Ferroptosis, a programmed cell death modality discovered and defined in the last decade, is primarily induced by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation. At present, it has been found that ferroptosis is involved in various physiological functions such as immune regulation, growth and development, aging, and tumor suppression. Especially its role in tumor biology has attracted extensive attention and research. Breast cancer is one of the most common female tumors, characterized by high heterogeneity and complex genetic background. Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a special type of breast cancer, which lacks conventional breast cancer treatment targets and is prone to drug resistance to existing chemotherapy drugs and has a low cure rate after progression and metastasis. There is an urgent need to find new targets or develop new drugs. With the increase of studies on promoting ferroptosis in breast cancer, it has gradually attracted attention as a treatment strategy for breast cancer. Some studies have found that certain compounds and natural products can act on TNBC, promote their ferroptosis, inhibit cancer cells proliferation, enhance sensitivity to radiotherapy, and improve resistance to chemotherapy drugs. To promote the study of ferroptosis in TNBC, this article summarized and reviewed the compounds and natural products that induce ferroptosis in TNBC and their mechanisms of action. We started with the exploration of the pathways of ferroptosis, with particular attention to the System X_c^--cystine-GPX4 pathway and iron metabolism. Then, a series of compounds, including sulfasalazine (SAS), metformin, and statins, were described in terms of how they interact with cells to deplete glutathione (GSH), thereby inhibiting the activity of glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) and preventing the production of lipid peroxidases. The disruption of the cellular defense against oxidative stress ultimately results in the death of TNBC cells. We have also our focus to the realm of natural products, exploring the therapeutic potential of traditional Chinese medicine extracts for TNBC. These herbal extracts exhibit multi-target effects and good safety, and have shown promising capabilities in inducing ferroptosis in TNBC cells. We believe that further exploration and characterization of these natural compounds could lead to the development of a new generation of cancer therapeutics. In addition to traditional chemotherapy, we discussed the role of drug delivery systems in enhancing the efficacy and reducing the toxicity of ferroptosis inducers. Nanoparticles such as exosomes and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) can improve the solubility and bioavailability of these compounds, thereby expanding their therapeutic potential while minimizing systemic side effects. Although preclinical data on ferroptosis inducers are relatively robust, their translation into clinical practice remains in its early stages. We also emphasize the urgent need for more in-depth and comprehensive research to understand the complex mechanisms of ferroptosis in TNBC. This is crucial for the rational design and development of clinical trials, as well as for leveraging ferroptosis to improve patient outcomes. Hoping the above summarize and review could provide references for the research and development of lead compounds for the treatment for TNBC.

Objective To explore the effects of electroacupuncture on motor function in Parkinson's disease(PD)model mice and NLRP3 inflammasome-related proteins in the midbrain substantia nigra(SN).Methods C57BL/6 mice were assigned to three groups according to the random number table method:control group,model group,and electroacupuncture(EA)group,12 mice per group.The PD model was reproduced by intragastric administration of rotenone solution 10 mg/(kg·d).EA group was administered at the three selected points,"Fengfu"(GV16),"Taichong"(LR3),and"Zusanli"(ST36),with a treatment cycle of 2 weeks.The control and model groups took the same time synchronous fixation operation for the control variable.Behavioral scores and open field tests were used to detect the exercise ability of mice in each group.Tyrosine hydroxylase(TH)and α-synuclein(α-syn)in the midbrain SN of mice in all groups were measured with an immunohistochemistry test.NLRP3 and cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase-1(Caspase-1)protein expression levels in the midbrain SN of mice in the three groups were measured using Western blotting,and interleukin-1β(IL-1β)content was determined with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Results Compared to the control group,the behavioral scores of the mice in the model group were higher(P<0.01).Compared to the model group,the behavioral scores of the mice in the EA group were lower(P<0.01).Compared to the control group,the time ratio of the relative rest state of the mice in the model group(<100 mm/s)increased significantly(P<0.01),while the time ratio of the slow motion(100～200 mm/s)and time ratio of the fast motion(>200 mm/s)state decreased significantly(P<0.01).Compared to the model group,the time ratio spent in the relative rest state of mice in the EA group decreased significantly(P<0.01),while the time ratio of the slow motion state and time ratio of the fast motion state and movement rate increased significantly(P<0.01).Compared to the control group,the TH expression level decreased in the SN in the model group(P<0.01),while α-syn increased(P<0.01).Compared to the model group,the TH expression level in the EA group increased(P<0.05),while α-syn decreased(P<0.05).Compared to the control group,the protein expressions of NLRP3 and Caspase-1 in the SN of the model group increased(P<0.01);compared to the model group,the expressions of NLRP3 and Caspase-1 in the SN of the midbrain of mice decreased after EA treatment(P<0.01).Compared to the control group,IL-1β in the SN of the mouse midbrain increased in the model group(P<0.01).Compared to the model group,IL-1β decreased in the EA group(P<0.05).Conclusion This experiment shows that stimulation of EA in"Fengfu","Taichong",and"Zusanli"can effectively reduce abnormal aggregation of the PD marker α-syn,increase TH expression,and enhance the motor dysfunction of PD model mice.The molecular mechanism is related to the regulation of the expression of NLRP3,Caspase-1,and IL-1β of inflammasome-related pathways.

Objective To explore the effect of Polysaccharides of Panax notoginseng(PPN)on anti-exercise fatigue in mice.Methods One hundred male KM mice were randomly divided into negative control group,positive control group and experimental-L,-M,-H groups,with 20 cases per group.Experimental-L,-M,-H groups was given 100,200,400 mg·kg-1 PPN,respectively;positive control group was given 200 mg·kg-1 vitamin C;negative control group was given 0.1 mL·10 g-1 0.9％NaCl.Five groups were gavaged once a day for 28 days.After the last administration,the loaded swimming time was measured;after 90 minutes of the unloaded swimming test,the mice were allowed to rest for 30 minutes,the levels of lactic acid(LD),blood urea nitrogen(BUN),glycogen,and malondialdehyde(MDA)were measured,the safety of PPN with organ indices and histopathology.Results LD levels in negative control group,positive control group and experimental-L,-M,-Hgroupswere(4.76±0.84),(2.86±0.34),(3.00±0.69),(2.35±0.65)and(1.39±0.48)mg·kg-1;BUN contents were(13.65±1.25),(12.55±0.91),(12.12±1.24),(11.06±1.30)and(9.85±1.05)mmol·L-1;liver glycogen contents were(3.24±0.56),(11.11±2.16),(5.61±1.41),(6.60±1.49)and(12.05±2.25)mg·g-1;MDA levels were(2.36±0.21),(1.23±0.41),(1.93±0.23),(1.73±0.21)and(1.04±0.18)mg prot·mL-1.Compared with negative control group,the differences of above indexes in the positive control group and experimental-L,-M,-H groups were statistically significant(P＜0.05,P＜0.01,P＜0.001).Conclusion PPN can increase exercise endurance in mice and has an anti-fatigue effect.This study provides a theoretical basis for the application of PPN in the field of anti-fatigue research.

Objective To study the antioxidant activity and organ protection of different components of Panax notoginseng polysaccharide(PNPS)in D-galactose-induced oxidative damage aging model mice.Methods KM mice were randomly divided into normal group,model group,vitamin C(VC)group(given 200 mg·kg-1 VC),crude polysaccharide from Panax notoginseng(CPPN)group,neutral polysaccharide from Panax notoginseng(NPPN)group and acidic polysaccharide from Panax notoginseng(APPN-Ⅰ,APPN-Ⅱ,APPN-Ⅲ)group(given 400 mg·kg-1 CPPN,NPPN,APPN-Ⅰ,APPN-Ⅱ,APPN-Ⅲ,respectively).Except for the normal group,oxidative injury aging mouse models were established by intraperitoneal injection of 1 g·kg-1 D-galactose.The mice were sacrificed after continuous administration for 42 days,and serum and liver homogenate were prepared.Malondialdehyde(MDA)was determined by thiobarbituric acid method;superoxide dismutase(SOD)was determined by tetrazole salt method;glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px)was determined by double antibody sandwich method.Results Serum SOD in the normal group,model group,VC group,CPPN group,NPPN group and APPN-Ⅰ,APPN-Ⅱ,APPN-Ⅲ groups were(15.07±0.69),(12.79±1.51),(15.56±1.01),(13.69±0.96),(14.27±0.64),(14.31±0.99),(14.18±0.79)and(15.85±0.89)U·mL-1;serum GSH-Px were(105.35±4.97),(90.36±4.31),(111.51±7.00),(113.03±8.06),(118.77±5.19),(123.60±8.08),(131.65±3.60)and(149.22±13.32)ng·L-1;serum MDA were(1.72±0.26),(4.16±0.92),(2.26±0.59),(2.82±0.47),(2.46±0.50),(1.98±0.41),(2.39±0.39)and(2.07±0.24)nmol·mL-1;the liver SOD were(234.22±3.84),(205.04±7.28),(234.63±6.37),(214.99±17.66),(234.13±3.63),(234.63±3.44),(233.87±5.63)and(235.42±2.33)U·mgprot-1;liver GSH-Px were(274.27±23.72),(207.00±15.22),(257.68±16.39),(249.79±18.78),(252.62±10.92),(256.25±21.83),(261.20±17.52)and(263.16±17.98)ng·L-1;liver MDA were(35.70±3.52),(49.65±6.32),(36.15±2.48),(39.17±4.29),(37.40±6.19),(35.34±4.06)and(35.90±5.36),(33.31±7.64)nmol·mgprot-1.Compared with the normal group,SOD,GSH-Px in serum and liver of mice in the model group were significantly reduced,and the content of MDA was significantly increased(all P＜0.01).After treatment with different components of Panax notoginseng polysaccharide,the oxidative indicators in mice were significantly improved,among which APPN-Ⅲ have the best antioxidant activity,which could significantly increase the activities of SOD,GSH-Px in serum and liver,and reduce the content of MDA(all P＜0.01).Conclusion Different components of Panax notoginseng polysaccharide have antioxidant activity and organ protection in vivo,among which APPN-Ⅲ has the best antioxidant activity and has a good organ protection effect.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant chemotherapy combined with programmed death-1 (PD-1) antibody in operable, borderline or potentially resectable locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC) in the real world. Methods: The study retrospectively analyzed 28 patients with operable or potentially resectable locally advanced ESCC patients treated with preoperative chemotherapy combined with PD-1 inhibitor in Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School from April 2020 to March 2021. According to the clinical TNM staging system of the 8th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer, there were 1, 15, 10, 1 and 1 case of stage Ⅱ, Ⅲ, ⅣA, ⅣB and unknown stage respectively. The treatment was two cycle of dual drug chemotherapy regimen including taxane plus platinum or fluorouracil combined with PD-1 antibody followed by tumor response assessment and surgery if the patient was eligible for resection. Results: Of the 28 patients, 1, 2, 3 and 4 cycles of chemotherapy combined with PD-1 antibody treatment completed in 1, 21, 5, and 1 patient, respectively. Objective response rate (ORR) was 71.4% (20/28), and disease control rate (DCR) was 100% (28/28). The incidence of adverse events exceeding grade 3 levels was 21.4% (6/28), including 3 neutropenia, 1 leukopenia, 1 thrombocytopenia and 1 immune hepatitis. There was no treatment-related death. Of the 23 patients underwent surgery, R0 resection rate was 87.0% (20/23), 13 patients had down staged to the T1-2N0M0 I stage, the pCR rate was 17.3% (4/23), and the pCR rate of primary tumor was 21.7% (5/23). Four patients received definitive chemoradiotherapy. One patient rejected surgery and other treatment after achieved PR response. Conclusion: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy combined PD-1 inhibitor is safe and has high efficacy in operable, borderline or potentially resectable locally advanced ESCC, and it is a promising regimen.
Humans ; Antibodies/therapeutic use* ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/surgery* ; Cisplatin ; Esophageal Neoplasms/surgery* ; Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma/drug therapy* ; Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/therapeutic use* ; Neoadjuvant Therapy ; Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor/therapeutic use* ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

Objective: To investigate the differences in clinical characteristics, diagnosis, and treatment of pediatric septic shock in pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) among hospitals of different levels. Methods: This retrospective study enrolled 368 children with septic shock treated in the PICU of Beijing Children's Hospital, Henan Children's Hospital, and Baoding Children's Hospital from January 2018 to December 2021. Their clinical data were collected, including the general information, location of onset (community or hospital-acquired), severity, pathogen positivity, consistence of guideline (the rate of standard attainment at 6 h after resuscitation and the rate of anti-infective drug administration within 1 h after diagnosis), treatment, and in-hospital mortality. The 3 hospitals were national, provincial, and municipal, respectively. Furthermore, the patients were divided into the tumor group and the non-tumor group, and into the in-hospital referral group and the outpatient or emergency admission group. Chi-square test and Mann-Whitney U test were used to analyze the data. Results: The 368 patients aged 32 (11, 98) months, of whom 223 were males and 145 females. There were 215, 107, and 46 patients with septic shock, with males of 141, 51, and 31 cases, from the national, provincial, and municipal hospitals, respectively. The difference in pediatric risk of mortality Ⅲ (PRISM Ⅲ) scores among the national,provincial and municipal group was statistically significant (26(19, 32) vs.19(12, 26) vs. 12(6, 19), Z=60.25,P<0.001). The difference in community acquired septic shock among the national,provincial and municipal group was statistically significant (31.6%(68/215) vs. 84.1%(90/107) vs. 91.3%(42/46), χ²=108.26,P<0.001). There were no significant differences in compliance with guidelines among the 3 groups (P>0.05). The main bacteria detected in the national group were Klebsiella pneumoniae (15.4% (12/78)) and Staphylococcus aureus (15.4% (12/78)); in the provincial group were Staphylococcus aureus (19.0% (12/63)) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (12.7% (8/63)), and in the municipal group were Streptococcus pneumoniae (40.0% (10/25)) and Enteric bacilli (16.0% (4/25)). The difference in the proportion of virus and the proportion of 3 or more initial antimicrobials used among the national,provincial and municipal group was statistically significant (27.7% (43/155) vs. 14.9% (13/87) vs. 9.1% (3/33), 22.8%(49/215) vs. 11.2%(12/107) vs. 6.5%(3/46), χ²=8.82, 10.99, both P<0.05). There was no difference in the in-hospital mortality among the 3 groups (P>0.05). Regarding the subgroups of tumor and non-tumor, the national group had higher PRISM Ⅲ (31(24, 38) vs. 22 (21, 28) vs.16 (9, 22), 24 (18, 30) vs. 17(8, 24) vs. 10 (5, 16), Z=30.34, 10.45, both P<0.001), and it was the same for the subgroups of in-hospital referral and out-patient or emergency admission (29 (21, 39) vs. 23 (17, 30) vs. 15 (10, 29), 23 (17, 29) vs. 18 (10, 24) vs. 11 (5, 16), Z=20.33, 14.25, both P<0.001) as compared to the provincial and municipal group. There was no significant difference in the in-hospital mortality among the 2 pairs of subgroups (all P>0.05). Conclusion: There are differences in the severity, location of onset, pathogen composition, and initial antibiotics of pediatric septic shock in children's hospitals of different levels, but no differences in compliance with guidelines and in-hospital survival rate.
Female ; Male ; Humans ; Child ; Retrospective Studies ; Shock, Septic/therapy* ; Hospitalization ; Intensive Care Units, Pediatric ; Hospitals, Pediatric

Numerous randomised controlled trials have suggested the positive effects of acupuncture on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, the underlying therapeutic mechanisms of acupuncture for COPD have not been clearly summarized yet. Inflammation is central to the development of COPD. In this review, we elucidate the effects and underlying mechanisms of acupuncture from an anti-inflammatory perspective based on animal studies. Cigarette smoke combined with lipopolysaccharide is often used to establish animal models of COPD. Electroacupuncture can be an effective intervention to improve inflammation in COPD, and Feishu (BL13) and Zusanli (ST36) can be used as basic acupoints in COPD animal models. Different acupuncture types can regulate different types of inflammatory cytokines; meanwhile, different acupuncture types and acupoint options have similar effects on modulating the level of inflammatory cytokines. In particular, acupuncture exerts anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting the release of inflammatory cells, inflammasomes and inflammatory cytokines. The main underlying mechanism through which acupuncture improves inflammation in COPD is the modulation of relevant signalling pathways: nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) (e.g., myeloid differentiation primary response 88/NF-κB, toll-like receptor-4/NF-κB, silent information regulator transcript-1/NF-κB), mitogen-activated protein kinase signalling pathways (extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2, p38 and c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase), cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway, and dopamine D2 receptor pathway. The current synthesis will be beneficial for further research on the effect of acupuncture on COPD inflammation. Please cite this article as: Jiang LH, Li PJ, Wang YQ, Jiang ML, Han XY, Bao YD, Deng XL, Wu WB, Liu XD. Anti-inflammatory effects of acupuncture in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. J Integr Med. 2023; 21(6): 518-527.
Animals ; NF-kappa B/metabolism* ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/drug therapy* ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Cytokines ; Disease Models, Animal ; Inflammation/therapy*

Objective: To analyze the clinical and molecular diagnostic status of Fanconi anemia (FA) in China. Methods: The General situation, clinical manifestations and chromosome breakage test and genetic test results of 107 pediatric FA cases registered in the Chinese Blood and Marrow Transplantation Registry Group (CBMTRG) and the Chinese Children Blood and Marrow Transplantation Registry Group (CCBMTRG) from August 2009 to January 2022 were analyzed retrospectively. Children with FANCA gene variants were divided into mild and severe groups based on the type of variant, and Wilcoxon-test was used to compare the phenotypic differences between groups. Results: Of the 176 registered FA patients, 69 (39.2%) cases were excluded due to lack of definitive genetic diagnosis results, and the remaining 107 children from 15 hospitals were included in the study, including 70 males and 37 females. The age at transplantation treatment were 6 (4, 9) years. The enrolled children were involved in 10 pathogenic genes, including 89 cases of FANCA gene, 7 cases of FANCG gene, 3 cases of FANCB gene, 2 cases of FANCE gene and 1 case each of FANCC, FANCD1, FANCD2, FANCF, FANCJ, and FANCN gene. Compound heterozygous or homozygous of loss-of-function variants account for 69.2% (72/104). Loss-of-function variants account for 79.2% (141/178) in FANCA gene variants, and 20.8% (37/178) were large exon deletions. Fifty-five children (51.4%) had chromosome breakage test records, with a positive rate of 81.8% (45/55). There were 172 congenital malformations in 80 children.Café-au-Lait spots (16.3%, 28/172), thumb deformities (16.3%,28/172), polydactyly (13.9%, 24/172), and short stature (12.2%, 21/172) were the most common congenital malformations in Chinese children with FA. No significant difference was found in the number of congenital malformations between children with severe (50 cases) and mild FANCA variants (26 cases) (Z=-1.33, P=0.185). Conclusions: FANCA gene is the main pathogenic gene in children with FA, where the detection of its exon deletion should be strengthened clinically. There were no phenotypic differences among children with different types of FANCA variants. Chromosome break test is helpful to determine the pathogenicity of variants, but its accuracy needs to be improved.
Male ; Female ; Humans ; Child ; Fanconi Anemia/genetics* ; Chromosome Breakage ; Retrospective Studies ; Exons ; China/epidemiology*

Objective: To explore the efficacy and safety of real-world eribulin in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer. Methods: From December 2019 to December 2020, patients with advanced breast cancer were selected from Beijing Chaoyang District Sanhuan Cancer Hospital, Shandong Cancer Hospital, Peking University Cancer Hospital, Baotou Cancer Hospital, Shengjing Hospital Affiliated to China Medical University, and Cancer Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. Kaplan-Meier method and Log rank test were used for survival analysis, and Cox regression model was used for multivariate analysis. Results: The median progression-free survival (PFS) of 77 patients was 5 months, the objective response rate (ORR) was 33.8%, and the disease control rate (DCR) was 71.4%. The ORR of patients with triple-negative breast cancer was 23.1%, and the DCR was 57.7%; the ORR of patients with Luminal breast cancer was 40.0%, and the DCR was 77.8%; the ORR of patients with HER-2 overexpression breast cancer was 33.3%, and the DCR was 83.3%. ORR of 50.0% and DCR of 66.7% for patients treated with eribulin as first to second line treatment, ORR of 29.4% and DCR of 76.5% for patients treated with third to fourth line and ORR of 28.6% and DCR of 71.4% for patients treated with five to eleven line. The ORR of patients in the eribulin monotherapy group was 40.0% and the DCR was 66.0%; the ORR of patients in the combination chemotherapy or targeted therapy group was 22.2% and the DCR was 81.5%. Patients with a history of treatment with paclitaxel, docetaxel, or albumin paclitaxel during the adjuvant phase or after recurrent metastasis had an ORR of 32.9% and a DCR of 69.9% when treated with eribulin. The treatment efficacy is an independent prognostic factor affecting patient survival (P<0.001). The main adverse reactions in the whole group of patients were Grade Ⅲ-Ⅳ neutrophil decline [29.9% (23/77)], and other adverse reactions were Grade Ⅲ-Ⅳ fatigue [5.2% (4/77)], Grade Ⅲ-Ⅳ peripheral nerve abnormality [2.6% (2/77)] and Grade Ⅲ-Ⅳ alopecia [2.6% (2/77)]. Conclusions: Eribulin still has good antitumor activity against various molecular subtypes of breast cancer and advanced breast cancer that has failed multiple lines of chemotherapy, and the adverse effects can be controlled, so it has a good clinical application value.
Breast Neoplasms/pathology* ; Female ; Furans/adverse effects* ; Humans ; Ketones/adverse effects* ; Paclitaxel/adverse effects* ; Treatment Outcome ; Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms/drug therapy*

OBJECTIVES: To study the metabolic mechanism of neonatal sepsis at different stages by analyzing the metabolic pathways involving the serum metabolites with significant differences in neonates with sepsis at different time points after admission. METHODS: A total of 20 neonates with sepsis who were hospitalized in the Department of Neonatology, Hunan Provincial People's Hospital, from January 1, 2019 to January 1, 2020 were enrolled as the sepsis group. Venous blood samples were collected on days 1, 4, and 7 after admission. Ten healthy neonates who underwent physical examination during the same period were enrolled as the control group. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry was used for the metabonomic analysis of serum samples to investigate the change in metabolomics in neonates with sepsis at different time points. RESULTS: On day 1 after admission, the differentially expressed serum metabolites between the sepsis and control groups were mainly involved in the biosynthesis of terpenoid skeleton. For the sepsis group, the differentially expressed serum metabolites between days 1 and 4 after admission were mainly involved in pyruvate metabolism, and those between days 4 and 7 after admission were mainly involved in the metabolism of cysteine and methionine. The differentially expressed serum metabolites between days 1 and 7 after admission were mainly involved in ascorbic acid metabolism. CONCLUSIONS The metabolic mechanism of serum metabolites varies at different stages in neonates with sepsis and is mainly associated with terpenoid skeleton biosynthesis, pyruvate metabolism, cysteine/methionine metabolism, and ascorbic acid metabolism.
Ascorbic Acid ; Cysteine ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Metabolomics ; Methionine ; Neonatal Sepsis ; Pyruvates ; Sepsis