Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by synovial inflammation, joint destruction, and functional impairment. Angiogenesis plays a key role in the pathological progression of RA with dysfunction of endothelial cells to promote synovial inflammation, sustain pannus formation, subsequently leading to joint damage. Colquhounia Root Tablets (CRT), a Chinese patent drug, has shown a satisfying clinical efficacy in treating RA, while the underlying mechanism by which CRT inhibits RA-associated angiogenesis remains unclear. In this study, we applied a research approach combining transcriptomic data analysis, bio-network mapping, and in vivo and in vitro experiments to explore the molecular mechanisms of CRT in suppressing angiogenesis in RA. Animal welfare and experimental procedures follow the regulations of the Animal Ethics Committee of Institute of Basic Theory for Chinese Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences (ratification number: IBTCMCACMS21-2307-06). Network analysis identified that key genes such as nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-containing protein 2 (NOD2), SMAD family member 3 (SMAD3), and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) significantly enriched in pathways related to NOD-like receptor signaling and VEGF signaling, indicating that CRT may inhibit angiogenesis by regulating vascular endothelial cell function with modulating angiogenesis-related pathways. In vivo data showed that CRT significantly reduced the positive expression of CD31 and VEGF in the ankle joint of adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA) rats. In vitro data further confirmed that CRT effectively inhibited VEGF-induced migration, invasion, and tube formation in HUVECs, while significantly reduced the expression of angiogenesis-related factors VEGF/CD31/Ang-1, as well as the positive expression of VEGF and CD31 in HUVECs. Furthermore, CRT markedly decreased the protein expression of NOD2, VEGFA, and SMAD3. In conclusion, these findings indicate that CRT may inhibit the RA-related angiogenesis by targeting the NOD2/SMAD3/VEGF signaling axis to improve endothelial cell function, enriching the scientific connotation of CRT in inhibiting pathological angiogenesis in RA and also offer new insights for clinical prevention and treatment of RA.

This study aimed to explore the therapeutic mechanisms of Colquhounia Root Tablets(CRT) in treating diabetic kidney disease(DKD) by integrating biomolecular network mining with animal model verification. By analyzing clinical transcriptomics data, an interaction network was constructed between candidate targets of CRT and DKD-related genes. Based on the topological eigenvalues of network nodes, 101 core network targets of CRT against DKD were identified. These targets were found to be closely related to multiple pathways associated with type 2 diabetes, immune response, and metabolic reprogramming. Given that immune-inflammatory imbalance driven by metabolic reprogramming is one of the key pathogenic mechanisms of DKD, and that many core network targets of CRT are involved in this pathological process, receptor for advanced glycation end products(RAGE)-reactive oxygen species(ROS)-phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K)-protein kinase B(AKT)-nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB)-NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3(NLRP3) signaling axis was selected as a candidate target for in-depth research. Further, a rat model of DKD induced by a high-sugar, high-fat diet and streptozotocin was established to evaluate the pharmacological effects of CRT and verify the expression of related targets. The experimental results showed that CRT could effectively correct metabolic disturbances in DKD, restore immune-inflammatory balance, and improve renal function and its pathological changes by inhibiting the activation of the RAGE-ROS-PI3K-AKT-NF-κB-NLRP3 signaling axis. In conclusion, this study reveals that CRT alleviates the progression of DKD through dual regulation of metabolic reprogramming and immune-inflammatory responses, providing strong experimental evidence for its clinical application in DKD.
Animals ; Diabetic Nephropathies/metabolism* ; Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products/genetics* ; NF-kappa B/genetics* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Rats ; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein/genetics* ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/genetics* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Male ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/genetics* ; Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism* ; Humans ; Plant Roots/chemistry* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tablets/administration & dosage*

Objective To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of hand-foot-mouth disease(HFMD)in Gan-zhou.Methods The epidemiological data of HFMD reported by the Infectious Disease Surveillance System,a sub-system of China Disease Prevention and Control Information System,from 2017 to 2020 were analyzed by descriptive methods.Enterovirus(EV)nucleic acid and typing detections via throat swabs,anal swabs or herpes fluid of patients was detected by real-time fluo-rescent polymerase chain reaction.The change in HFMD epidemic characteristics was compared between 2020 and 2017-2019.Results The incidence of HFMD in Ganzhou in 2020 was significantly lower than that from 2017 to 2019(x2=50.587,P＜0.05).In 2020,the incidence of HFMD in counties and districts of Ganzhou(except Huichang County)signifi-cantly decreased compared with that in 2017-2019(P＜0.05).From 2017 to 2019,the incidence of HFMD was obviously seasonal,with a high incidence in summer and autumn,and two significant incidence peaks were formed in June and September in 2017 and 2018,respectively.In 2019,there was a summer peak in June.The epidemic trend in 2020 was different,with a very low epidemic trend in summer and autumn,and a peak in winter.The incidence of HFMD in men,women and all ages in 2020 significantly decreased compared with that in 2017-2019(P＜0.05),and the age of onset was mainly distributed in 1-5 years,especially in children aged 1 to 3 years.There was a significant difference in the incidence of HFMD among different ages(P＜0.05).The positive rate of EV in Ganzhou in 2020 was lower than that from 2017 to 2019(x2=47.273,P＜0.05).The positive rate of EV in January,March to September in 2020 was significantly lower,and the positive rate of EV in November,December 2020 was significantly higher than that in the same period in 2017 to 2019(P＜0.05).Strain CA16 showed an increasing trend year by year from 2017 to 2019,and became the dominant strain in 2019.The proportion of patients infected with CA6 strain was on the fise from 2018 to 2020,and CA6 became the dominant strain in 2020.Conclusion The HFMD in Ganzhou has obvious population characteristics and seasonality,and the pathogen spectrum is constantly changing.

Patient 1,a 12-day-old female infant,presented with fever,cough,dyspnea,and elevated infection markers,requiring respiratory support.Metagenomic next-generation sequencing(mNGS)of blood and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid revealed Legionella pneumophila(LP),leading to diagnoses of LP pneumonia and LP sepsis.The patient was treated with erythromycin for 15 days and azithromycin for 5 days,resulting in recovery and discharge.Patient 2,an 11-day-old female infant,presented with dyspnea,fever,elevated infection markers,and multiple organ dysfunction,requiring mechanical ventilation.mNGS of blood and cerebrospinal fluid indicated LP,leading to diagnoses of LP pneumonia,LP sepsis,and LP intracranial infection.The patient was treated with erythromycin for 19 days and was discharged after recovery.Neonatal LP pneumonia lacks specific clinical symptoms,and azithromycin is the preferred antimicrobial agent.The use of mNGS can provide early and definitive diagnosis for severe neonatal pneumonia of unknown origin.

To explore the feasibility and experience of kidney transplantation with horseshoe kidney as donor kidney. The horseshoe kidney donated by a brain dead donor was obtained by in-situ perfusion and whole piece incision. After methylene blue staining was injected into the inferior pole artery of the kidney and separated from the isthmus along the edge of the stained site, two kidney donors were divided into two recipients with successful implantation. After renal transplantation, the blood supply of the two donor kidneys was good. During the perioperative period, there was no bleeding or urine leakage. Postoperative ureteral obstruction occurred in one recipient. After the double J-tube drainage was ineffective, autologous ureter was anastomoted with the renal pelvis of the transplanted kidney. Up to now, the renal function of two recipients remained stable. According to literature analysis, kidney transplantation with well-functioning horseshoe kidney as donor kidney is safe and feasible, but its postoperative complication rate is higher than that of conventional kidney transplantation.

Objective:To establish a graded method to avoid mean fluorescence intensity(MFI)threshold of HLA Class I antibodies corresponding antigen,and the HLAMatchmaker program has been used to select the minimum mismatch value of donor-patient epitopes.Evaluate the application value of combining both methods in selecting HLA compatible platelets(PTL)for patients with immune platelet transfusion failure(IPTR)in improving platelet the corrected count increment(CCI).Methods:A total 7 807 PLT cross-matching compatible were performed by the solid-phase red cell adherence(SPRCA)method for 51 IPTR patients.The Luminex single antigen flow cytometry was used to detect HLA Class I antibodies in patients,and detected the MFI value for different specificity antigens of HLA Class I antibodies,was graded into strong positive group(MFI＞4 000,level 1),medium positive group(1 000＜MFI 4 000,2),weak positive group(500＜MFI≤1 000,3),and one negative control group(MFI≤500).The results of 7 807 SPRCA their negative/positive reaction wells were enrolled and statistically analyzed in different grades and the four groups,the statistical differences between the four groups were compared.Multiple applications for the select HLA Class I compatible donor events were made for patients in two cases,and HLAMatchmaker program was used to calculate the number of HLA Class I epitopes mismatches between the donors and patients.The donor with the minimum number of epitopes mismatches was selected,while avoiding the corresponding antigens of HLA Class I antibodies in levels 1 and 2,the provision of HLA compatible platelets for IPTR.After the transfusions,the CCI value of the platelet transfusion efficacy evaluation index was calculated,and the clinical evaluation of the transfusion effect was obtained through statistical analysis.Results:There were statistically significant differences in the positive results of SPRCA immunoassay among the strong positive group,medium positive group,and weak positive group of 51 IPTR patients with different specific of HLA-I class antibodies and corresponding antigens(all P＜0.001).The positive results showed a range from high to low,with strong positive group＞medium positive group＞weak positive group.There were a statistical difference among between the strongly positive or moderately positive groups and the negative control group(P＜0.001).There was no statistical difference between the weakly positive group and the negative control group(P＞0.05).The strong positive group was set as the corresponding specific HLA Class I site corresponding antigen grade 1 avoidance threshold,the medium positive group as the grade 2 avoidance thresholds,and the weak positive group as the grade 3 avoidance threshold.In the case of donor platelet shortage,it is not necessary to avoid the weak positive group.Avoiding the strategy of donor antigens and HLAMatchmaker program scores≤7 corresponding to HLA Class I antibodies of levels 1 and 2,with CCI values＞4.5 × 109/L within 24 hours,can obtain effective clinical platelet transfusion conclusions.Conclusion:When selecting HLA Class I compatible donors for IPTR patients,the grading avoids HLA Class I antibodies corresponding to donor antigens,and the donor selection strategy with the minimum scores of HLAMatchmaker program is comprehensively selected.The negative result confirmed by platelet cross-matching experiments has certain practical application value for improving platelet count in IPTR patients.

Objective: To characterize the prevalence and genomic epidemiology of Vibrio parahaemolyticus from acute diarrheal patients in Shenzhen City from 2013 to 2021. Methods: Based on the Shenzhen Infectious Diarrhea Surveillance System, acute diarrheal patients were actively monitored in sentinel hospitals from 2013 to 2021. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of Vibrio parahaemolyticus isolates was performed, and the genomic population structure, serotypes, virulence genes and multilocus sequence typing were analyzed. Outbreak clusters from 2019 to 2021 were explored based on single-nucleotide polymorphism analysis. Results: A total of 48 623 acute diarrhea cases were monitored in 15 sentinel hospitals from 2013 to 2021, and 1 135 Vibrio parahaemolyticus strains were isolated, with a positive isolation rate of 2.3%. Qualified whole-genome sequencing data of 852 isolates were obtained. Eighty-nine serotypes, 21 known ST types and 5 new ST types were identified by sequence analysis, and 93.2% of strains were detected with toxin profile of tdh+trh-. 8 clonal groups (CGs) were captured, with CG3 as the absolute predominance, followed by CG189. The CG3 group was dominated by O3:K6 serotype and ST3 sequence type, while CG189 group was mainly O4:KUT, O4:K8 serotypes and ST189a and ST189 type. A total of 13 clusters were identified, containing 154 cases. About 30 outbreak clusters with 29 outbreak clusters caused by CG3 strains from 2019 to 2021. Conclusion: Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a major pathogen of acute infectious diarrhea in Shenzhen City, with diverse population structures. CG3 and CG189 have been prevalent and predominant in Shenzhen City for a long time. Scattered outbreaks and persistent sources of contamination ignored by traditional methods could be captured by WGS analysis. Tracing the source of epidemic clone groups and taking precise prevention and control measures are expected to significantly reduce the burden of diarrhea diseases caused by Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection in Shenzhen City.
Humans ; Vibrio parahaemolyticus/genetics* ; Diarrhea/epidemiology* ; Foodborne Diseases/epidemiology* ; Serogroup ; Genomics ; Dysentery ; Vibrio Infections/epidemiology* ; Serotyping

This study used the zebrafish model to explore the hepatotoxicity of Rhododendri Mollis Flos(RMF). The mortality was calculated according to the number of the survival of zebrafish larvae 4 days after fertilization under different concentration of RMF, and the dose-toxicity curve was fitted to preliminarily evaluate the toxicity of RMF. The liver phenotypes under the sublethal concentration of RMF in the treatment group and the blank control group were observed by hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining and acridine orange(AO) staining. Meanwhile, the activities of alanine aminotransferase(ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase(AST) were determined to confirm the hepatotoxicity of RMF. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction(real-time PCR) and Western blot were used to determine the expressions of genes and proteins in zebrafish larvae. Gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry(GC-TOF-MS) was used to conduct untargeted metabolomics testing to explore the mechanism. The results showed that the toxicity of RMF to zebrafish larvae was dose-dependent, with 1 100 μg·mL~(-1) of the absolute lethal concentration and 448 μg·mL~(-1) of sublethal concentration. The hepatocyte apoptosis and degeneration appeared in the zebrafish larvae under the sublethal concentration of RMF. The content of ALT and AST in zebrafish larvae at the end of the experiment was significantly increased in a dose-dependent manner. Under the sublethal concentration, the expressions of genes and proteins related to apoptosis in zebrafish larvae were significantly increased as compared with the blank control group. The results of untargeted metabolomics showed that the important metabolites related to the he-patotoxicity of RMF were mainly enriched in alanine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, and other pathways. In conclusion, it is inferred that RMF has certain hepatotoxicity to zebrafish larvae, and its mechanism may be related to apoptosis.
Animals ; Zebrafish/genetics* ; Apoptosis ; Larva ; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury

Clinical data were retrospectively reviewed for one case of penicillium marneffei infection after renal transplantation (RT) to explore a proper management of peniciliosis marneffei (PSM)transplantation.This case had a history of pulmonary tuberculosis and underwent RT due to uremia.After discharging, postoperative recovery was excellent.Recurrent cough occurred at Month 7 post-operation.Fiberoptic bronchoscopy and pulmonary CT indicated a possibility of pulmonary tuberculosis.However, a definite diagnosis of PSM was confirmed by next generation sequencing (NGS) and pathogenic bacteria culture of alveolar lavage fluid.After adjusting immunosuppressive agents and regular antifungal treatment with voriconazole, respiratory symptoms improved and pulmonary CT hinted at a resorption of lesion.Features of pulmonary CT and bronchoscopic examination were nearly similar to those of tuberculosis.Thus early bacterium culture and NGS may aid an definite diagnosis.Voriconazole is an effective treatment of the disease.

Objective:To establish the reference values of stimulation single fiber electromyography (SFEMG) in orbicularis oculi, and to explore its sensitivity in repetitive nerve stimulation (RNS) negative ocular myasthenia gravis (OMG) patients, and the relationship between jitter and various clinical parameters.Methods:Thirty-two healthy volunteers were included to establish the reference value of normal controls from January 2019 to December 2019. From December 2019 to January 2023, 36 OMG patients with negative RNS were collected. Quantitative MG score (QMGS) was performed, neostigmine test and antibody titers as well as thymus CT results were recorded. One side of the orbicularis oculi muscle was tested with a disposable concentric needle electrode in stimulation SFEMG, and the mean consecutive difference (MCD) value was calculated, which was compared with the average MCD value and upper limit of individual values in normal controls to evaluate whether the jitter was abnormal. Spearman correlation analysis of abnormal mean MCD values with QMGS and antibody titer was conducted.Results:Among the 32 healthy volunteers, there were 13 males and 19 females, the age was (46.8 ±18.7) years, and the MCD was (19.0 ±4.4) μs. The upper limit of the reference value was 27.7 μs for average MCD, and 37.4 μs for 10% individual values. Among 36 OMG patients negative at RNS tests, 20 were male and 16 were female, with a age of (37.2 ±17.0) years. The MCD was (29.9 ±14.7) μs, and Jitter was abnormal in 29 patients (81%). Among them, 20 (20/25) patients were antibody positive, 6 (6/26) patients had thymic hyperplasia, and 7 (7/26) patients had thymoma. The QMGS was 3(2, 4). There were 7 patients (19%) with normal jitter, whose QMGS was 3(2, 4). Among the patients with normal Jitter, 5 (5/5) patients were antibody positive, 2 (2/6) patients had thymic hyperplasia. There was no statistically significant difference in clinical indicators between the two groups of patients with abnormal or normal jitter. There was no significant correlation in antibody titer or QMGS with abnormal mean MCD value. Conclusions:The upper limit of the mean MCD value in the normal controls is 27.7 μs. The upper limit of a single value is 37.4 μs. Its sensitivity for OMG patients with RNS negative is 81%, and the abnormal mean MCD value does not show a significant correlation with various clinical indicators. Abnormal jitter indicates dysfunction of neuromuscular junction transmission, which is an important neuroelectrophysiological indicator for MG patients and is suitable for RNS negative patients. Orbicularis oculi muscle stimulation SFEMG provides a reliable and sensitive electrophysiological means for functional evaluation of neuromuscular junction.