ObjectiveTo investigate the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index and the level of serum homocysteine (Hcy) in association with the incidence of stroke in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. MethodsBased on the chronic disease risk factor surveillance cohort in Pudong New Area, Shanghai, excluding those with stroke in baseline survey, T2DM patients who joined the cohort from January 2016 to October 2020 were selected as the research subjects. During the follow-up period, a total of 318 new-onset ischemic stroke patients were selected as the case group, and a total of 318 individuals matched by gender without stroke were selected as the control group. The Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to adjust for confounding factors and explore the serum TyG index and the Hcy biochemical indicator in association with the risk of stroke. ResultsThe Cox proportional hazards regression results showed that after adjusting for confounding factors, the risk of stroke in T2DM patients with 10 μmol·L⁻¹-¹ and Hcy>15 μmol·L⁻¹ was 1.532 times (95%CI: 1.017‒2.309 times, P=0.041) and 1.738 times (95%CI: 1.119‒2.699 times, P=0.014) higher respectively, compared to T2DM patients with Hcy≤10 μmol·L⁻¹. T2DM patients with TyG>9.074 had 1.396 times higher risk of stroke (95%CI: 1.091‒1.787, P=0.008) compared to those with TyG≤9.074. The study found that urea and α1-antitrypsin (α1-AT) were independent risk factors for the incidence of stroke in T2DM patients. For every unit increase in urea andα1-AT, the risk of stroke in T2DM patients increased by 233.6% (HR=3.336, 95%CI: 1.588‒7.009, P=0.001) and 11.3% (HR=1.113, 95%CI: 1.028‒1.205, P=0.008), respectively. Cumulative risk curves showed that Hcy>10 μmol·L⁻¹ and TyG>9.074 accelerated the time to stroke occurrence in T2DM patients. ConclusionElevated levels of Hcy>10 μmol·L⁻¹ and a higher TyG index are risk factors for stroke in T2DM patients. Effective interventions for Hcy and TyG should be conducted for diabetic patients to reduce the incidence of stroke.

Linxian County in Henan Province, Northern China is known as the region with the highest incidence and mortality rate of esophageal cancer worldwide. Since 1959, the Henan medical team has conducted field work on esophageal cancer prevention and treatment in Linxian. Through three generations of effort exerted by oncologists over 65 years of research on esophageal cancer prevention and treatment in Linxian, the incidence rate of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in this area has dropped by nearly 50%, and the 5-year survival rate has increased to 40%, reaching the international leading level. This article aims to summarize the history, present opportunities and new challenges, and explore the experience of esophageal cancer prevention and treatment in Linxian (referred to as the “Linxian experience”), providing reference and guidance to cancer prevention and treatment research in China.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether monotropein has an anticancer effect and explore its potential mechanisms against colorectal cancer (CRC) through network pharmacology and molecular docking combined with experimental verification. METHODS: Network pharmacology and molecular docking were used to predict potential targets of monotropein against CRC. Cell counting kit assay, plate monoclonal assay and microscopic observation were used to investigate the antiproliferative effects of monotropein on CRC cells HCT116, HT29 and LoVo. Flow cytometry and scratch assay were used to analyze apoptosis and cell cycle, as well as cell migration, respectively in HCT116, HT29, and LoVo cells. Western blotting was used to detect the expression of proteins related to apoptosis, cell cycle, and cell migration, and the expression of proteins key to the Akt pathway. RESULTS: The Gene Ontology and Reactome enrichment analyses indicated that the anticancer potential of monotropein against CRC might be involved in multiple cancer-related signaling pathways. Among these pathways, RAC-beta serine/threonine-protein kinase (Akt1, Akt2), cyclin-dependent kinase 6 (CDK6), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP9), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), cell division control protein 42 homolog (CDC42) were shown as the potential anticancer targets of monotropein against CRC. Molecular docking suggested that monotropein may interact with the 6 targets (Akt1, Akt2, CDK6, MMP9, EGFR, CDC42). Subsequently, cell activity of HCT116, HT29 and LoVo cell lines were significantly suppressed by monotropein (P<0.05). Furthermore, our research revealed that monotropein induced cell apoptosis by inhibiting Bcl-2 and increasing Bax, induced G₁-S cycle arrest in colorectal cancer by decreasing the expressions of CyclinD1, CDK4 and CDK6, inhibited cell migration by suppressing the expressions of CDC42 and MMP9 (P<0.05), and might play an anticancer role through Akt signaling pathway. CONCLUSION Monotropein exerts its antitumor effects primarily by arresting the cell cycle, causing cell apoptosis, and inhibiting cell migration. This indicates a high potential for developing novel medication for treating CRC.
Humans ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism* ; Cell Proliferation ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; Cell Cycle ; ErbB Receptors ; Apoptosis ; Colorectal Neoplasms/pathology* ; Cell Line, Tumor

The main protease (M^pro) of SARS-CoV-2 is an attractive target in anti-COVID-19 therapy for its high conservation and major role in the virus life cycle. The covalent M^pro inhibitor nirmatrelvir (in combination with ritonavir, a pharmacokinetic enhancer) and the non-covalent inhibitor ensitrelvir have shown efficacy in clinical trials and have been approved for therapeutic use. Effective antiviral drugs are needed to fight the pandemic, while non-covalent M^pro inhibitors could be promising alternatives due to their high selectivity and favorable druggability. Numerous non-covalent M^pro inhibitors with desirable properties have been developed based on available crystal structures of M^pro. In this article, we describe medicinal chemistry strategies applied for the discovery and optimization of non-covalent M^pro inhibitors, followed by a general overview and critical analysis of the available information. Prospective viewpoints and insights into current strategies for the development of non-covalent M^pro inhibitors are also discussed.

ObjectiveTo explore the effect of Buzhong Yiqitang on the immune imbalance of helper T cell 17 （Th17）/regulatory T cell （Treg） and Notch1 signaling pathway in mice with autoimmune thyroiditis （AIT）. MethodA total of 60 8-week-old NOD.H-2^h4 mice were randomly divided into the normal group， model group， western medicine group （selenium yeast tablet， 32.5 mg·kg^-1）， and low-dose （4.78 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， middle-dose （9.56 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， and high-dose （19 g·kg^-1·d^-1） Buzhong Yiqitang groups， with 10 mice in each group. The normal group was fed with distilled water， and the other groups were fed with water containing 0.05% sodium iodide for eight weeks. After the animal model of AIT was formed spontaneously， the mice were killed under anesthesia after intragastric administration for eight weeks. Serum anti-thyroglobulin antibodies （TGAb）， thyroid-stimulating hormone （TSH）， free triiodothyronine （FT3）， and free thyroid hormone （FT4） were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）， and thyroid tissue changes were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. The mRNA and protein expressions of retinoid-related orphan receptor-γt （RORγt）， interleukin （IL）-17， forkhead box P3 （FoxP3）， IL-10， Notch1， and hair division-related enhancer 1 （Hes1） in thyroid tissue were detected by Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） and Western blot， respectively. ResultCompared with the normal group， the thyroid structure of the model group was severely damaged， and lymphocytes were infiltrated obviously. The levels of serum TGAb， FT3， and FT4 contents were significantly increased， and TSH content was significantly decreased （P<0.01）. The mRNA and protein expression levels of RORγt， IL-17， Notch1， and Hes1 were significantly increased， while those of FoxP3 and IL10 were significantly decreased in the model group （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， thyroid structural damage and lymphocyte infiltration were improved in the treatment groups， and serum TGAb， FT3， and FT4 contents were significantly decreased. TSH content was increased， and mRNA and protein expression levels of RORγt， IL-17， Notch1， and Hes1 were decreased. mRNA and protein expression levels of FoxP3 and IL-10 were increased to different degrees （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the middle-dose Buzhong Yiqitang group had the most significant intervention effect. ConclusionBuzhong Yiqitang can alleviate the thyroid structural damage in AIT mice， and its mechanism may be related to improving the abnormal differentiation of Th17/Treg immune cells and inhibiting the activation of the Notch1 signaling pathway.

The angiogenic microenvironment is a new blood vessel with different molecular and functional characteristics that sprouts on the original blood vessels through different mechanisms,which directly affects the process of tumor cell growth,proliferation,and migration and has an important impact on the occurrence and development of precancerous lesions of gastric cancer.Correa mode has shown that precancerous lesions of gastric cancer is the key pathological stage before the occurrence of gastric cancer,and it is of great significance to advance the prevention and treatment strategy to this stage.TCM believes that qi deficiency and blood stasis is the key pathogenesis of precancerous lesions of gastric cancer,and its basic treatment is to replenish qi and remove blood stasis,and based on the syndrome differentiation,drugs with the efficacy of nourishing yin and tonifying stomach,soothing the liver and regulating qi,resolving phlegm and dispersing lumps,and clearing heat and dampness for treatment.This article discussed the correlation between precancerous lesions of gastric cancer and angiogenic microenvironment and its regulatory pathways,and summarized the methods and mechanisms of TCM in the treatment of precancerous lesions of gastric cancer from the perspective of regulating angiogenic microenvironment-related pathways,in order to provide a reference for the treatment of precancerous lesions of gastric cancer with TCM.

Objective:To investigate the impact of daily step count on glycemic outcomes in community residents with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT).Methods:This was a prospective cohort study, in October 2018, 204 residents who met the criteria of IGT were recruited in the Shijingshan District in Beijing. The subjects were tested for fasting blood glucose, oral glucose tolerance test 2-hour blood glucose (2hBG), glycated hemoglobin A 1c (HbA 1c), lipid profile, liver and kidney function, as well as measurements of height, weight and waist circumference. A dedicated mobile application was used to deliver prediabetes health knowledge monthly. Online guidance was provided to answer questions and daily step count was collected using the application. Three years later, a follow-up was conducted to assess the participants′ glycemic outcomes and other indexes, and a total of 142 participants completed the follow-up review. According to daily step count, the subjects were categorized into high step count group (42 cases,>7 000 steps daily), moderate step count group (54 cases, 5 000-7 000 steps daily), and low step count group (46 cases,<5 000 steps daily). Subjects were categorized into diabetes group (30 cases), prediabetes group (77 cases) and normal glucose tolerance group (35 cases) with glycemic outcomes. Independent sample t test was used to compare the differences in blood glucose, blood lipids, and step counts between the two groups. Kruskal-Wallis H test or one-way ANOVA was used to compare the differences in blood glucose, blood lipids, and step counts between multiple groups. The χ2 test was used to compare the differences in glycemic outcomes between multiple groups. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to assess the impact of daily step counts and body mass index on glycemic outcomes. Linear regression analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between daily step counts and 2 h BG. Results:A total of 142 participants completed the 3-year follow-up, including 43 males and 99 females, with a mean age of (60.15±5.67) years. At baseline, males had significantly higher body mass index, waist circumference, and fasting blood glucose when compared to those in females [(26.97±2.43) vs (24.89±2.93) kg/m 2, (92.68±7.75) vs (83.83±8.60) cm, (5.83±0.61) vs (5.62±0.52) mmol/L], the total cholesterol and HDL-C were also significantly lower in males than those in females [(5.10±1.16) vs (5.55±0.95) mmol/L, (1.35±0.34) vs (1.56±0.35) mmol/L] (all P<0.05). After 3-year follow-up, 21.1% (30/142) of IGT participants progressed to diabetes, with an annual conversion rate of approximately 7%. The normal glucose tolerance group showed significantly higher daily step counts when compared with the prediabetes and diabetes groups [(7 886±2 867) vs (5 981±2 655) vs (4 117±2 674) steps] ( H=31.778, P<0.001). Individuals with higher daily step counts exhibited lower body mass index, 2 h BG, and HbA 1c level when compared with those in the ones with moderate and low step counts [(24.26±3.09) vs (25.44±3.38) vs (26.26±3.59) kg/m 2, (7.50±1.71) vs (9.15±3.30) vs (11.19±3.84) mmol/L, 5.97%±0.46% vs 6.14%±0.99% vs 6.40%±0.96%] (all P<0.05). Higher step count was positively correlated with the reversal of prediabetes to normal blood glucose levels (moderate step count, OR=0.297, 95% CI: 0.109-0.804; low step count, OR=0.055, 95% CI: 0.010-0.287), lower daily step count correlated positively with prediabetes progressing to diabetes ( OR=4.857, 95% CI: 1.140-20.689) (all P<0.05). For every additional 1 000 steps per day, the 2 h BG decreased by 0.5 mmol/L. Conclusion:As daily step count increases, the glucose metabolism improves in IGT community residents. Higher daily step count is associated with reversal of IGT to normal glucose tolerance, while lower daily step count may be associated with the progression of IGT to diabetes.

Objective:To compare the efficacy of fractional CO 2 laser combined with topical delivery of fluorouracil versus compound betamethasone injections in the treatment of vitiligo. Methods:Clinical data were collected from 94 patients with localized, non-segmental, and stable vitiligo, who received fractional CO 2 laser combined with drug delivery at the Cosmetological Center, Xijing Hospital, Air Force Medical University from October 2018 to May 2023, and were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, there were 40 cases in the fractional CO 2 laser combined with fluorouracil injection group, and 54 cases in the fractional CO 2 laser combined with compound betamethasone injection group. All the patients received the above treatment once a month for 5 sessions. A 4-level grading scale was used to evaluate the pigmentation improvement, and the clinical efficacy and safety of the two therapeutic regimens were compared. Comparisons between groups were performed using chi-square test, Fisher′s exact test, and t test. Results:In the fractional CO 2 laser combined with fluorouracil injection group, there were 22 males and 18 females, their ages were 21.95 ± 12.88 years, and the disease duration was 25.46 ± 11.42 months; in the fractional CO 2 laser combined with compound betamethasone injection group, there were 36 males and 18 females, their ages were 22.26 ± 8.79 years, and the disease duration was 26.51 ± 12.81 months. One month after the first treatment, no significant difference was observed in the efficacy between the two groups ( χ2 = 1.39, P = 0.238). One month after the fifth treatment, 2 (5.0%) patients showed an excellent response, 4 (10.0%) showed a good response, 12 (30.0%) showed a mild response, and 22 (55.0%) showed a poor response in the fractional CO 2 laser combined with fluorouracil injection group; in the fractional CO 2 laser combined with compound betamethasone injection group, 8 (14.8%) patients showed a good response, 8 (14.8%) showed a mild response, and 38 (70.4%) showed a poor response; there was no significant difference in the efficacy between the two groups after 5 sessions of treatment ( χ2 = 2.35, P = 0.125). After either 1 or 5 sessions of treatment, there were no significant differences in the efficacy for lesions on the face and neck, trunk and limbs, hands and feet between the two therapeutic regimens (all P > 0.05). Comparisons of the efficacy for skin lesions on different body sites showed that one session of the fractional CO 2 laser combined with fluorouracil injection was more effective for the treatment of skin lesions on the face and neck compared with those on the hands and feet ( P = 0.039) ; after 5 sessions of treatment, the two therapeutic regimens both showed better efficacy for facial skin lesions compared with hand and foot skin lesions ( P = 0.005, 0.049). There was no significant difference in the occurrence of adverse reactions such as pigmentation, infection and scarring between the two groups. Conclusion:The fractional CO 2 laser combined with topical delivery of fluorouracil and compound betamethasone injections showed similar efficacy and safety in the treatment of vitiligo, and both can be used as treatment options for vitiligo.

ObjectiveTo explore the prevalence and influencing factors of multimorbidity among the HIV-infected individuals receiving anti-viral therapy (ART) in Dehong Prefecture of Yunnan Province, so as to provide a reference for the long-term follow-up management of HIV-infected patients and the comprehensive prevention and treatment of chronic diseases. MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the multimorbidity burden among the HIV-infected adults receiving ART in Dehong Prefecture from January to July 2021 and a self-designed questionnaire was used to analyze relevant disease indicators. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the influencing factors of multimorbidity among the HIV-infected individuals. ResultsA total of 3 946 HIV-infected individuals receiving ART were enrolled in this study, of which 63.7% aged ≤50 years, with a male to female ratio of 1.1∶1. Among the 3 946 cases, 825 of them had ≥2 comorbidities, with a co-prevalence rate of 20.9% (95%CI:19.6%‒22.2%), and the main comorbidities were dyslipidemia, diabetes, and hypertension. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that 40≤ aged <50 years (aOR=1.86, 95%CI: 1.45‒2.40, P<0.001), 50≤ aged ≤85 years (aOR=3.75, 95%CI: 2.93‒4.80, P<0.001), Dai nationality (aOR=1.21, 95%CI: 1.01‒1.47, P=0.043), BMI≥24.0 kg∙m^-2 (aOR=1.79, 95%CI: 1.49‒2.14, P<0.001), 10.0≤ with ART duration for <12.5 years (aOR=1.49, 95%CI: 1.05‒2.12, P=0.024), with ART duration for ≥12.5 years (aOR=1.50, 95%CI: 1.05‒2.15, P=0.026), use of second-line HIV therapy (aOR=1.43, 95%CI: 1.19‒1.70, P<0.001) and other therapy options (aOR=3.16, 95%CI: 2.17‒4.61, P<0.001) were positively correlated with multimorbidity. ConclusionThe prevalence of multimorbidity among the HIV-infected individuals receiving ART in Dehong Prefecture is high, which is associated with the advancing age and prolonged treatment time, particularly with a significant burden of dyslipidemia, diabetes, and hypertension. Comprehensive surveillance and targeted management of comorbidities, along with ART follow-up, need to be strengthened in the future.

This study aimed to investigate the role and mechanism of sappanone A (SA) in regulating renal ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) in rats. The animal experiment has been approved by the Ethics Committee of Suzhou Wujiang District Children's Hospital (approval number: 2022010). First, hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining was used to evaluate the effects of SA on IRI, and renal damage was scored. Serum creatinine (SCr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and cystatin C (Cystatin C) were analyzed. The effect of sappanone A on the apoptosis of renal tubular epithelial cells induced by IRI was analyzed by TUNEL staining. Protein expression levels of p-JNK/JNK, p-ERK/ERK, Bcl2, Bax and cleaved-caspase 3 in renal tissues were detected by Western blot. Finally, H&E staining, serological analysis, TUNEL staining and Western blot were used to determine whether JNK activator anisomycin could reverse the effect of SA on IRI in rats. The results showed SA significantly reduced the renal tubule injury caused by ischemia-reperfusion, and decreased the level of SCr, BUN and Cys C in serum. TUNEL staining showed that SA significantly reduced the apoptosis of renal tubular epithelial cells induced by IRI. Western blot analysis of kidney tissue showed that SA significantly promoted the expression of apoptosis inhibiting protein Bcl2 and inhibited the expression of apoptosis-promoting proteins Bax and cleaved-caspase 3. Further analysis elucidated that SA did not affect the phosphorylation of ERK but decreased the phosphorylation of JNK. Finally, H&E staining, serological analysis, TUNEL staining and Western blot confirmed that JNK activator anisomycin could reverse the alleviating effect of SA on IRI in rats. The above findings suggest that SA could alleviate IRI in rats by inhibiting JNK phosphorylation.