Traf2- and Nck-interacting kinase (TNIK) is closely related to the cancer occurrence, development, and prognosis. TNIK plays an important role in regulating Wnt/β-catenin pathway, thus becoming a potential target for cancer treatment. Various small-molecule TNIK inhibitors with diverse structures and potent in vitro activities have been developed to treat tumors. However, no TNIK inhibitor has entered clinical phase mainly due to poor selectivity, toxicity, and unsatisfied in vivo anti-tumor efficiency. This review summarizes the research progress of small molecule inhibitors targeting TNIK, with the aim of giving some guidance for future research and development of small-molecule inhibitors.

Viral myocarditis(VMC)is the leading cause of dilated cardiomyopathy,which can lead to heart failure and sudden cardiac death.With the development of high-throughput sequencing technology,non-coding RNA(ncRNA)plays an important role in the occurrence and development of VMC.ncRNA promotes the occurrence and development of VMC by regulating viral replication,immune cell function,myocardial cell death,myocardial interstitial fibrosis,and other pathological processes.This article reviews the research progress of ncRNA in VMC and provides new ideas for the pathogenesis,diagnosis,and treatment of VMC.

Objective To detect the level of related indexes of energy metabolism in liver tissue of alcoholic liver disease(ALD)mice,and to explore the intervention effect of Gehua Jiejiu Dizhi Decoction.Methods Forty male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into the normal control group,the model group,the Gehua Jiejiu Dizhi Decoction high-dose group(4.94 g/kg),the Gehua Jiejiu Dizhi Decoction low-dose group(2.47 g/kg),and the resveratrol group(0.40 g/kg),with 8 mice in each group.Except the normal control group,the mice in other groups were fed with Lieber-DeCarli control liquid diet for five days,followed by Lieber-DeCarli alcohol liquid diet for ten days,and on the 16th day,the mice were given 31.5%alcohol solution through gavage to establish the ALD model.From the second day after modeling,the rats in the intervention groups were given the corresponding drugs by gavage once a day for nine consecutive days.Hematoxylin and eosin staining and oil red O staining were used to observe the liver steatosis in liver tissue.The activities of Na+K+-ATPase and Ca2+Mg2+-ATPase,and the contents of succinate dehydrogenase(SDH)and hepatic glycogen in liver tissue were detected using spectrophotometry.The contents of ATP,ADP,AMP,the AMP/ATP value,total adenosine pool(TAN)content,and energy charge(EC)in liver tissue were detected by reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography method.The mRNA expressions of NAD dependent deacetylase Sirtuin-1(SIRT1)and AMP-activated protein kinase(AMPK)α2 in liver tissue were detected by real-time PCR.The protein expressions of SIRT1,AMPKα2,and AMPKβ1 in liver tissue were detected by Western blotting.Results Compared with the normal control group,the model group mice showed significant hepatic steatosis,significantly decreased Ca2+Mg2+-ATPase activity and SDH content in liver tissue,significantly increased hepatic glycogen content,significantly decreased EC and AMP/ATP value,significantly increased ATP,ADP,AMP,and TAN content,significantly decreased mRNA expressions of SIRT1 and AMPKα2,significantly increased protein expression of AMPKβ1(P<0.05).Compared with the model group,the Gehua Jiejiu Dizhi Decoction high-and low-dose groups significantly reduced liver tissue steatosis,and the activity of Na+K+-ATPase in liver tissue was significantly reduced,the EC and the mRNA expressions of SIRT1 and AMPKα2 were increased(P<0.05);the activity of Ca2+Mg2+-ATPase,SDH and ATP contents were increased in the Gehua Jiejiu Dizhi Decoction low-dose group(P<0.05);the AMP/ATP value was increased in the Gehua Jiejiu Dizhi Decoction high-dose group(P<0.05);and the protein expression of SIRT1 was increased in the the Gehua Jiejiu Dizhi Decoction high-and low-dose groups and the resveratrol group(P<0.05);the protein expression of AMPKα2 in the Gehua Jiejiu Dizhi Decoction low-dose group and the resveratrol group was increased(P<0.05).Compared with the Gehua Jiejiu Dizhi Decoction high-dose group,the Gehua Jiejiu Dizhi Decoction low-dose group and the resveratrol group showed a significant increase in ATP,TAN contents,and EC in liver tissue,while the AMP/ATP value decreased(P<0.05);mRNA expressionin of AMPKα2 in the Gehua Jiejiu Dizhi Decoction low-dose group was decreased(P<0.05);and the protein expressions of SIRT1 and AMPKα2 in the resveratrol group were increased(P<0.05).Compared with the Gehua Jiejiu Dizhi Decoction low-dose group,the protein expression of AMPKβ1 was decreased in the resveratrol group(P<0.05).Conclusion The changes of energy metabolism caused by chronic alcohol intake may be related to the occurrence of ALD,and the intervention of Gehua Jiejiu Dizhi Decoction can improve the abnormal energy metabolism in the liver of ALD mice.

Objective To retrospectively analyze the clinical data of skin ulcer patients in Lingnan area,and to explore the distribution of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome types and their related influencing factors.Methods The clinical data of 241 patients with skin ulcer who were hospitalized in the Department of Dermatology,Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine from August 2012 to July 2022 were collected,and their clinical characteristics and distribution of TCM syndrome types were analyzed.Results(1)The analysis of clinical characteristics showed that the age of the 241 patients with skin ulcers ranged from 10 years old to 98 years old,and the patients aged 70-79 years had the high incidence;the course of disease ranged from one week to more than 20 years,and most of the patients had the course of disease being 1-5 year(s);most of the patients were male,and the ratio of male to female was 1.62∶1;a total of 200 cases(82.99%)suffered skin ulcers in the lower limbs,17 cases(7.05%)suffered skin ulcers in the trunk,13 cases(5.39%)suffered multiple skin ulcers in the whole body,9 cases(3.73%)suffered skin ulcers in the upper limbs,and 2 cases(0.83%)suffered skin ulcers in the head and face.There was no significant difference in the gender and foci of the patients(P＞0.05).(2)The distribution of TCM syndrome types showed that among the 241 patients with skin ulcers,damp-heat and stasis obstruction syndrome was the most common(46.89%),followed by spleen deficiency with predominant dampness syndrome(27.39%),qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome(14.11%),and qi and yin deficiency syndrome(11.62%).There was no significant difference in the gender among the four TCM syndrome types(P＞0.05),but there was significant difference in the age of the patients(P＜0.05).Conclusion There were certain differences exert in the distribution of the age,gender,foci and course of disease in the patients with skin ulcers in Lingnan area,and the damp-heat and stasis obstruction syndrome is the most common type of the patients.

Objective:To evaluate the effect and influencing factors of gonadotropin-releasing hormone analog (GnRHa) combined with recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) on the improvement of adult height in girls with idiopathic central precocious puberty (ICPP).Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 60 girls with ICPP who were diagnosed with idiopathic central precocious puberty and received drug treatment at the Children′s Healthcare Institution of Hunan Children′s Hospital from January 2015 to December 2019. They were divided into GnRHa group and GnRHa + rhGH group based on the presence or absence of combined rhGH. Changes in bone age (BA)/age (CA), sex hormones, growth rate (GV), predicted adult height (PAH), year-end height (FAH), height benefit (FAH-PAH), and bone age assessment height standard deviation score (HtSDSBA) were analyzed. Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted on the influencing factors of height benefits in children with ICPP.Results:After drug treatment, the peak value, ratio, and BA/CA ratio of sex hormones in 60 ICCP girls all decreased, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). The second year growth rate (GV2) of the two groups of patients decreased compared to the first year growth rate (GV1), and the difference was statistically significant (all P<0.05). There was a statistically significant difference in FAH-PAH and △ HtSDSBA between the two groups ( t=4.056, P<0.001, t=-6.238, P<0.001). Pearson correlation analysis results showed that the indicators related to FAH-PAH included CA ( r=-0.477, P<0.01), total treatment period ( r=0.441, P<0.01), pre-treatment PAH ( r=-0.533, P<0.01), and post-treatment HtSDSBA ( r=0.271, P<0.05). Linear regression analysis with height benefit as the dependent variable showed that pre-treatment PAH ( β=-0.674, t=-8.713, P<0.001) and post-treatment HtSDSBA levels ( β=4.362, t=6.223, P<0.001) were independent influencing factors of height benefit in girls with ICPP. The lower the pre-treatment PAH level and the higher the post-treatment HtSDSBA, the greater the height benefit. Conclusions:GnRHa combined with rhGH treatment or GnRHa treatment can improve adult height in ICCP girls, but the combination therapy has better height benefits. For girls with severe PAH damage, GnRHa combined with rhGH treatment should be prioritized.

Folding and post-translational modification of proteins are vital for their proper functionality, with various functional regulatory systems playing significant roles, including molecular chaperone systems, ubiquitination systems, phosphorylation systems, acetylation systems, etc. Precise regulations of these systems have emerged as an important trend in drug development. This review systematically summarizes the molecular control strategies related to protein folding and post-translational modification, with a specific focus on the molecular chaperone system and the strategy of heterobifunctional molecules. On one hand, based on the similarities and differences in molecular mechanisms and design strategies, we summarize the drug development process targeting the molecular chaperone system. On the other hand, we discuss the design principles and characteristics of dual-functional molecules, and summarize their applications and developments in the precise control of post-translational modifications, aiming to provide new insights for future design.

Objective: : Blood-blister aneurysms (BBAs) of the internal carotid artery (ICA) are challenging lesions with high morbidity and mortality rates. Although research on BBAs is well documented in different populations, the study of BBAs in the Tibetan population is extremely rare. This study aimed to evaluate the characteristics of BBAs and analyze the treatment modalities and long-term outcomes in the Tibetan population in comparison with the Han population. Methods: : The characteristics of patients with BBAs of the ICA from January 2009 to January 2021 at our institution were reviewed. The features of aneurysms, treatment modalities, complications, and follow-up outcomes were retrospectively analyzed. Results: : A total of 130 patients (41 Tibetan and 89 Han patients) with BBAs of the ICA who underwent treatment were enrolled. Compared with the Han group, the Tibetan group significantly demonstrated a high ratio of BBAs among ICAs (8.6%, 41/477 vs. 1.6%, 89/5563; p<0.05), a high ratio of vasospasm (34.1%, 14/41 vs. 6.7%, 6/89; p=0.001), a high risk of ischemic events (43.9%, 18/41 vs. 22.5%, 20/89; p<0.05), and a low ratio of good outcomes (modified Rankin scale, 0–2) at the 1-year follow-up (51.2%, 21/41 vs. 74.2%, 66/89; p<0.05). The multivariate regression model showed that ischemic events significantly contributed to the prediction of outcomes at 1 year. Further analysis revealed that microsurgery and vasospasm were associated with ischemic events. Conclusion : In comparison with Han patients, the Tibetan population had a high ratio of BBA occurrence, a high incidence of ischemic events, and a high ratio of poor outcomes. The endovascular approach showed more benefits in BBA patients.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the expression level of DNA damage repair gene FANCI in hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC） and its relationship with prognosis， clinical stage and immune infiltration. MethodsIn this study， TCGA， GTEx， TIMER2.0， HPA database and qRT-PCR， western blot and immunohistochemistry were used to analyze the expression of FANCI in HCC and its correlation with different clinical stages； Kaplan-Meier Plotter database was used to explore the relationship between FANCI and the prognosis of HCC； the TISIDB database was used to analyze the relationship between FANCI and immune cell infiltration and immune checkpoints in HCC； the STRING database was used to detect the protein binding with FANCI； the TCGA and GTEx databases were used for GO and KEGG enrichment analysis； Cell experiments were used to explore the role of FANCI in HCC. ResultsCompared with normal tissues， the mRNA and protein expression levels of FANCI in tumor tissues were up-regulated （P<0.001）； and HCC patients with high expression of FANCI had poor prognosis （P<0.001）； the expression of FANCI in tumor tissues was positively correlated with the number of activated CD4⁺ T cells， the number of Th2 cells and the expression of immune checkpoints， and B-cell and macrophage infiltration was significantly lower in the FANCI high expression group （P<0.01）； GO and KEGG enrichment analysis showed that FANCI-related genes were enriched in various biological processes such as amino acid transmembrane transporter activity； Cell experiments showed that knockdown of FANCI could inhibit the proliferation， invasion and migration of HCC （P<0.05）. ConclusionsFANCI is highly expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues， which may play a role in suppressing anti-tumor immunity and acting on pathways such as amino acid transmembrane transport， and is associated with poor prognosis. The proliferation， invasion and migration ability of hepatocellular carcinoma are inhibited after knocking down FANCI.

ObjectiveTo explore the effect of Weiwei Tongtiao decoction （WTD） on chronic atrophic gastritis （CAG） rats and the underlying mechanism. MethodA total of 90 SD rats were randomized into normal control group， model group， high-dose， medium-dose， and low-dose WTD groups （18， 9， 4.5 g·kg^-1·d^-1 WTD， respectively， ig）， and weifuchun control group （0.45 g·kg^-1·d^-1 weifuchun aqueous solution， ig）， with 15 rats in each group. The N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine （MNNG） was employed to induced CAG in rats. After the modeling （identified by histopathological examination）， the administration began and lasted 12 weeks. Then， gastric mucosa tissues of the rats were collected and stained with hematoxylin and eosin （HE）， and the pathological changes of gastric mucosa were observed under the optical microscope. Real-time PCR， immunohistochemistry （IHC）， and Western blotting were applied to examine the mRNA and protein expression of indexes in nuclear factor kappa-B （NF-κB） signaling pathway in the gastric mucosa of rats. ResultCAG rats showed irregular arrangement and morphology of the inherent glands in gastric mucosa and the glands decreased or disappeared. In addition， inflammatory cell infiltration was observed in the lamina propria of CAG rats， and about 48.4% presented intestinal metaplasia. WTD significantly alleviated the reduction of the glands and intestinal metaplasia in a dose-dependent manner. Compared with the normal control group， the model group demonstrated increase in the mRNA expression of cyclooxygenase-2 （COX-2）， NF-κB p65， interleukin （IL）-1α， IL-1β， IL-10， IL-8α， and IL-8β， and protein expression of COX-2， NF-κB p65， and IL-10 （P<0.01）. WTD and weifuchun lowered the mRNA expression of COX-2， NF-κB p65， IL-1α， IL-1β， IL-10， IL-8α， and IL-8β， and the protein expression of COX-2， NF-κB p65， and IL-10 in gastric mucosa of CAG rats （P<0.01）. The expression of the above indexes after the intervention with high-dose WTD was close to that of the normal control group. ConclusionWTD can improve or even reverse the diseased gastric mucosa of CAG rats， and the mechanism is the likelihood that WTD down-regulates the mRNA and protein expression of the indexes in NF-κB signaling pathway in gastric mucosa of CAG rats.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the design points of a three-dimensional (3D) printed customized cementless intercalary endoprosthesis with an intra-neck curved stem and to evaluate the key points and mid-term effectiveness of its application in the reconstruction of ultrashort bone segments in the proximal femur. METHODS: Between October 2015 and January 2021, 17 patients underwent reconstruction with a 3D printed-customized cementless intercalary endoprosthesis with an intra-neck curved stem. There were 11 males and 6 females, the age ranged from 10 to 76 years, with an average of 30.1 years. There were 9 cases of osteosarcoma, 4 cases of Ewing sarcoma, 2 cases of chondrosarcoma, 1 case of liposarcoma, and 1 case of myofibroblastoma. The disease duration was 5-14 months, with an average of 9.5 months. Enneking staging included 16 cases of stage ⅡB and 1 case of stage ⅢB. The distances from the center of the femoral head to the body midline and the acetabular apex were measured preoperatively on X-ray images. Additionally, the distances from the tip of the intra-neck curved stem to the body midline and the acetabular apex were measured at immediate postoperatively and last follow-up. The neck-shaft angle was also measured preoperatively, at immediate postoperatively, and at last follow-up. The status of osseointegration at the bone-prosthesis interface and bone growth into the prosthesis surface were assessed by X-ray films, CT, and Tomosynthesis-Shimadzu metal artefact reduction technology (T-SMART). The survival status of the patients, presence of local recurrence or distant metastasis, and occurrence of postoperative complications were assessed. The recovery of lower limb function was evaluated pre- and post-operatively using the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) scoring system, and pain relief was evaluated using the visual analogue scale (VAS) scores. RESULTS: The patient's femoral resection length was (163.1±57.5) mm, the remaining proximal femoral length was (69.6±9.3) mm, and the percentage of femoral resection length/total femoral length was 38.7%±14.6%. All 17 patients were followed up 25-86 months with an average of 58.1 months. During the follow-up, 1 patient died of lung metastasis at 46 months postoperatively, and the remaining 16 patients survived tumor-free. There was no complication such as periprosthetic infection, delayed incision healing, aseptic loosening, prosthesis fracture, or periprosthetic fracture. No evidence of micromotion or wear around the implanted stem of the prosthesis was detected in X-ray and T-SMART evaluations. There was no significant radiolucent lines, and radiographic evidence of bone ingrowth into the bone-prosthesis interface was observed in all stems. There was no significant difference in the distance from the tip of the curved stem to the body midline and the apex of the acetabulum at immediate postoperatively and last follow-up compared with the distance from the center of the femoral head to the body midline and the apex of the acetabulum before operation, respectively (P>0.05), and there was no significant difference in the above indexes between immediate postoperatively and last follow-up (P>0.05). The differences in the neck-shaft angle at various time points before and after operation were also not significant (P>0.05). At last follow-up, the MSTS score was 26.1±1.2 and the VAS score was 0.1±0.5, which were significantly improved when compared with those before operation [19.4±2.1 and 5.7±1.0, respectively] (t=14.735, P<0.001; t=21.301, P<0.001). At last follow-up, none of the patients walked with the aid of crutches or other walkers. CONCLUSION The 3D printed customized cementless intercalary endoprosthesis with an intra-neck curved stem is an effective method for reconstructing ultrashort bone segments in the proximal femur following malignant tumor resection. The operation is reliable, the postoperative lower limb function is satisfactory, and the incidence of complications is low.
Female ; Male ; Humans ; Child ; Adolescent ; Young Adult ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Femur/surgery* ; Lower Extremity ; Bone-Implant Interface ; Femur Head ; Artificial Limbs