratching increased in the Fuhe Decoction low- and high-dose groups on the 7th day and the 14th day of gavage； the IgE content increased in Fuhe Decoction low-dose group， the Bacillota increased and the Bacteroidota decreased， the Lactobacillus spp. and Prevotella spp. increased in Fuhe Decoction middle-dose group， and Anopheles spp. increased in Fuhe Decoction high-dose group after gavage （P＜0.05）. ConclusionFuhe Decoction can improve the clinical symptoms of AD， regulate the relative abundance of intestinal flora to correct the disorders of the bacterial flora， among which the effect of Fuhe Decoction medium-dose group is optimal and comparable to that of the loratadine group， and the reduction of serum IgE inflammatory response may be one of its mechanisms of action.

ObjectiveTo observe the regulatory effect of Huangwu Ganfu ointment on transient receptor potential anchor protein 1 （TRPV1） receptor expression， macrophage polarization， and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase （p38 MAPK） signaling pathway in synovial tissue of knee osteoarthritis （KOA） rats with yang deficiency and cold coagulation syndrome and explore the mechanism of relieving peripheral inflammatory hyperalgesia of KOA. MethodForty-eight male SD rats were randomly divided into blank group， model group， high-dose， middle-dose， and low-dose groups of Huangwu Ganfu ointment （9.3， 4.65， 2.325 g·kg^-1）， and celecoxib group （20.82 mg·kg^-1）. The KOA rat model of yang deficiency and cold coagulation syndrome was established through climate box and swimming for two weeks combined with an injection of sodium iodoacetate （MIA） in the articular cavity. After continuous administration for four weeks， the general condition of rats in each group was observed， and the pain withdrawal threshold （PWT） and joint diameter induced by mechanical stimulation were recorded. The expression levels of interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， nerve growth factor （NGF）， and calcitonin gene-related peptide （CGRP） inflammatory factor were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）， and the histopathological changes of synovial tissue of the knee joint were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression of TRPV1， p38 MAPK， and p-p38 MAPK in synovial tissue of the knee joint， and immunofluorescence （IF） was used to evaluate the polarization of M1/M2 macrophages. ResultCompared with that in the blank group， the overall mental state of the model group was worse， and the autonomous activity was decreased. The body mass was lower， and the joint diameter was increased. The X-ray showed that the osteophyte at the edge of the joint proliferated， and the articular surface was obviously rough. The articular cavity was significantly narrowed， and the PWT was significantly decreased （P<0.01）. The contents of IL-1β， TNF-α， CGRP， and NGF in serum and synovium Krenn score increased significantly （P<0.01）. The protein expression of TRPV1 and p-p38 MAPK/p38 MAPK increased significantly （P<0.01）， and the proportion of M1 macrophages and M1/M2 increased （P<0.01）， while the proportion of M2 macrophages decreased （P<0.01）. Compared with model group， the body mass in the low， middle， and high dose groups of Huangwu Ganfu ointment increased to different degrees （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The diameter of the knee joint in the high dose group of Huangwu Ganfu ointment and celecoxib group decreased （P<0.01）. The recovery of PWT in the high and middle dose groups of Huangwu Ganfu ointment groups was more obvious （P<0.05）. The contents of IL-1β and CGRP in the serum of rats in each administration group were significantly decreased （P<0.01）， and the content of serum TNF-α in the celecoxib group and high dose group of Huangwu Ganfu ointment decreased significantly （P<0.05）. The content of serum NGF in the middle dose group of Huangwu Ganfu ointment decreased significantly （P<0.05）， and the synovium Krenn score decreased in the high dose group of Huangwu Ganfu ointment （P<0.05）. In addition， the protein expression of TRPV1 and p-p38 MAPK/p38 MAPK in synovial tissue decreased significantly in all groups of Huangwu Ganfu ointment （P<0.01）. The proportion of M1 macrophages in synovial tissue in the celecoxib group and all groups of Huangwu Ganfu ointment decreased （P<0.01）， and the proportion of M2 macrophages in the high dose group of Huangwu Ganfu ointment increased （P<0.05）. The M1/M2 in the middle and high dose groups of Huangwu Ganfu ointment decreased （P<0.05）. ConclusionHuangwu Ganfu ointment can mediate the polarization of macrophages to reduce the inflammatory reaction of KOA， alleviate the release of inflammatory pain mediators， and lower the protein expression of TRPV1. The mechanism may be related to the p38 MAPK signaling pathway， so as to improve the peripheral hyperalgesia of KOA.