Background High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) is a sensitive biomarker for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and can independently predict the risk of cardiovascular events. Although the association between per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure and CVD risk has been widely reported, studies on the association between hs-CRP and PFAS remain limited. Objective To investigate the association between PFAS and hs-CRP levels, to provide a scientific basis for early identification and prevention of environment-related cardiovascular events. Methods This study utilized data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database (2015–2018). Based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 3219 participants were included for subsequent analysis. Five PFAS with detection rates exceeding 90% were selected as exposure factors and log-transformed (lnPFAS) for subsequent analysis, including perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), and perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA). After selecting potential confounders through a change-in-estimate approach, logistic regression was employed to examine the effects of individual PFAS on serum hs-CRP level. Additionally, quantile g-computation and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) were applied to assess the combined effects of PFAS mixtures on hs-CRP. Results The study included 3219 participants with a mean age of (50.4±17.6) years, of whom 1554 (48.28%) were male. The median concentrations of the five PFAS compounds were: 1.20 ng·mL⁻¹ (PFHxS), 0.50 ng·mL⁻¹ (PFNA), 1.50 ng·mL⁻¹ (PFOA), 5.20 ng·mL⁻¹ (PFOS), and 0.20 ng·mL⁻¹ (PFDA). The Wilcoxon rank-sum tests revealed statistically significant differences between the elevated serum hs-CRP (≥2 mg·L⁻¹) and normal (<2 mg·L⁻¹) groups for all five PFAS compounds (PFHxS: P=0.005; PFNA: P=0.009; PFOA: P<0.001; PFOS: P<0.001; PFDA: P<0.001). After adjusting for potential confounders, the analysis of individual PFAS exposure demonstrated significant negative associations between serum hs-CRP levels and both ln-PFOS (OR: 0.87; 95%CI: 0.79, 0.96; P=0.0036) and lnPFDA (OR: 0.78; 95%CI: 0.71, 0.86; P < 0.001). The joint effect analysis using quantile g-computation revealed an overall inverse association between PFAS mixtures and hs-CRP, with lnPFDA emerging as a primary contributor; an similar association was observed in males, but not significant in females. Further evaluation through BKMR showed that when PFAS mixture concentrations reached or exceeded P₇₀, their combined effect on hs-CRP became significantly lower than when all PFAS concentrations were at P₅₀, establishing a clear negative dose-response relationship. Conclusion The mixed exposure to PFAS showed a significant negative joint effect on serum hs-CRP levels, with PFDA being the key component contributing to this combined effect. Future prospective cohort studies are warranted to further validate these findings and elucidate the underlying mechanisms involved.

ObjectiveTo objectively analyze the effects of traditional Chinese Medicine （TCM） multi-channel intervention on the ovarian function，TCM syndromes and natural conception of poor ovarian responders（kidney-Yin deficiency，liver depression and blood stasis pattern） who planned to receive another in vitro fertilization embryo transfer（IVF-ET）antagonist regimen. MethodThe 128 low-prognosis patients （kidney Yin deficiency，liver depression and blood stasis pattern） who attended the West China Second University Hospital， Sichuan University and the Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from August 2020 to February 2023 and met the inclusion criteria were selected，and then divided into the treatment group and the control group according to the random number table，with 64 patients in each group. The control group was treated with oral dehydroepiandrosterone（DHEA），while the treatment group was treated with multi-channel TCM（oral TCM decoction + auricular point sticking + Bushen Huoxue prescription through retention enema）. After 3 menstrual cycles，the relevant indicators for ovarian function evaluation，TCM syndrome scores and natural conception were collected from both groups. ResultCompared with the situation before treatment，the basal follicle stimulating hormone（bFSH），bFSH/basal luteinizing hormone（bLH），basal estradiol（bE₂），antral follicle count（AFC），the number of oocytes obtained，the number of normal fertilization，the number of superior embryos and TCM syndrome scores in the treatment group were improved after treatment（P<0.05，P<0.01）. For the control group， the bFSH/bLH and TCM syndrome scores were increased after treatment（P<0.05）， while the bFSH，bFSH/bLH，bE₂，AFC，the number of oocytes obtained，the number of normal fertilization，and the number of superior embryos showed no significant difference after treatment. Compared with the control group after treatment，bFSH，bFSH/bLH，bE₂，AFC，the number of normal fertilization，the number of superior embryos and TCM syndrome scores in the treatment group were better （P<0.05，P<0.01），while there was no significant difference in the number of oocytes obtained. After treatment，there were 3 cases of natural conception in the treatment group，while there were no natural conception in the control group. ConclusionFor patients with poor ovarian response and kidney Yin deficiency，liver depression and blood stasis pattern，multi-channel intervention of TCM plus the antagonist regimen can reduce bFSH，bFSH/bLH values，improve the levels of bE₂，increase AFC，the number of oocytes obtained，the number of normal fertilization and the number of superior embryos，improve ovarian function，menstruation and TCM syndromes，improve their quality of life，and even enable some patients to get pregnant naturally before re-progression and improve their pregnancy outcome.

ObjectiveTo objectively evaluate the clinical efficacy of multiple therapies of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） in low-prognosis patients who received antagonist protocol for in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer （IVF-ET） again. MethodA total of 128 patients with kidney Yin deficiency， liver depression， and blood stasis who planned to receive antagonist protocol for IVF-ET in the West China Second Hospital of Sichuan University were enrolled and assigned into two groups by random number table method. The observation group （64 casces） was treated by oral administration of Chinese medicine decoction + enema of kidney-tonifying and blood-activating method + auricular point sticking + oral administration of dehydroepiandrosterone （DHEA）， while the control group （64 casces） was treated by only oral administration of DHEA. After treatment for three menstrual cycles， both groups received the antagonist protocol for IVF-ET. The TCM syndrome scores， basic sex hormone levels， antral follicle count （AFC）， the usage of gonadotropin （Gn）， endometrial receptivity indicators， embryo quality indicators， and pregnancy outcomes were compared between the two groups. ResultAfter treatment， the observation group showed decreased follicle-stimulating hormone （FSH）/luteinizing hormone （LH） ratio， lowered level of estradiol （E₂）， increased AFC， decreased amount and days of Gn usage， improved endometrial receptivity indicators （endometrial thickness on trigger and ET days， proportion of endometrial type A in endometrial types and the level of E₂ on trigger day） and embryo quality indicators （the rates of mature follicles， fertilization， normal fertilization， and premium embryos）， and decreased TCM syndrome scores （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Moreover， the observation group had lower FSH/LH ratio， E₂ level， and amount of Gn usage， higher AFC， poorer endometrial receptivity and embryo quality indicators， and lower TCM syndrome scores than the control group after treatment （P<0.05， P<0.01）. In addition， except for 3 cases of natural pregnancy， the observation group outperformed the control group in terms of improving the clinical pregnancy rates during initiation cycle and transplantation cycle and clinical pregnancy rate and decreasing biochemical pregnancy rate and early abortion rate （P<0.05）. ConclusionCombined therapies of TCM can alleviate the clinical symptoms， reduce TCM syndrome scores， reduce the Gn usage amount， improve the number and quality of embryos and endometrial receptivity， and coordinate the synchronous development of endometrium and embryo. In this way， they can increase the clinical pregnancy rate and reduce biochemical pregnancy rate and early abortion rate in the low prognosis patients with kidney yin deficiency， liver depression， and blood stasis who are undergoing IVF-ET again.

BACKGROUND:Multiple sclerosis is a chronic inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system mediated by T cells.The Toll-like receptors(TLRs)/myeloid differentiation factor 88(MyD88)/nuclear factor kappa-B(NF-κB)signaling pathway plays an important role in the development of the disease.Exploring the specific mechanism of the signaling pathway is essential for further treatment of the disease and improving the prognosis of patients. OBJECTIVE:To review the TLRs/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway and its role in multiple sclerosis/experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis models,which provides new ideas and strategies for the treatment of multiple sclerosis by inhibiting the TLRs/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway. METHODS:The literature related to the topic from January 2002 to December 2022 was searched in CNKI,WanFang and PubMed databases.A total of 61 articles were finally included for analysis. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The TLRs/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway is an important pathway that triggers a pro-inflammatory immune response.The TLRs/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway plays an important role in the development of multiple sclerosis by regulating the antigen presentation of dendritic cells,destroying the integrity of the blood-brain barrier,and promoting the activation of T cells,B cells and microglia.By targeting TLRs,MyD88 and NF-κB molecules,inhibiting the activation or signal transduction of TLRs,MyD88 and NF-κB,and reducing the secretion of pro-inflammatory factors,multiple sclerosis can be treated.Animal studies have shown that active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicines,such as flavonoids and glycosides,and traditional Chinese medicine compound formulas,such as Buyang Huanwu Tang,can also treat experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis by regulating the TLRs/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway,which points to the direction of searching for medicines targeting the TLRs/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway for the treatment of multiple sclerosis.

BACKGROUND:Astrocytes play an important role in the pathology of central nervous system diseases.The phenotypic and functional changes in astrocytes suggest that it may be an effective therapeutic target for central nervous system diseases.Our previous studies have confirmed that astragaloside can inhibit the lipopolysaccharide-induced astrocyte inflammatory response.Whether astragaloside can regulate the phenotype and function of astrocytes through Notch-1 and its downstream signaling pathway remains unclear. OBJECTIVE:To explore the effect of astragaloside on astrocyte activation and inflammatory response induced by inflammation and its possible mechanism. METHODS:Cerebral cortex astrocytes derived from neonatal C57BL/6 mouse were cultured in vitro.CCK-8 assay was used to determine the optimum concentration of astragaloside and Notch active inhibitor DAPT.The astrocytes were divided into five groups:PBS group,lipopolysaccharide group,lipopolysaccharide + astragaloside group,lipopolysaccharide + DAPT group and lipopolysaccharide + DAPT + astragaloside group.The secretion level of inflammatory factors was detected by ELISA,and the level of nitric oxide was detected by Griess method.The astrocytes and splenic mononuclear cells were co-cultured in Transwell chamber to observe the migration of CD4T cells.The expression of astrocyte activation marker GFAP,A1 marker C3 and A2 marker S100A10 as well as Notch 1 and Jag-1 was detected by immunofluorescence staining.The expressions of CFB,C3,S100A10,PTX3,Notch-1,Jag-1,and Hes were detected by western blot assay. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)According to the results of CCK8 assay,the final concentration of astragaloside was selected as 25 μmol/L and the final concentration of DAPT was 50 μmol/L for follow-up experiments.(2)Compared with PBS group,interleukin-6,interleukin-12 and nitric oxide secretion levels in the lipopolysaccharide group were significantly increased(P<0.05,P<0.05,P<0.01).Compared with the lipopolysaccharide group,interleukin-6(all P<0.05),interleukin-12(P>0.05,P<0.05,P<0.05)and nitric oxide(P<0.05,P<0.01,P<0.01)secretion significantly reduced in the lipopolysaccharide + astragaloside group,lipopolysaccharide +DAPT group,lipopolysaccharide + DAPT + astragaloside group.(3)Compared with the PBS group,the expression of GFAP that is the marker of activated astrocytes and the migration of CD4 T cells were significantly increased in the lipopolysaccharide group(P<0.01).Compared with the lipopolysaccharide group,astrocyte activation was significantly inhibited and CD4 T cell migration was significantly reduced in the lipopolysaccharide + astragaloside,lipopolysaccharide +DAPT,lipopolysaccharide + DAPT + astragaloside group(P<0.05,P<0.05,P<0.01).(4)Compared with the PBS group,the expressions of A1 markers C3 and CFB in the lipopolysaccharide group were increased(P<0.01,P<0.05),and the expressions of A2 markers S100A10 and PTX3 were decreased(P<0.01,P<0.05).Compared with the lipopolysaccharide group,C3(all P<0.01)and CFB(both P<0.05)were significantly reduced and S100A10(all P<0.01)and PTX3(P<0.05,P<0.05 and P>0.05)were increased in the lipopolysaccharide + astragaloside,lipopolysaccharide +DAPT,lipopolysaccharide + DAPT + astragaloside group.(5)Compared with the PBS group,the expressions of Jag-1,Notch-1 and Hes in the lipopolysaccharide group were significantly increased(all P<0.01).Compared with the lipopolysaccharide group,the expressions of Jag-1(all P<0.01),Notch-1(all P<0.01)and Hes(P<0.05,P<0.01 and P<0.01)were significantly reduced in the lipopolysaccharide + astragaloside,lipopolysaccharide +DAPT,lipopolysaccharide + DAPT + astragaloside group.(6)The results indicate that astragaloside can promote the transformation of astrocytes from A1 to A2 by regulating Notch-1 signaling pathway,reduce the secretion of inflammatory factors and the migration of CD4 T cells,and thus inhibit astrocyte activation and inflammatory response.

AIM:To investigate the molecular mechanism of a novel bromobenzene substituted trifluoromethylbenzo Cyclopentanone WW02 inhib-iting the viability and proliferation of human lung cancer A549 and H1299 cells.METHODS:The ef-fect of different concentrations of WW02(6.25,12.5,25,50 μg/mL)on cell viability and prolifera-tion of A549 and H1299 were measured using CCK-8 and EdU methods.After 24 hours of stimulation of A549 and H1299 cells with different concentra-tions of WW02,the changes in Akt and mTOR phos-phorylation levels under different concentrations of WW02 were detected through Western blot as-say.Macromolecular docking was carried out be-tween WW02,AKT and mTOR through MOE Dock.RESULTS:After treating A549 and H1299 cells with WW02 using different concentrations(6.25,12.5,25,50 μg/mL),the activity of A549 and H1299 cells decreased in a concentration dependent manner compared with the DMSO control group(P<0.05).The proliferation of cells showed a concentration dependent decrease compared to the DMSO con-trol group(P<0.05).Compared with the DMSO con-trol group,after 24 hours of WW02 stimulation,the phosphorylation levels of Akt and mTOR in A549 cells decreased under the concentration of WW02(12.5,25,50 μg/mL,P<0.05).Compared with the DMSO control group,the phosphorylation levels of Akt and mTOR in H1299 cells decreased af-ter 24 hours of WW02 stimulation(25,50 μg/mL,P<0.05).Based on pattern analysis,it was found that WW02 had a strong binding with Akt and mTOR,with the highest score of-8.3 kcal/mol for WW02 and mTOR,while the highest score for WW02 and Akt was-7.3 kcal/mol.CONCLUSION:WW02 inhib-its the activity and proliferation of lung cancer A549 and H1299 cells,and its mechanism of action may be achieved by directly binding to Akt and mTOR proteins to inhibit Akt and mTOR phosphory-lation.

Objective:To investigate the predictive value of the quantitative parameters of dual-layer detector spectral CT in arterial and venous phases for the differentiation degree and the E-cadherin protein expression of gastric cancer.Methods:This was a cross-sectional study. The preoperative data from the dual-layer detector spectral CT images among 183 patients with gastric adenocarcinoma confirmed by operation and pathology was retrospectively analyzed from October 2021 to October 2022 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University. According to the differentiation degree and E-cadherin protein expression of gastric cancer, all patients were divided into the moderately well differentiated group ( n=82) and the poorly differentiated group ( n=101), as well as the E-cadherin-negative group ( n=80) and the E-cadherin-positive group ( n=103). The CT images in arterial and venous phases were used to reconstruct the virtual monoenergetic images (VMI) at 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, and 100 keV, effective atomic number (Z eff) images and iodine concentration (IC) images. The CT values (CT keV) from VMI, Z eff and IC were measured, and the normalized Z eff (NZ eff) and the normalized IC (NIC) were calculated. Independent-sample t test or Mann-Whitney U test were used to compare the differences in quantitative parameters between groups. The logistic regression analysis was used to screen for the independent predictors, after which a combined prediction model was constructed. The receiver operating characteristic curves were used to evaluate the predictive efficiency of the parameters for the differentiation degree and the E-cadherin protein expression of gastric cancer. Results:There were statistically significant differences in CT 40 keV to CT 70 keV, NZ eff and NIC in dual-phase, as well as Z eff and IC in the venous phase between the moderately well differentiated group and the poorly differentiated group ( P<0.05). The combined prediction model was constructed by CT 40 keV ( OR=1.03, 95% CI 1.02-1.05, P<0.001) in arterial phase and CT 40 keV ( OR=1.05, 95% CI 1.03-1.07, P<0.001) and Z eff ( OR=1.32, 95% CI 1.06-1.65, P=0.015) in venous phase, of which the area under the curve (AUC) for the prediction of the moderately-well group and the poor group was 0.932 (95% CI 0.897-0.967), with a sensitivity of 90.1% and a specificity of 85.4%. Between the E-cadherin-negative group and the E-cadherin-positive group, CT 40 keV and NZ eff in arterial phase, as well as CT 40 keV to CT 70 keV, Z eff, NZ eff, IC and NIC in venous phase, had statistically significant differences ( P<0.05). The AUC for the combined prediction model established by CT 40 keV ( OR=1.02, 95% CI 1.01-1.04, P<0.001) and Z eff ( OR=1.33, 95% CI 1.09-1.63, P=0.006) in venous phase was 0.800 (95% CI 0.736-0.864), with a sensitivity of 95.0% and a specificity of 60.2%. Conclusion:The combined prediction model from the quantitative parameters of dual-layer spectral detector CT can be used to predict the differentiation degree and the E-cadherin protein expression of gastric cancer preoperatively.

Tumor suppressor gene p53 plays an important role in regulating cell cycle, controlling apoptosis and repairing damaged DNA. Mutation of this gene is closely related to the occurrence, development and drug resistance of various tumors. The mutant p53 protein is closely related to the growth and metastasis of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) with higher malignancy and higher risk of metastasis. This paper expounds the mechanism of p53 protein participating in the occurrence, development and metastasis of TNBC, introduces the effect of interfering with mouse dual-microbody gene 2 (MDM2), activated T cell nuclear factor 1 (NFAT1) and other proteins on p53, as well as small molecular targeted drugs closely related to p53 protein, and provides a new direction and theoretical basis for targeted treatment of TNBC.

At present, breast cancer is one of the main causes of death for women in the world. In recent years, the incidence rate of breast cancer in China has also been rising. Existing studies have shown that the most fully studied gene for breast cancer susceptibility is breast cancer susceptibility gene 1/2 (BRCA1/2), and other genes related to the increased risk of breast cancer have also been confirmed, including cell-cycle-checkpoint kinase gene 2 (CHEK2), which is a tumor suppressor gene encoding serine/Threonine kinase CHEK2. The gene is involved in DNA repair, cell cycle regulation, apoptosis and other DNA damage response pathways. This article reviews the research status of CHEK2 gene and its important role in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer.

Objective:To analyze the relationship between ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at rs1801516 and rs1800054 and sporadic breast cancer (SBC) in Inner Mongolia.Methods:A total of 102 patients with SBC (72 Han and 30 Mongolian) who were admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University from January 2018 to September 2019 were prospectively collected as case group and 102 healthy women (72 Han and 30 Mongolian) during the same period as control group. 2 ml of venous blood was collected to extract DNA. According to the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Database (dbSNP), the highly polymorphic sites rs1801516 and rs1800054 of ATM gene were selected. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and direct sequencing were used to detect the polymorphism of the two sites, and the correlation between the single nucleotide polymorphism of the two sites and the susceptibility of SBC in Inner Mongolia was analyzed. The potential association between clinicopathological factors and ATM gene polymorphism in patients with SBC in Inner Mongolia were explored.Results:GG, GA and AA genotypes were detected in rs1801516 locus of ATM gene. Only CC genotype was detected in the rs1800054 locus of ATM gene. There was no significant difference in the distribution of genotype frequency and allele frequency between Mongolian breast cancer group and Han breast cancer group, Mongolian control group and Han control group, Mongolian breast cancer group and Mongolian control group, Han breast cancer group and Han control group (all P>0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that allele G was the susceptibility gene of SBC in Inner Mongolia ( OR: 1.775, 95% CI: 1.04-3.03, P=0.04). ATM rs1801516 polymorphism may be associated with increased risk of breast cancer in patients with mass diameter ≤2 cm and/or without lymph node metastasis (all P<0.05). Conclusions:The polymorphism of ATM gene rs1801516 and rs1800054 may not be significantly correlated with the risk of SBC in Inner Mongolia. The rs1801516 locus may be associated with increased risk of breast cancer in patients with mass diameter ≤2 cm and/or without lymph node metastasis. Gene G may be one of the susceptible genes of SBC in Inner Mongolia.