ObjectiveTo explore the therapeutic effect of Xuebijing injection （XBJ） on severe acute pancreatitis induced acute lung injury （SAP-ALI） by regulating formyl peptide receptors （FPRs）/nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor 3 （NLRP3） inflammatory pathway. MethodsSixty rats were randomly divided into a sham group， a SAP-ALI model group， low-， medium-， and high-dose XBJ groups （4， 8， and 12 mL·kg^-1）， and a positive drug （BOC2， 0.2 mg·kg^-1） group. For the sham group， the pancreas of rats was only gently flipped after laparotomy， and then the abdomen was closed， while for the remaining five groups， SAP-ALI rat models were established by retrograde injection of 5% sodium taurocholate （Na-Tc） via the biliopancreatic duct. XBJ and BOC2 were administered via intraperitoneal injection once daily for 3 d prior to modeling and 0.5 h after modeling. Blood was collected from the abdominal aorta 6 h after the completion of modeling， and the expression of interleukin （IL）-1β， IL-6， and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） in plasma was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The amount of ascites was measured， and the dry-wet weight ratios of pancreatic and lung tissue were determined. Pancreatic and lung tissue was taken for hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining to observe pathological changes and then scored. The protein expression levels of FPR1， FPR2， and NLRP3 in lung tissue were detected by the immunohistochemical method. Western blot was used to detect the expression of FPR1， FPR2， and NLRP3 in lung tissue. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to detect the mRNA expression of FPR1， FPR2， and NLRP3 in lung tissue. ResultsCompared with the sham group， the SAP-ALI model group showed significantly decreased dry-wet weight ratio of lung tissue （P<0.01）， serious pathological changes of lung tissue， a significantly increased pathological score （P<0.01）， and significantly increased protein and mRNA expression levels of FPR1， FPR2， and NLRP3 in lung tissue （P<0.01）. After BOC2 intervention， the above detection indicators were significantly reversed （P<0.01）. After treatment with XBJ， the groups of different XBJ doses achieved results consistent with BOC2 intervention. ConclusionXBJ can effectively improve the inflammatory response of the lungs in SAP-ALI rats and reduce damage. The mechanism may be related to inhibiting the expression of FPRs and NLRP3 in lung tissue， which thereby reduces IL-1β and simultaneously antagonize the release of inflammatory factors IL-6 and TNF-α.

Linxian County in Henan Province, Northern China is known as the region with the highest incidence and mortality rate of esophageal cancer worldwide. Since 1959, the Henan medical team has conducted field work on esophageal cancer prevention and treatment in Linxian. Through three generations of effort exerted by oncologists over 65 years of research on esophageal cancer prevention and treatment in Linxian, the incidence rate of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in this area has dropped by nearly 50%, and the 5-year survival rate has increased to 40%, reaching the international leading level. This article aims to summarize the history, present opportunities and new challenges, and explore the experience of esophageal cancer prevention and treatment in Linxian (referred to as the “Linxian experience”), providing reference and guidance to cancer prevention and treatment research in China.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of Haematococcus pluvialis (HP) on bleomycin (BLM)-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice and on TGF-β1-induced human fetal lung fibroblasts (HFL1). METHODS: Thirty male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into control group, BLM-induced pulmonary fibrosis model group, low- and high-dose HP treatment groups (3 and 21 mg/kg, respectively), and 300 mg/kg pirfenidone (positive control) group. The effects of drug treatment for 21 days were assessed by examining respiratory function, lung histopathology, and expression of fibrosis markers in the lung tissues of the mouse models. In TGF-β1-induced HFL1 cell cultures, the effects of treatment with 120, 180 and 240 μg/mL HP or 1.85 μg/mL pirfenidone for 48 h on expression levels of fibrosis markers were evaluated. Transcriptome analysis was carried out using the control cells and cells treated with TGF-β1 and 240 μg/mL HP. RESULTS: HP obviously alleviated BLM-induced lung function damage and fibrotic changes in mice, evidenced by improved respiratory function, lung tissue morphology and structure, inflammatory infiltration, and collagen deposition and reduced expressions of fibrotic proteins. HP at the high dose produced similar effect to PFD. In TGF-β1-induced HFL1 cells, treatment with 240 μg/mL HP significantly reduced the mRNA and protein expression levels of α-SMA and FN. Transcriptome analysis revealed that multiple key genes and pathways mediated the protective effect of HP against pulmonary fibrosis. CONCLUSIONS HP alleviates pulmonary fibrosis in both the mouse model and cell model, possibly as the result of the synergistic effects of its multiple active components.
Animals ; Pulmonary Fibrosis/chemically induced* ; Bleomycin/adverse effects* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Male ; Mice ; Fibroblasts/drug effects* ; Lung/pathology* ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1/pharmacology* ; Myofibroblasts/drug effects* ; Humans ; Pyridones

Schizophrenia (SZ) stands as a severe psychiatric disorder. This study applied diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data in conjunction with graph neural networks to distinguish SZ patients from normal controls (NCs) and showcases the superior performance of a graph neural network integrating combined fractional anisotropy and fiber number brain network features, achieving an accuracy of 73.79% in distinguishing SZ patients from NCs. Beyond mere discrimination, our study delved deeper into the advantages of utilizing white matter brain network features for identifying SZ patients through interpretable model analysis and gene expression analysis. These analyses uncovered intricate interrelationships between brain imaging markers and genetic biomarkers, providing novel insights into the neuropathological basis of SZ. In summary, our findings underscore the potential of graph neural networks applied to multimodal DTI data for enhancing SZ detection through an integrated analysis of neuroimaging and genetic features.
Humans ; Schizophrenia/pathology* ; Diffusion Tensor Imaging/methods* ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Brain/metabolism* ; Young Adult ; Middle Aged ; White Matter/pathology* ; Gene Expression ; Nerve Net/diagnostic imaging* ; Graph Neural Networks

Endothelial dysfunction is a key factor linking obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) with cardiovascular diseases. In this study, we used advanced proteomics and metabolomics approaches to investigate the impact of extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from the serum of OSAHS patients on endothelial function. Our multi-omics analysis identified dysregulated pathways related to fatty acid metabolism, apoptosis regulation, and inflammatory responses, highlighting fatty acid synthase (FASN) as a crucial player in OSAHS-induced endothelial dysfunction. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated that FASN-enriched EVs impair endothelial cell viability and disrupt metabolic homeostasis, offering new insights for the development of targeted therapies for cardiovascular complications associated with OSAHS.

Objective To explore the causal relationship between inflammatory protein markers and the risk of colorectal cancer using a Mendelian randomization(MR)approach.Methods We obtained data pertaining to colorectal cancer from Genome-Wide Association Study(GWAS)datasets and used 91 inflammatory protein markers as the exposure variables.A two-sample MR analysis model was used to assess the causal link between the inflammatory markers and colorectal cancer risk.The robustness of the results was evaluated through heterogeneity,pleiotropy,and sensitivity analyses using 5 MR models:Inverse Variance Weighted(IVW),Weighted Median,MR Egger,Simple Mode,and Weighted Mode.We examined the mRNA expressions of PD-L1,AXIN1,and β-NGF using RT-qPCR in 86 untreated patients with colorectal adenocarcinoma admitted in Nanfang Hospital between December,2021 and December 2023,and analyzed their correlation with the clinical characteristics of the patients.Results Using the IVW model,MR analysis revealed significant causal associations between a reduced risk of colorectal cancer and lowered expressions of AXIN1(OR=0.866,95%CI:0.754-0.994,P=0.040),β-NGF(OR=0.914,95%CI:0.843-0.990,P=0.028;OR=0.884,95%CI:0.784-0.998,P=0.047 using Weighted Median model),and PD-L1(OR=0.903,95%CI:0.824-0.989,P=0.028).No significant heterogeneity or pleiotropy was observed,indicating good stability of the results.Sensitivity analysis confirmed the reliability of the findings.The clinical study demonstrated a significant correlation between PD-L1 expression and TNM staging,particularly in stage IV patients(P=0.007).AXIN1 and β-NGF expression levels were significantly correlated with the degree of tumor differentiation,and their expressions were higher in poorly differentiated samples(P<0.001).Conclusion Lowered expressions of inflammatory protein markers AXIN1,β-NGF,and PD-L1 are causally correlated with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer and their expression levels are associated with TNM staging and tumor differentiation.These markers may thus serve as potential targets for colorectal cancer treatment and prevention.

Objective To explore the causal relationship between inflammatory protein markers and the risk of colorectal cancer using a Mendelian randomization(MR)approach.Methods We obtained data pertaining to colorectal cancer from Genome-Wide Association Study(GWAS)datasets and used 91 inflammatory protein markers as the exposure variables.A two-sample MR analysis model was used to assess the causal link between the inflammatory markers and colorectal cancer risk.The robustness of the results was evaluated through heterogeneity,pleiotropy,and sensitivity analyses using 5 MR models:Inverse Variance Weighted(IVW),Weighted Median,MR Egger,Simple Mode,and Weighted Mode.We examined the mRNA expressions of PD-L1,AXIN1,and β-NGF using RT-qPCR in 86 untreated patients with colorectal adenocarcinoma admitted in Nanfang Hospital between December,2021 and December 2023,and analyzed their correlation with the clinical characteristics of the patients.Results Using the IVW model,MR analysis revealed significant causal associations between a reduced risk of colorectal cancer and lowered expressions of AXIN1(OR=0.866,95%CI:0.754-0.994,P=0.040),β-NGF(OR=0.914,95%CI:0.843-0.990,P=0.028;OR=0.884,95%CI:0.784-0.998,P=0.047 using Weighted Median model),and PD-L1(OR=0.903,95%CI:0.824-0.989,P=0.028).No significant heterogeneity or pleiotropy was observed,indicating good stability of the results.Sensitivity analysis confirmed the reliability of the findings.The clinical study demonstrated a significant correlation between PD-L1 expression and TNM staging,particularly in stage IV patients(P=0.007).AXIN1 and β-NGF expression levels were significantly correlated with the degree of tumor differentiation,and their expressions were higher in poorly differentiated samples(P<0.001).Conclusion Lowered expressions of inflammatory protein markers AXIN1,β-NGF,and PD-L1 are causally correlated with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer and their expression levels are associated with TNM staging and tumor differentiation.These markers may thus serve as potential targets for colorectal cancer treatment and prevention.

Objective To explore the probability and associated factors of pulmonary fibrosis in 350 cases of elderly pneumonia. Methods Elderly patients who received diagnosis and treatment at Changzhi Medical College Affiliated Peace Hospital from January 2018 to December 2022 were selected, and 350 patients who met the criteria were included in the study. Analyze its clinical data, incidence of pulmonary fibrosis, and analyze the relationship between the two. Results The average age of 350 patients was (63.51 ± 5.74) years old; 219 cases were common type , 72 cases were severe type, and 59 cases were critically ill. At admission, the CT signs were: ground glass in 66 cases (18.86%) , paving stone in 37 cases (10.57%), consolidation in 73 cases (20.86%), nodules in 93 cases (26.57%) , fried egg sign in 20 cases (5.71%) , and mosaic sign in 61 cases (17.43%). At discharge, the lesion signs were as follows: 61 cases (17.43%) had no lesions, 207 cases (59.14%) maintained the original lesion signs, and 82 cases (23.43%) evolved into other signs. 76 cases of pulmonary fibrosis were discharged, with an incidence rate of 21.71%. There were significant differences in the incidence of pulmonary fibrosis among patients with different ages, lesion evolution during treatment, lesion signs at discharge, and clinical stages (all P<0.001). Pulmonary fibrosis is positively correlated with age (P=0.047), lesion signs at discharge (P=0.032), and clinical classification (P=0.010). The incidence of lesions presenting as paving stones (P=0.014) and fibrosis in critically ill patients (P=0.013) at discharge is higher. Age increase (P=0.047) , wide range of lesions at admission (P=0.042), evolution of lesions into other signs at discharge (P=0.016), and clinical classification as severe (P=0.008) or critically ill (P=0.021) are independent risk factors for the development of pulmonary fibrosis in elderly pneumonia patients. Conclusion The incidence of pulmonary fibrosis in elderly patients exceeds 20%. Increasing age, wide range of lesions upon admission, evolution of lesions into other signs upon discharge, and clinical classification as severe or critically ill are independent risk factors for the occurrence of pulmonary fibrosis in elderly pneumonia patients.