Mitofusin 2 (MFN2) residing on the outer mitochondrial membrane is a pivotal factor participating in mitochondrial fusion and maintaining mitochondrial morphology. Due to its multifaceted cellular functions, MFN2 is implicated in the pathogenesis of diverse maladies, notably type 2 Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, which has catalyzed a surge in pharmaceutical endeavors directed towards MFN2. This article reviews the function of MFN2 and its role in a variety of diseases, outlines the current status of drug discovery against MFN2, and summarizes potential drug molecules currently in preclinical research, aiming to provide some reference for the research and development of drugs and therapies targeting MFN2.

Objective:To investigate the clinicopathological features and the prognosis of IgA nephropathy (IgAN) in children with massive proteinuria.Methods:It was a retrospective cohort study. Clinical data of IgAN children with massive proteinuria admitted to the Department of Nephrology, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Capital Institute of Pediatrics from January 2008 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into effective group and ineffective group according to whether urine protein turned negative after 6 months of initial treatment. The follow-up endpoint event was defined as a reduction in proteinuria of less than 50% or end-stage renal disease (ESRD) achievement. MedCalc software was used to perform Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, and Log-rank test was used to compare the difference of renal survival between the two groups.Results:A total of 127 patients were diagnosed as primary IgAN by renal biopsy, of whom 57 patients with IgAN showed massive proteinuria. These 57 IgAN patients with macroproteinuria accounted for 44.9% of the total IgAN patients and were enrolled in the study. Among the 57 cases, 33 cases (57.9%) were Lee's grade Ⅲ, 11 cases (19.3%) were below Lee's grade Ⅲ, and 13 cases (22.8%) were above Lee's grade Ⅲ. The follow-up time was 4.0 (3.0,5.8) years. In the initial treatment, among 57 patients, 46 (80.7%) were effective (effective group) and 11 (19.3%) were ineffective (ineffective group). Compared with the effective group, the ineffective group had a higher proportion of concurrent AKI at the onset of disease and longer recovery time of renal function, with significant difference (7/11 vs. 13/46, χ2=4.878, P=0.027). Compared with the effective group, the proportion of Lee grade Ⅲ or above was higher in the ineffective group, and the difference was statistically significant (5/11 vs. 8/46, χ2=3.971, P=0.046). There were significant differences in endocapillary hypercellularity (E1), segmental glomerulosclerosis or adhesion (S1) and cellular/fibrocellular crescents (C2) of Oxford classification between IgAN children with Lee grade Ⅲ or below and those over Lee grade Ⅲ (11/13 vs. 20/44, χ2=6.204, P=0.013; 12/13 vs. 17/44, χ2=11.566, P=0.001; 9/13 vs. 7/44, χ2=14.131, P=0.001). Among 57 patients, endpoint events occurred in 2 patients who both were urinary protein unmitigated, and none of the children progressed to ESRD. There was no significant difference in cumulative renal survival between the two groups by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Log-rank test ( χ2=0.537, P=0.460) after addition of calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs) to the initial treatment ineffective group. Conclusions:Macroproteinuria is the prominent manifestation of IgAN in children. The pathological type is mainly Lee grade Ⅲ. Children with macroproteinuria have a good prognosis in the short and medium term after active treatment. For IgAN with macroproteinuria that does not respond well to initial treatment, AKI is more common at onset, and renal function recovery time is longer. The application of CNIs may have a certain effect on improving the renal outcome of IgAN with massive proteinuria.

Objective:To explore the predictive ability of systemic immune-inflammation index（SII）and prognostic nutrition index（PNI）for early-onset sepsis in preterm infants.Methods:Seventy preterm infants of 28 to 32 weeks，who were born in the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University from January 2019 to December 2022, and transferred to neonatal intensive care unit within 1 h conforming to EOS diagnostic criteria were selected as the EOS group，and 1∶1 matched non-infected preterm infants hospitalized during the same period were selected as control group.Relevant data were collected to compare the differences regarding clinical data，blood routine indicators，C-reactive protein（CRP），serum albumin levels（ALB），SII and PNI between two groups.The ability of SII and PNI to predict EOS was evaluated by Logistic regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic（ROC）curve.Results:Compared with control group,the EOS group had lower 1-minute and 5-minute Apgar scores,higher rates of cesarean section delivery and tracheal intubation,as well as higher rates of suppurative meningitis,bronchopulmonary dysplasia,retinopathy of prematurity and intracranial hemorrhage.The levels of blood routine parameters,ALB,SII and PNI in the EOS group were lower than those in control group,while CRP was increased.The differences were all statistically significant（ P<0.05）.Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that tracheal intubation，CRP，SII and PNI were independently influential factors of EOS（ P<0.05）.ROC curve analysis showed that the areas under curve of SII，PNI，CRP and SII combined with PNI were 0.808（95% CI 0.730-0.886），0.792（95% CI 0.718-0.865），0.633（95% CI 0.541-0.725）and 0.866（95% CI 0.803-0.929），the sensitivity were 74.3%，64.3%，42.9%，78.6%，and the specificity were 88.6%，82.9%，81.4%，90.0%,respectively.The cut-off values of SII，PNI and CRP were 221.36，38.65 and 0.80 mg/L,respectively. Conclusion:SII and PNI have a certain predictive value for EOS in preterm infants，and their combined diagnosis efficiency is more stronger.

Objective:To screen the differentially expressed immune-related genes(DEIRGs)in in-stent restenosis(ISR),and to analyze the immune cell infiltration in ISR,and to clarify the mechanism of occurrence and development of ISR.Methods:The mRNA gene expression data of GSE46560 dataset samples were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus(GEO),and divided into ISR group and non-ISR group.The"Limma"package in R software was used to identify the differentially expressed genes(DEGs)which were then intersected with immune-related genes(IRGs)to identify the DEIRGs in ISR;R software was used for Gene Ontology(GO)functional enrichment andalysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)signaling pathway enrichment analysis on DEIRGs;the STRING database was used to construct the protein-protein interaction(PPI)network,which was visualized and analyzed for Hub genes by Cytoscape software;the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve of the Hub genes were plotted,and the area under the curve(AUC)was calculated and the diagnostic value was evaluated;CIBERSORT software was used to analyze the immune cell infiltration in ISR;Pearson correlation analysis was used to analyze the relationships between the immune cells and the relationships between the immune cells and key genes.Results:A total of 331 DEGs were identified(P<0.05,|log2FC|>1),including 176 upregulated genes and 155 downregulated genes,and 38 DEIRGs were obstained.The GO functional enrichment analysis results showed that the DEIRGs were mainly enriched in biological processes(BP)such as defense response,immune response,and immune system;in cellular components(CC),the DEIRGs were located primarily in the extracellular region and cytoplasmic membrane;and in molecular functions(MF),the DEIRGs were mainly involved in regulating signaling receptor binding and cytokine receptor activity.The KEGG signaling pathway enrichment analysis results indicated that the DEIRGs in ISR were primarily enriched in the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B(PI3K-AKT)and transforming growth factor-β(TGF-β)signaling pathways.In the PPI network,CD19 had the highest node among the top 10 Hub genes.Compared with non-ISR group,the expression level of the CD19 gene in the samples in ISR group was increased(P<0.05).The AUC value in the ROC curve of CD19 gene expression was 0.92(P<0.05).The immune cell infiltration analysis results showed that compared with non-ISR group,the infiltration level of T lymphocyte follicular helper(Tfh)cells in the patients in ISR group were increased(P<0.05),the infiltration levels of immature B lymphocytes,CD8+T lymphocytes,naive CD4+T lymphocytes,and M0 macrophages were increased,but the differences were not statistically significant(P>0.05),while the infiltration levels of memory B lymphocytes,activated memory CD4+T lymphocytes,regulatory T cells,resting natural killer(NK)cells,activated NK cells,monocytes,resting mast cells,and neutrophils were decreased,but the differences were not statistically significant(P>0.05).There were positive correlations between Tfh cells and M0 macrophages and resting mast cells(r=0.88,P<0.05;r=0.68,P<0.05),and there were negative correlations between Tfh cells and monocytes and neutrophils(r=-0.49,P<0.05;r=-0.42,P<0.05).Conclusion:CD19 may influence the occurrence and development of ISR by regulating the activation of the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway to affect the Tfh and B lymphocytes.CD19 can serve as a biomarker for the diagnosis of ISR.

Objective:To investigate the effect of highly active antiretroviral therapy(HAART) on thyroid function in adult patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome(AIDS).Methods:A cross-sectional retrospective study was conducted on 1 276 AIDS patients hospitalized in the Department of Infection, Guangzhou Eighth People′s Hospital from June 2017 to May 2020. General data, the first laboratory examination on admission, thyroid function, and related antibodies were collected and analyzed. A total of 176 patients were included in the study and divided into HAART group( n=83) and no-HAART group( n=93) according to whether they received HAART treatment. Results:Among 176 AIDS patients, the rate of thyroid dysfunction was 53.98%. It was significantly lower in the HAART group, compared with no-HAART group(40.96% vs 65.59%), with a statistically significant difference ( P=0.001). The course of AIDS, body mass index, CD4 + T lymphocyte count, free triiodothyronine, and serum creatinine in HAART group were significantly higher than those in no-HAART group, and aspartate aminotransferase was significantly lower than those in no-HAART group, with statistical significance(all P<0.05). There was no significant difference in age, sex, smoking history, free thyroxine, thyroid stimulating hormone, thyroid peroxidase antibody, thyroglobulin antibodies, and alanine aminotransferase between HAART group and no-HAART group(all P>0.05). The prevalence of low T 3 syndrome in HAART group was significantly lower than that in no-HAART group(14.46% vs 39.78%), and the difference was statistically significant( P<0.001). There was no significant difference in the prevalence of hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, and isolated low T 4 between HAART group and No-HAART group(all P>0.05). Multivariate logistics regression analysis showed that HAART was an independent protective factor for thyroid dysfunction and isolated low T 4 in AIDS patients. Conclusions:Thyroid dysfunction is a common endocrine disorder in AIDS patients that requires attention from infectious disease specialists. HAART therapy serves as a protective factor against thyroid dysfunction. Thyroid dysfunction mainly manifests as low T3 syndrome and requires continuous monitoring of thyroid function changes.

Objective To investigate the effect and mechanism of Nuanxinkang on plaque formation in obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome(OSAHS)comorbid with atherosclerosis(AS)mice by inhibiting endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition(EndMT).Methods Male ApoE-/-mice were randomly divided into six groups:control group,model group,atorvastatin group(2.6 mg·kg-1)and Nuanxinkang low-,medium-and high-dose groups(crude drug 3.5,7.0,14.0 g·kg-1),with eight mice in each group.The mice were exposed to chronic intermittent hypoxia(CIH)environment during sleep for a long time,and fed with high-fat diet to replicate OSAHS comorbid with AS mouse model.Oil red O staining was used to observe the formation of plaque on aortic intima in mice.Masson trichrome staining was used to evaluate the collagen content of atherosclerotic plaques in the aortic root of mice.The expressions of endothelial cell marker CD31 and EndMT marker Vimentin in aortic plaque were detected by immunofluorescence.Blood lipid levels were determined by ELISA;the mRNA expression levels of EndMT markers α-SMA and Cdh2 in aortic tissue were detected by qPCR.Results Compared with the control group,the area of aortic atherosclerotic plaque in the model group was significantly increased(P＜0.01),and the area of collagen deposition in the aortic root plaque was significantly increased(P＜0.01).The number of CD31 positive cells in the plaque were significantly decreased(P＜0.01),and the number of Vimentin positive cells were significantly increased(P＜0.01).Serum TG,T-CHO and LDL-C levels were significantly increased(P＜0.01),and HDL-C level was significantly decreased(P＜0.01).The mRNA expression levels of α-SMA and Cdh2 in aortic tissue were significantly increased(P＜0.01).Compared with the model group,the area of aortic atherosclerotic plaque in Nuanxinkang groups were significantly reduced(P＜0.05,P＜0.01),and the collagen deposition area of aortic root atherosclerotic plaque were significantly reduced(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).The number of CD31 positive expression cells in the plaque of Nuanxinkang high-dose group were significantly increased(P＜0.05),and the number of Vimentin positive expression cells in the plaque of Nuanxinkang medium-and high-dose groups were significantly decreased(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).The serum TG level of mice in the high-dose group of Nuanxinkang was significantly decreased(P＜0.01).The serum T-CHO and LDL-C levels of mice in each Nuanxinkang administration group were significantly decreased(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).The serum HDL-C levels of mice in the medium-and high-dose groups of Nuanxinkang were significantly increased(P＜0.01).The mRNA expression levels of α-SMA and Cdh2 in aortic tissue of mice in each treatment group were significantly decreased(P＜0.01).Conclusion Nuanxinkang can effectively reduce the plaque formation in OSAHS comorbid with atherosclerosis mice,which may be related to its inhibition of EndMT and reduction of collagen fiber formation.

Objective To explore the mechanism of Xinkang Prescription (Descurainiae Semen Lepidii Semen,Armeniacae Semen Amarum,Poria,Astragali Radix,Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium,Sparanii Rhizoma) for purging the lung and promoting diuresis in treating heart failure by regulating phosphorylation of phospholamban (PLN). Methods Forty-eight C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into sham-operation group,model group,low-,medium-and high-dose Xinkang Prescription groups(0.455,0.91,1.82 g·kg-1),as well as Entresto group (25 mg·kg-1),with eight mice in each group. The model of ischemic heart failure was established by ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery in mice. After the model was successfully replicated,mice were orally administered with the above-mentioned dosages of Xinkang Prescription and Entresto once a day for four weeks,while sham-operation group and model group were given 0.9％ sodium chloride solution by gavage at the same time. Echocardiography was used to detect the cardiac function of the mice in each group,including left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF),left ventricular fractional shortening (LVFS),left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (LVEDD) and left ventricular end systolic diameter (LVESD). Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to observe the pathological changes in cardiac tissue of mice. qRT-PCR was used to detect the mRNA expression of BNP. Western Blot and Jess were used to detect the expression of PLN,p-Thr17-PLN,p-Ser16-PLN,sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase 2a (SERCA2a),protein kinase A (PKA),p-PKA,Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinaseⅡ(CaMKⅡ) and p-CaMKⅡ in cardiac tissue,and to calculate the ratio of SERCA2a/PLN. The SERCA2a activity was determined by the inorganic phosphorus method.Results Compared with the sham-operation group,the model group showed a significant decrease in LVEF and LVFS(P<0.01) and a significant increase in LVEDD and LVESD (P<0.01). HE staining showed the fibril of cardiac muscle broke and disarranged,accompanied by inflammatory cell infiltration. The mRNA expression of BNP was significantly up-regulated (P<0.01),and the protein expressions of p-Ser16-PLN,p-Thr17-PLN,p-PKA,the ratio of SERCA2a/PLN and SERCA2a activity were significantly down-regulated (P<0.01),while the expression of p-CaMKⅡ was up-regulated (P<0.01). Compared with the model group,LVEF and LVFS in medium-,high-dose Xinkang Prescription groups were significantly increased(P<0.01),while LVEDD and LVESD were significantly decreased (P<0.01). HE staining showed significant improvement in the pathological damage of cardiac tissue. The expression level of BNP was significantly decreased (P<0.01),while the protein expressions of p-Ser16-PLN,p-Thr17-PLN,p-PKA,the ratio of SERCA2a/PLN and SERCA2a activity were significantly increased (P<0.01). The protein expression of p-CaMKⅡ was remarkably decreased(P<0.05). Conclusion Xinkang Prescription can effectively improve cardiac function of mice with heart failure,which may be related to enhance phosphorylation levels of phospholamban.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The study examined the association between homocysteine and diabetes mellitus in patients with H-type hypertension and assessed the possible effect modifiers. SUBJECTS/METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 1,255 eligible participants in the ‘H-type Hypertension Management and Stroke Prevention Strategic International Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Project’ among rural Chinese people with H-type hypertension. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to evaluate the relationship between homocysteine and diabetes mellitus. RESULTS: The mean level of total homocysteine (tHcy) in the diabetes mellitus population was 19.37 μmol/L, which was significantly higher than the non-diabetic patients (18.18 μmol/L). When tHcy was analyzed as a continuous variable, the odds ratio (OR) of diabetes was 1.17 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01–1.35; per interquartile range). When tHcy was stratified according to the quintile, the ORs for diabetes were 2.86 (95% CI, 1.22–6.69) in the highest quintile (tHcy ≥ 20.60 μmol/L) compared to the reference group (tHcy < 12.04 μmol/L). When tHcy was grouped by 15 μmol/L and 20 μmol/L, patients with tHcy ≥ 20 μmol/L had a significantly (P = 0.037) higher risk of diabetes (OR, 2.03; 95% CI, 1.04–3.96) than in those with tHcy < 15 μmol/L. Subgroup analysis showed that the tHcy-diabetes association was unaffected by other variables. CONCLUSION In this study of rural Chinese people with H-type hypertension, the tHcy levels showed a positive association with diabetes mellitus. This independent association is unaffected by other potential risk factors.

Objective To prepare and identify rabbit anti-cyclin dependent kinase 6 (CDK6) antibody. Methods The recombinant pET21a (+)/CDK6 was successfully constructed, then the recombinant plasmid was transformed into E.coli BL21 (DE3) competent cells and was induced by isopropyl-β-D-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) for protein expression, which was detected by SDS-PAGE and Western blot analysis. The expressed protein was purified by nickel-chelating nitrilotriacetic acid (Ni-NTA) agarose and then analyzed by SDS-PAGE. Japanese white rabbits were immunized with purified CDK6 protein for many times every two weeks. The blood was collected at 0, 2, 4 and 6 weeks after immunization, and serum was separated from blood. The titer was detected by indirect ELISA. Western blot analysis, immunofluorescence assay and immunohistochemistry were employed to determine the specificity. Results High purity CDK6 protein and high specificity of rabbit anti-CDK6 antibody were successfully prepared. The titer of CDK6 rabbit serum antibody reached 1:30 000 after immunization, which could specifically recognize the CDK6 protein expressed in cervical cancer cell line and cervical cancer tissues. Conclusion The high titer and specificity of rabbit anti-CDK6 antibody is successfully prepared.
Animals ; Female ; Humans ; Rabbits ; Antibodies ; Antibody Specificity ; Blotting, Western ; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 6 ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer death worldwide. It is urgent to develop new drugs to improve the prognosis of ESCC patients. Here, we found benzydamine, a locally acting non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, had potent cytotoxic effect on ESCC cells. Benzydamine could suppress ESCC proliferation in vivo and in vitro. In terms of mechanism, CDK2 was identified as a target of benzydamine by molecular docking, pull-down assay and in vitro kinase assay. Specifically, benzydamine inhibited the growth of ESCC cells by inhibiting CDK2 activity and affecting downstream phosphorylation of MCM2, c-Myc and Rb, resulting in cell cycle arrest. Our study illustrates that benzydamine inhibits the growth of ESCC cells by downregulating the CDK2 pathway.
Humans ; Benzydamine ; Esophageal Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma/drug therapy* ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; Phosphorylation ; Cell Proliferation ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Apoptosis ; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 2