Objective:To investigate the role and underlying mechanisms of methyltransferase (Mettl) 3 in the process of angiotensin Ⅱ (Ang Ⅱ)-induced pericyte-to-myofibroblast transdifferentiation and renal fibrosis.Methods:C57BL/6J mice were used, in cell experiments, mouse renal pericytes were isolated and cultured using magnetic bead sorting. These pericytes were then induced to transdifferentiate into myofibroblasts with 1×10 6 mmol/L Ang Ⅱ, which was the Ang Ⅱ group, while pericytes cultured in normal conditions served as the control group. Successful transdifferentiation was verified by immunofluorescence staining, Western blotting, and real-time reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) for α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA). The levels of m6A modifications and related enzymes (Mettl3, Mettl14), Wilms tumor 1-associated protein (WTAP), fat mass and obesity protein (FTO), ALKBH5, YTHDF1, YTHDF2, YTHDC1, YTHDC2, YTHDC3 were assessed by Dot blot, RT-qPCR and Western blot. Mettl3 expression was inhibited in cells using lentivirus-mediated Mettl3-shRNA transfection, creating sh-Mettl3 and Ang Ⅱ+sh-Mettl3 groups, while lentivirus empty vector transfection served as the negative control (Ang Ⅱ+sh-NC group). The impact of Ang Ⅱ on pericyte transdifferentiation was observed, and the expression of downstream phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT signaling pathway proteins, including PI3K, AKT, phosphorylated AKT at serine 473 (p-AKT (S473)), and phosphorylated AKT at threonine 308 (p-AKT (T308)), were examined. PI3K gene transcription was inhibited by co-culturing cells with actinomycin D, and the half-life of PI3K mRNA was calculated by measuring residual PI3K mRNA expression over different co-culture time. The reversibility of Mettl3 inhibition on Ang Ⅱ-induced pericyte-to-myofibroblast transdifferentiation was assessed by adding the AKT activator SC79 to the Ang Ⅱ+sh-Mettl3 group. In animal experiments, mice were divided into these groups: sham group (administered 0.9% sterile saline), Ang Ⅱ group (infused with Ang Ⅱ solution), sh-Mettl3 group (injected with Mettl3 shRNA lentivirus solution), Ang Ⅱ+sh-Mettl3 group (infused with Ang Ⅱ solution and injected with Mettl3 shRNA lentivirus solution), and Ang Ⅱ+sh-Mettl3+SC79 group (administered Ang Ⅱ solution and Mettl3 shRNA lentivirus, with an additional injection of SC79). Each group consisted of six subject mice. Blood pressure was measured using the tail-cuff method before and after surgery, and serum creatinine, urea, and urinary albumin levels were determined 4 weeks post-surgery. Kidney tissues were collected at 28 days and stained using hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and Masson′s trichrome to assess the extent of renal fibrosis. Results:Primary renal pericytes were successfully obtained by magnetic bead sorting, and intervened with 1×10 6 mmol/L Ang Ⅱ for 48 hours to induce pericyte-to-myofibroblast transdifferentiation. Dot blot results indicated higher m6A modification levels in the Ang Ⅱ group compared to the control group ( P<0.05). RT-qPCR and Western blot results showed upregulation of Mettl3 mRNA and protein levels in the Ang Ⅱ group compared to the control group (both P<0.05). In the Ang Ⅱ+sh-Mettl3 group, Mettl3 protein expression was lower than that in the Ang Ⅱ group, with reduced expression levels of α-SMA, vimentin, desmin, fibroblast agonist protein (FAPa) and type Ⅰ collagen (all P<0.05). Compared to the control group, PI3K mRNA expression level was elevated in the Ang Ⅱ group, along with increased p-AKT (S473) and p-AKT (T308) expressions. In the Ang Ⅱ+sh-Mettl3 group, PI3K mRNA expression and p-AKT (S473) and p-AKT (T308) levels were decreased (all P<0.05). The half-life of PI3K mRNA was shorter in the Ang Ⅱ+sh-Mettl3 group than that in the Ang Ⅱ+sh-NC group (2.34 h vs. 3.42 h). The ameliorative effect of Mettl3 inhibition on Ang Ⅱ-induced pericyte-to-myofibroblast transdifferentiation was reversible by SC79. Animal experiments showed higher blood pressure, serum creatinine, urea, and 24-hour urinary protein levels, and a larger fibrosis area in the Ang Ⅱ group compared to the sham group (all P<0.05). The fibrosis area was smaller in the Ang Ⅱ+sh-Mettl3 group than that in the Ang Ⅱ group ( P<0.05), but increased again upon addition of SC79. Conclusion:Mettl3-mediated RNA m6A epigenetic regulation is involved in Ang Ⅱ-induced pericyte-to-myofibroblast transdifferentiation and renal fibrosis, potentially by affecting PI3K stability and regulating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Objective A high sodium(HS)diet is believed to affect bone metabolism processes.Clarifying its impact on osseointegration of titanium(Ti)implants holds significant implications for postoperative dietary management of implanted patients. Methods This investigation probed the impact of sodium ions(Na+)on neovascularization and osteogenesis around Ti implants in vivo,utilizing micro-computed tomography,hematoxylin and eosin staining,and immunohistochemical analyses.Concurrently,in vitro experiments assessed the effects of varied Na+concentrations and exposure durations on human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVECs)and MC3T3-E1 cells. Results In vivo,increased dietary sodium(0.8%-6.0%)led to a substantial decline in CD34 positive HUVECs and new bone formation around Ti implants,alongside an increase in inflammatory cells.In vitro,an increase in Na+concentration(140-150 mmol/L)adversely affected the proliferation,angiogenesis,and migration of HUVECs,especially with prolonged exposure.While MC3T3-E1 cells initially exhibited less susceptibility to high Na+concentrations compared to HUVECs during short-term exposure,prolonged exposure to a HS environment progressively diminished their proliferation,differentiation,and osteogenic capabilities. Conclusion These findings suggest that HS diet had a negative effect on the early osseointegration of Ti implants by interfering with the process of postoperative vascularized bone regeneration.

In order to investigate how macrophages promote lipid droplet hoarding in hepatocellular carcinoma cells and to delve into the roles of key metabolic enzymes of lipid droplets in the malignant biology of hepatocellular carcinoma cells, the present study was conducted to induce the generation of Hepa1-6 lipid droplets (LDs) using supernatants from tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), and found that interleukin-10 (IL-10) in TAMs was found to promote the accumulation of lipid droplets. Acetyl-CoA carboxylase alpha (ACC1) is one of the key enzymes for fatty acid synthesis and influences the development of hepatocellular carcinoma. In this study, ACC1 was found to be highly expressed in LDhigh Hepa1-6, and subsequent blockade of ACC1 activity by means of a small molecule inhibitor of ACC1, siRNA interference, and CRISPR-cas9 knockdown was found to reduce the accumulation of Hepa1-6 lipid droplets, as well as to reduce the malignant biological behavior of Hepa1-6 proliferation, and to promote the occurrence of apoptotic events. In summary, IL-10 released by TAMs promoted lipid droplet formation in hepatocellular carcinoma cells, leading to malignant proliferation and apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells. ACC1 plays a key role in the promotion of lipid droplet accumulation in hepatocellular carcinoma cells by TAMs and may be regulated by IL-10 released by TAMs, and these findings may provide a new target for hepatocellular carcinoma treatment.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Xiao′er Huangjin Zhike Granules in the treatment of cough caused by acute bronchitis in children, which is defined in TCM terms as a syndrome of phlegm-heat obstructing the lung.Methods:This was a block-randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter clinical trial.From January 2022 to September 2023, 359 children aged 3 to 7 years old diagnosed as acute bronchitis (lung-obstructing phlegm-heat syndrome) were enrolled from 21 participating hospitals and randomly assigned to the experimental group and placebo group in a 3︰1 ratio, and respectively treated with Xiao′er Huangjin Zhike Granules and its matching placebo.Cough resolution/general resolution rate after 7 days of treatment was used as the primary efficacy outcome for both groups.Results:(1)On the seventh day of treatment, the rate of cough disappearance/basically disappearance in the experimental group and placebo group were 73.95% and 57.61% retrospectively, which had statistically significance ( P=0.001).(2)After 7 days of treatment, the median duration of cough disappearance/basic disappearance were 5 days and 6 days in the two groups , with a statistically significant difference ( P=0.006).The area under the curve of cough symptom severity time was 7.20 ± 3.79 in the experimental group and 8.20±4.42 in the placebo group.The difference between the two groups was statistically significant ( P=0.039).(3) After 7 days of treatment, the difference between TCM syndrome score and baseline was -16.0 (-20.0, -15.0) points in the experimental group and -15.0 (-18.0, -12.0) points in the placebo group, with significant difference between the two groups ( P=0.004).In the experimental group, the clinical control rate, the markedly effective rate, the effective rate and the ineffective rate were 49.04%, 28.35%, 16.48% and 6.13% severally; and in the placebo group, the clinical control rate, the markedly effective rate, the effective rate and the ineffective rate were 38.04%, 26.09%, 29.35%, and 6.52% separately, which had statistically significant ( P=0.014).(4) There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse events or adverse reactions during the trial between both groups.Moreover, while adverse reactions in the form of vomiting and diarrhea were occasionally reported, no serious drug-related adverse event or adverse reaction was reported.(5)The tested drug provided good treatment compliance, showing no statistically significant difference from the placebo in terms of compliance rate. Conclusions:Based on the above findings, it can be concluded that Xiao′er Huangjin Zhike Granules provides good safety, efficacy, and treatment compliance in the treatment of cough caused by acute bronchitis, and lung-obstructing phlegm-heat syndrome, in children.

Objective:To investigate the agreement of ultrasound derived fat fraction (UDFF) with magnetic resonance imaging proton density fat fraction (MRI PDFF) on evaluating hepatic steatosis, and the performance of UDFF on diagnosing metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD).Methods:One hundred and twenty-five volunteers and one hundred and seven inpatients who underwent abdominal ultrasound examination in Zhongda Hospital Southeast University from November 2023 to February 2024 were prospectively enrolled.UDFF and MRI PDFF were applied to evaluate hepatic steatosis. Spearman correlation test and Bland-Altman plot were applied to analyze the agreement of UDFF and MRI PDFF. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was applied to calculate the performance of UDFF on diagnosing MASLD.Results:In our participants, compared to individuals without hepatic steatosis, patients with MASLD had higher body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio, prevalence of diabetes mellitus, levels of alanine transaminase (ALT), aspertate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), triglyceride, and UDFF (all P<0.05). The percentage of hepatic steatosis measured by UDFF and MRI PDFF was strongly correlated[ρ=0.873(95% CI=0.837-0.901), P<0.001]. UDFF performed excellent for diagnosing MASLD with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.983(95% CI=0.956-0.995, P<0.001), and was better than semi-quantitative assessment based on two-dimensional ultrasound as well as ultrasound attenuation parameter. The optimal cut off value of UDFF to diagnose MASLD was ≥6%. Conclusions:The percentage of hepatic steatosis measured by UDFF and MRI PDFF agrees with each other, and UDFF obtains an excellent performance on diagnosing MASLD, so that UDFF should be considered a reliable imaging technique for quantitively evaluating hepatic steatosis and diagnosing MASLD.

Objective From the perspective of China's health system,evaluate the cost-effectiveness of furmonertinib compared to gefitinib in first-line monotherapy for EGFR mutation-positive advanced non-small cell lung cancer.Methods Based on the FURLONG study of phase Ⅲ clinical trials,a three-state partitioned survival model was constructed and combined with parameters such as treatment cost,utility value,the incidence of adverse reactions,and discount rate;the total incremental cost-effectiveness ratio(ICER)was simulated.Then,the ICER value was compared with the willingness to pay(WTP)value to determine the economic feasibility of furmonertinib compared to gefitinib as a first-line treatment for EGFR mutation-positive advanced non-small cell lung cancer.Results The basic analysis results show that the treatment group with furmonertinib incurred an additional cost of 85 786 yuan compared to the treatment group with gefitinib,but obtained an additional 0.62 QALYs,with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of 138 306 yuan,which is less than three times China's per capita GDP.One-way sensitivity analysis shows that the best support treatment cost,PFS utility value,and PD utility value significantly impact the ICER results.The results of probability sensitivity analysis show that when the WTP is three times China's per capita GDP,the probability of economic viability of the furmonertinib group compared to the gefitinib group is 100.0%.The scenario analysis results verified the robustness of the underlying analysis results.Conclusion Under the willingness to pay threshold of three times China's per capita GDP in 2022,Choosing furmonertinib as a first-line monotherapy for EGFR mutation-positive advanced non-small cell lung cancer is more cost-effective than gefitinib.

In growing children, growth plate cartilage has limited self-repair ability upon fracture injury always leading to limb growth arrest. Interestingly, one type of fracture injuries within the growth plate achieve amazing self-healing, however, the mechanism is unclear. Using this type of fracture mouse model, we discovered the activation of Hedgehog (Hh) signaling in the injured growth plate, which could activate chondrocytes in growth plate and promote cartilage repair. Primary cilia are the central transduction mediator of Hh signaling. Notably, ciliary Hh-Smo-Gli signaling pathways were enriched in the growth plate during development. Moreover, chondrocytes in resting and proliferating zone were dynamically ciliated during growth plate repair. Furthermore, conditional deletion of the ciliary core gene Ift140 in cartilage disrupted cilia-mediated Hh signaling in growth plate. More importantly, activating ciliary Hh signaling by Smoothened agonist (SAG) significantly accelerated growth plate repair after injury. In sum, primary cilia mediate Hh signaling induced the activation of stem/progenitor chondrocytes and growth plate repair after fracture injury.
Mice ; Animals ; Hedgehog Proteins/genetics* ; Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled/metabolism* ; Cilia/metabolism* ; Cartilage/metabolism* ; Regeneration

Currently the main treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is chemotherapy combining hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. However, the unbearable side effect of chemotherapy and the high risk of life-threatening infections and disease relapse following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation restrict its application in clinical practice. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop alternative therapeutic tactics with significant efficacy and attenuated adverse effects. Here, we revealed that umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSC) efficiently induced AML cell differentiation by shuttling the neutrophil elastase (NE)-packaged extracellular vesicles (EVs) into AML cells. Interestingly, the generation and release of NE-packaged EVs could be dramatically increased by vitamin D receptor (VDR) activation in UC-MSC. Chemical activation of VDR by using its agonist 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 efficiently enhanced the pro-differentiation capacity of UC-MSC and then alleviated malignant burden in AML mouse model. Based on these discoveries, to evade the risk of hypercalcemia, we synthetized and identified sw-22, a novel non-steroidal VDR agonist, which exerted a synergistic pro-differentiation function with UC-MSC on mitigating the progress of AML. Collectively, our findings provided a non-gene editing MSC-based therapeutic regimen to overcome the differentiation blockade in AML.

A case of IgG4-related hypertrophic pachymeningitis was reported. The patient was an elderly female, with the course of disease more than 8 years. Clinical manifestations included recurrent headache, vision and hearing loss, exophthalmos and thyroid dysfunction. Finally, she was diagnosed as IgG4-related disease and IgG4-related hypertrophic pachymeningitis by PET-CT and dural biopsy. After treatment with methylprednisolone and mycophenolate mofetil, the patient′s clinical symptoms improved.

Abstract School based lifestyle interventions have many advantages, which can effectively reduce the prevalence of overweight and obesity, improve children and their families knowledge of overweight and obesity, and enhance their cognition of behaviors related to energy balance. Moreover, it can improve the level of cardiometabolic risk (CMR). By searching PubMed, CNKI and Wanfang databases, the article review the effects of school based physical activity and dietary interventions on children s blood pressure, blood lipids, blood glucose, and other CMR indicators, and analyze the differences among different groups of people, such as gender, age, and race, in order to provide the evidence for future school based intervention studies on overweight and obesity in children.