Objective To investigate the biological activity of raddeanin A(RA) against nasopharyngeal carcinoma(NPC)and the molecular mechanism of anti-NPC mediated by ERK/MAPK signaling pathway.Methods CCK-8 assay was used to detect the inhibitory effect of RA on the growth of NPC cells. Bioinformatics was utilized to predict the targets of RA acting on NPC and their associated signaling pathways. The binding affinity between RA and core target was analyzed by molecular docking. Annexin V-FITC/PI, JC-1 staining, flow cytometry, combined with Western blot were used to further investigate the anti-proliferation mechanism of RA in NPC cells.Results RA effectively inhibited the proliferation of NPC cell lines 6-10B and 5-8F, with IC_(50)values of 5. 770 and 5. 068 ??mol/L, respectively. The pharmacological effects were primarily associated with cell apoptosis and the MAPK signaling pathway. The binding affinities between RA and core target proteins, such as MAPK1 and caspase 3, predicted through molecular docking, were less than-5 kcal/mol. RA induced apoptosis and mitochondrial membrane potential changes in 6-10B cells. The expression levels of apoptosis-related proteins, including cleaved PARP, cleaved caspase 3, and cleaved caspase 9, significantly increased(F = 229. 60, 136. 60 and 73. 67, P < 0. 001,< 0. 001 and < 0. 01, respectively). Additionally, the expression of the mitochondrial pathway-related protein Bax was marked-ly upregulated, while Bcl-2 expression was significantly downregulated(F = 47. 42 and 17. 54, P < 0. 001 and P < 0. 05,respectively). Furthermore, the expression levels of ERK/MAPK pathway-related proteins, including p-p90 RSK, p-ERK1/2,and p-MSK1, were significantly reduced(F = 106. 90, 27. 73 and 101. 50, P < 0. 05, < 0. 01 and < 0. 05, respectively).Conclusion RA regulates the ERK/MAPK signaling pathway, reduces mitochondrial membrane potential, triggers mitochondrial pathway to induce apoptosis, and then exerts the activity of inhibiting NPC cell proliferation.

ObjectiveTo explore the effects and mechanism of the modified Danggui Yinzi on "itch-anxiety" model rats of chronic urticaria （CU）. MethodsThe 36 SPF-grade 6-8-week-old female SD rats were randomly divided into a blank control group，a model group，a positive control group，a low-dose modified Danggui Yinzi group，a medium-dose modified Danggui Yinzi group，and a high-dose modified Danggui Yinzi group. A "itch-anxiety" model was established by intraperitoneal injection of a suspension of sodium chloride and aluminum hydroxide and ovalbumin，combined with chronic unpredictable emotional stress stimulation. After successful modeling，rats in each group were administered drugs by gavage. The positive control group was given intragastric administration of the drug solutions of cetirizine and fluoxetine （2.08 mg·kg^-1·d^-1 fluoxetine， 2 mg·kg^-1·d^-1 cetirizine）， the low-，medium-，and high-dose modified Danggui Yinzi groups were administered traditional Chinese medicine at 1.44，2.88， 5.76 g·kg^-1， respectively，while the blank control group and model group were given an equal volume of normal saline. All interventions lasted for 15 days. Behavioral changes were evaluated by the elevated plus-maze test （detecting the percentage of entries into the open arms （OE%），the percentage of time spent in the open arms （OT%），and the total number of entries into the open and closed arms （TNE）），the open-field test （detecting total activity，average movement speed，and latency to enter the central area），and scratching behavior observation. Pathological changes of skin tissues were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining and toluidine blue staining，while those of amygdala tissues were observed by HE staining，Nissl staining，and immunofluorescence detection of ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule-1 （Iba-1）. The content of immunoglobulin E （IgE），interleukin-33 （IL-33），histamine in serum and glutamate in the amygdala was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression of striatal-enriched protein tyrosine phosphatase （STEP），N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor subunit 2B （NR2B）， calmodulin-dependent protein kinase Ⅱ （CaMKⅡ），phosphorylated CaMKⅡ （p-CaMKⅡ），mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK），phosphorylated MAPK （p-MAPK），nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells （NF-κB），phosphorylated NF-κB （p-NF-κB），and postsynaptic density protein-95 （PSD-95） in the amygdala. ResultsCompared with the blank control group，the model group rats showed obvious anxiety-like behaviors （decreased OE%，OT%，and TNE，reduced total activity，slower average movement speed，and prolonged latency to enter the central area），increased scratching times，obvious skin inflammation and mast cell degranulation，severe amygdala tissue damage，increased glutamate content in the amygdala，and elevated levels of IgE and IL-33 in serum. The expression of STEP，NF-κB，p-NF-κB，NR2B，MAPK，p-MAPK，CaMKⅡ，and p-CaMKⅡ proteins in the amygdala increased，while the expression of PSD-95 protein decreased （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group，the modified Danggui Yinzi group of each dose had increased OE%，OT%，TNE，total activity，and average movement speed，shortened latency to enter the central area， reduced scratching times，alleviated skin inflammation and mast cell degranulation，relieved amygdala tissue damage，decreased glutamate content in the amygdala，and reduced levels of IgE and IL-33 in serum. Moreover，compared with the model group，the low -，medium-，and high-dose modified Danggui Yinzi groups showed decreased expression levels of STEP，NF-κB，p-NF-κB，NR2B，MAPK，p-MAPK，CaMKⅡ，and p-CaMKⅡ proteins in the amygdala，and increased expression of PSD-95 protein. There was a significant dose-effect relationship，with the high-dose group showing the most significant regulatory effect （P<0.05）. ConclusionThe modified Danggui Yinzi has a therapeutic effect on "itch-anxiety" model rats of CU. Its mechanism may be related to regulating glutamate metabolism in the amygdala，modulating the STEP/NR2B/CaMKⅡ/MAPK/NF-κB pathway，and regulating the expression of PSD-95.

Background/Aims: Treatment indications for patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) remain contentious, particularly for patients with mild alanine aminotransferase (ALT) elevation. We aimed to evaluate treatment effects in this patient population. Methods: This rollover study extended a placebo-controlled trial that enrolled non-cirrhotic patients with CHB and ALT levels below two times the upper limit of normal. Following 3 years of randomized intervention with either tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) or placebo, participants were rolled over to open-label TDF for 3 years. Liver biopsies were performed before and after the treatment to evaluate histopathological changes. Virological, biochemical, and serological outcomes were also assessed (NCT02463019). Results: Of 146 enrolled patients (median age 47 years, 80.8% male), 123 completed the study with paired biopsies. Overall, the Ishak fibrosis score decreased in 74 (60.2%), remained unchanged in 32 (26.0%), and increased in 17 (13.8%) patients (p<0.0001). The Knodell necroinflammation score decreased in 58 (47.2%), remained unchanged in 29 (23.6%), and increased in 36 (29.3%) patients (p=0.0038). The proportion of patients with an Ishak score ≥ 3 significantly decreased from 26.8% (n=33) to 9.8% (n=12) (p=0.0002). Histological improvements were more pronounced in patients switching from placebo. Virological and biochemical outcomes also improved in placebo switchers and remained stable in patients who continued TDF. However, serum HBsAg levels did not change and no patient cleared HBsAg. Conclusions In CHB patients with minimally raised ALT, favorable histopathological, biochemical, and virological outcomes were observed following 3-year TDF treatment, for both treatment-naïve patients and those already on therapy.

Objective To explore the effect of fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) in Taiyuan City on short-term pulmonary function in elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods Among the 1 015 elderly COPD patients admitted to the respiratory departments of five general hospitals in Taiyuan City from December 2021 to December 2023 were retrospectively selected for research; medical records, air pollutant data and meteorological data were analyzed; the relationship between PM_2.5 and lung function indicators and air pollutants was analyzed; the impact of PM_2.5 on lung function and its lag effect were analyzed; the cumulative effect of PM_2.5 concentration on the risk of pulmonary ventilation dysfunction was analyzed; The influence of gender and age on the relationship between PM_2.5 and patients ' short-term pulmonary function was analyzed. Results PM_2.5, respirable particulate matter (PM₁₀), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), carbon monoxide (CO) were negatively correlated with average temperature and average humidity (P<0.05) ; Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), ozone (O₃) were negatively correlated with average temperature (P<0.05) ; There was a positive correlation among PM_2.5, PM₁₀, SO₂, CO, NO₂, and O₃ (P<0.05) ; Elevated PM_2.5 is an independent risk factor for decreased lung function and increased air pollutants (P<0.05) ; At lag0 and lag1, PM_2.5 concentration was negatively correlated with lung function in a dose-response manner (P<0.05); daily average PM_2.5 concentration at lag0 was a dangerous effect (P<0.05). Conclusion The impact of PM_2.5 concentration on lung function has a certain time lag. An increase in PM_2.5 concentrations can lead to a decline in lung function.

Based on the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) theory of "kidney-brain interaction", a two-sample Mendelian randomization(MR) analysis was conducted to investigate the causal effects of chronic kidney disease(CKD) on Alzheimer's disease(AD) and analyze the potential mechanisms of kidney-tonifying and essence-replenishing TCM to improve AD. From the perspective that CKD is closely related to the core pathogenesis of AD, namely "kidney deficiency, essence loss, and marrow reduction", genome-wide association study(GWAS) data was used, with the inverse variance weighting(IVW) method as the main approach to reveal the causal association between CKD and AD. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to evaluate the robustness of the results. To further investigate the causal effects of CKD on AD, two different AD datasets were used as outcomes, and the urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio(UACR) data was used as the exposure for a supplementary analysis. On this basis, the modern scientific mechanism of the kidney-tonifying and essence-replenishing method for improving AD was further explored. The IVW analysis show that CKD(ieu-b-2: OR=1.084, 95%CI[1.011, 1.163], P=0.024; ieu-b-5067: OR=1.001, 95%CI[1.000, 1.001], P=0.002) and UACR(ieu-b-2: OR=1.247, 95%CI[1.021, 1.522], P=0.031; ieu-b-5067: OR=1.001, 95%CI[1.000, 1.003], P=0.015) both have significant causal effects on AD in different datasets, with CKD increasing the risk of AD. The sensitivity analysis further confirmed the reliability of the results. Genetic studies have shown that CKD has a significant causal effect on AD, suggesting that controlling CKD is an important intervention measure for preventing and treating AD. Therefore, further research on CKD's role in AD is crucial in clinical practice. The research enriches the theoretical implication of "kidney-brain interaction", deepens the understanding of AD' etiology, and provides further insights and directions for the prevention and treatment of AD with TCM, specifically from a kidney-based perspective.
Humans ; Alzheimer Disease/genetics* ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic/genetics* ; Kidney/metabolism* ; Brain/physiopathology* ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Mendelian Randomization Analysis

Background: Hearing loss (HL) is one of the most common sensory disorders, affecting over 5-8% of the world's population. Approximately half of HL cases are attributed to genetic factors. In hereditary deafness, about 75-80% is inherited through autosomal recessive inheritance, and common pathogenic genes include GJB2 and SLC26A4. Pathogenic variants in the SLC26A4gene are the leading cause of hereditary hearing loss in humans, second only to the GJB2 gene. Variants in the SLC26A4gene cause hearing loss, which can be non-syndromic autosomal recessive deafness (DFNB4, OMIM #600791) associated with enlarged vestibular aqueduct (EVA) or Pendred syndrome (Pendred, OMIM #605646). DFNB4 is characterized by sensorineural hearing loss combined with EVA or less common cochlear malformation defect. Pendred syndrome is characterized by bilateral sensorineural hearing loss with EVA and an iodine defect that can lead to thyroid goiter. Currently, it is known that EVA is associated with variants in the SLC26A4 gene and is a penetrant feature of SLC26A4-related HL. Predominant mutations in these genes differ significantly across populations. For instance, predominant SLC26A4 mutations differ among populations, including p.T416P and c.1001G>A in Caucasians, p.H723R in Japanese and Koreans, and c.919-2A>G in Han Taiwanese and Han Chinese. On the other hand, there has been no study of hearing loss related to SLC26A4 gene variants among Mongolians, which is the basis of our research. Aim: We aimed to identify the characteristics of the SLC26A4 gene variants in Mongolian people with Enlarged vestibular aqueduct and Mondini malformation. Materials and Methods: In 2022-2024, We included 13 people with hearing loss and enlarged vestibular aqueduct, incomplete cochlea (1.5 turns of the cochlea with cystic apex- incomplete partition type II- Mondini malformation) were examined by CT scan of the temporal bone in our study. WES (Whole exome sequencing) analysis was performed in the Genetics genetic-laboratory of the National Taiwan University Hospital. Results: Genetic analysis revealed 26 confirmed pathogenic variants of bi-allelic SLC26A4 gene of 8 different types in 13 cases, and c.919-2A>G variant was dominant with 46% (12/26) in allele frequency, and c.2027T>A (p.L676Q) variant 19% (5/26), c.1318A>T(p.K440X) variant 11% (3/26), c.1229C>T (p.T410M) variant 8% (2/26) ) , c.716T>A (p.V239D), c.281C>T (p.T94I), c.1546dupC, and c.1975G>C (p.V659L) variants were each 4% (1/26)- revealed. Two male children, 11 years old (SLC26A4: c.919-2A>G) and 7 years old (SLC26A4: c.919-2A>G:, SLC26A4: c.2027T>A (p.L676Q))had history of born normal hearing and progressive hearing loss. Conclusions 1. 26 variants of bi-allelic SLC26A4 gene mutation were detected in Mongolian people with EVA and Mondini malformation, and c.919-2A>G was the most dominant allele variant, and rare variants such as c.1546dupC, c.716T>A (p.V239D) were detected. 2. Our study shows that whole-exome sequencing (WES) can identify gene mutations that are not detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or NGS analysis.

Background/Aims: Treatment indications for patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) remain contentious, particularly for patients with mild alanine aminotransferase (ALT) elevation. We aimed to evaluate treatment effects in this patient population. Methods: This rollover study extended a placebo-controlled trial that enrolled non-cirrhotic patients with CHB and ALT levels below two times the upper limit of normal. Following 3 years of randomized intervention with either tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) or placebo, participants were rolled over to open-label TDF for 3 years. Liver biopsies were performed before and after the treatment to evaluate histopathological changes. Virological, biochemical, and serological outcomes were also assessed (NCT02463019). Results: Of 146 enrolled patients (median age 47 years, 80.8% male), 123 completed the study with paired biopsies. Overall, the Ishak fibrosis score decreased in 74 (60.2%), remained unchanged in 32 (26.0%), and increased in 17 (13.8%) patients (p<0.0001). The Knodell necroinflammation score decreased in 58 (47.2%), remained unchanged in 29 (23.6%), and increased in 36 (29.3%) patients (p=0.0038). The proportion of patients with an Ishak score ≥ 3 significantly decreased from 26.8% (n=33) to 9.8% (n=12) (p=0.0002). Histological improvements were more pronounced in patients switching from placebo. Virological and biochemical outcomes also improved in placebo switchers and remained stable in patients who continued TDF. However, serum HBsAg levels did not change and no patient cleared HBsAg. Conclusions In CHB patients with minimally raised ALT, favorable histopathological, biochemical, and virological outcomes were observed following 3-year TDF treatment, for both treatment-naïve patients and those already on therapy.