Collagen is a major structural protein in the matrix of animal cells and the most widely distributed and abundant functional protein in mammals. Collagen’s good biocompatibility, biodegradability and biological activity make it a very valuable biomaterial. According to the source of collagen, it can be broadly categorized into two types: one is animal collagen; the other is recombinant collagen. Animal collagen is mainly extracted and purified from animal connective tissues by chemical methods, such as acid, alkali and enzyme methods, etc. Recombinant collagen refers to collagen produced by gene splicing technology, where the amino acid sequence is first designed and improved according to one’s own needs, and the gene sequence of improved recombinant collagen is highly consistent with that of human beings, and then the designed gene sequence is cloned into the appropriate vector, and then transferred to the appropriate expression vector. The designed gene sequence is cloned into a suitable vector, and then transferred to a suitable expression system for full expression, and finally the target protein is obtained by extraction and purification technology. Recombinant collagen has excellent histocompatibility and water solubility, can be directly absorbed by the human body and participate in the construction of collagen, remodeling of the extracellular matrix, cell growth, wound healing and site filling, etc., which has demonstrated significant effects, and has become the focus of the development of modern biomedical materials. This paper firstly elaborates the structure, type, and tissue distribution of human collagen, as well as the associated genetic diseases of different types of collagen, then introduces the specific process of producing animal source collagen and recombinant collagen, explains the advantages of recombinant collagen production method, and then introduces the various systems of expressing recombinant collagen, as well as their advantages and disadvantages, and finally briefly introduces the application of animal collagen, focusing on the use of animal collagen in the development of biopharmaceutical materials. In terms of application, it focuses on the use of animal disease models exploring the application effects of recombinant collagen in wound hemostasis, wound repair, corneal therapy, female pelvic floor dysfunction (FPFD), vaginal atrophy (VA) and vaginal dryness, thin endometritis (TE), chronic endometritis (CE), bone tissue regeneration in vivo, cardiovascular diseases, breast cancer (BC) and anti-aging. The mechanism of action of recombinant collagen in the treatment of FPFD and CE was introduced, and the clinical application and curative effect of recombinant collagen in skin burn, skin wound, dermatitis, acne and menopausal urogenital syndrome (GSM) were summarized. From the exploratory studies and clinical applications, it is evident that recombinant collagen has demonstrated surprising effects in the treatment of all types of diseases, such as reducing inflammation, promoting cell proliferation, migration and adhesion, increasing collagen deposition, and remodeling the extracellular matrix. At the end of the review, the challenges faced by recombinant collagen are summarized: to develop new recombinant collagen types and dosage forms, to explore the mechanism of action of recombinant collagen, and to provide an outlook for the future development and application of recombinant collagen.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect and potential mechanism of astilbin （AST） on renal injury in chronic renal failure （CRF） rats based on the Jagged-1/Notch-1 signaling pathway. METHODS CRF model was constructed by 5/6 nephrotomy. The successfully modeled rats were randomly separated into Model group， AST low-dose group （AST-L group）， AST high-dose group （AST-H group）， high-dose of AST+Notch pathway activator （Jagged-1/FC chimerin， referred to as “JFC”） group （AST-H+ JFC group）， and control group （CK group） for open surgery without resection was set up， with 10 rats in each group. The rats in the AST-L group and AST-H group were given 40 and 80 mg/kg AST， respectively； the rats in the AST-H+JFC group were simultaneously given 80 mg/kg AST and 0.5 mg/kg JFC， and the rats in the CK group and Model group were given an equal volume of normal saline， once a day， for 4 weeks. After the last administration， the serum levels of blood urea nitrogen （BUN）， serum creatinine （SCr）， and the level of 24 h urinary protein （UP） in urine， as well as the serum levels of lactate dehydrogenase （LDH）， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin-6 （IL-6） and IL-10 in each group were detected. The morphology and fibrosis of renal tissue were observed. The content of adenosine triphosphate （ATP） and the activities of sodium-potassium ATPase and calcium-magnesium ATPase in mitochondria of renal tissue were detected. The protein expressions of transforming growth factor- β （TGF- β）， hypoxia-inducible factor-1α （HIF-1α）， α-smooth muscle actin （α-SMA）， cleaved-caspase-3， Jagged-1 and Notch-1 in renal tissue were also observed. RESULTS Compared with CK group， the renal tissue of rats in the Model group was obviously damaged， renal tissue fibrosis was severe； the serum BUN and SCr levels， urine UP level， serum 4 LDH， TNF-α and IL-6 levels， as well as the protein expressions of TGF-β， HIF-1α， α-SMA， cleaved-caspase-3， Jagged-1 and Notch-1 in renal tissue were significantly increased， while the serum IL-10 level， ATP content and activities of sodium-potassium ATPase and calcium-magnesium ATPase in mitochondria of renal tissue were significantly decreased （P＜0.05）. Compared with Model group， the renal tissue damage and fibrosis in the AST groups were reduced， the serum BUN and SCr levels， urine UP level， serum LDH， TNF-α and IL-6 levels， and the protein expressions of TGF-β， HIF-1α， α-SMA， cleaved-caspase-3， Jagged-1 and Notch-1 were significantly decreased， while the serum IL-10 level， ATP content and the activities of sodium-potassium ATPase and calcium-magnesium ATPase in mitochondria were significantly increased； the changes in the aforementioned indicators in AST- H group were more significant than those in the AST-L group（P＜0.05）. JFC could significantly reverse the improvement effect of high dose of AST on renal injury in CRF rats （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS AST can reduce inflammation in CRF rats， alleviate renal tissue damage and fibrosis， and improve renal mitochondrial capacity metabolism， possibly by inhibiting the Jagged-1/Notch-1 signaling pathway.

Objective Differentially expressed genes in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) were subjected to bioinformatic and Mendelian randomization analyses to elucidate their prognostic significance in OSCC. Methods The TCGA database and dataset GSE138206 were used to screen the common differential genes of OSCC, and their relationship was analyzed by using Mendelian randomization. The prognostic value of differential genes was further analyzed by Cox risk regression. The biological function of genes with high prognostic value was further evaluated by single gene differential analysis. Results A total of 147 common differential genes were screened from the two databases. Results of two-sample Mendelian randomization showed that GREM2 was associated with the increased risk of OSCC. In addition, SH3BGRL2 was associated with a decreased risk of OSCC, and DKK1, CCL11, and HOXC6 were considered as independent prognostic markers of OSCC. The predicted results of DKK1 were consistent with the actual results. KEGG enrichment analysis indicated the potential involvement of DKK1 in arachidonic acid and linoleic acid metabolism. Furthermore, DKK1 showed positive correlations with Tgd and Th2 cells, while displaying negative associations with PDC, Cytotoxic cells, Mast cells, CD8 T cells, TFH cells, B cells, T cells, and Th17 cells. Conclusion GREM2 is associated with an increased risk of OSCC. DKK1 is highly expressed in OSCC and associated with poor prognosis, which may be involved in regulating the metabolism of arachidonic acid and linoleic acid and immune cell invasion in OSCC.

ObjectiveTo investigate the influencing factors for traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndromes in pancreatic cancer by analyzing 608 cases， and to provide a theoretical reference for TCM syndrome differentiation and standardized treatment of pancreatic cancer. MethodsA total of 608 patients with a pathological or clinical diagnosis of pancreatic cancer who were admitted to Shanxi Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine， The Affiliated Hospital of Shanxi University of Chinese Medicine， and Shanxi Provincial Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine from January 2019 to December 2023 were enrolled， and TCM syndrome differentiation was performed. The chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups. The clinical data with statistical significance between groups were included in the regression analysis， and the unordered polytomous logistic regression model was used to investigate the influencing factors for the TCM syndrome of pancreatic cancer. ResultsFor the 608 patients with pancreatic cancer， common initial symptoms included abdominal pain （32.40%）， abdominal distension （23.85%）， fatigue （16.12%）， and emaciation （10.03%）， and the main clinical symptoms included poor appetite （75.97%）， abdominal pain （67.27%）， fatigue （61.84%）， abdominal distension （57.40%）， and emaciation （53.62%）. There were significant differences between the patients with different TCM syndromes of pancreatic cancer in sex （χ²=62.823， P<0.001）， disease duration （χ²=14.868， P=0.011）， clinical stage （χ²=21.006， P<0.001）， lymph node metastasis （χ²=2.205， P=0.032）， surgery （χ²=38.008， P<0.001）， chemotherapy （χ²=21.384， P<0.001）， radiotherapy （χ²=17.510， P=0.004）， and immunotherapy （χ²=18.573， P=0.002）. The logistic regression analysis showed that male sex was a protective factor against Qi and blood deficiency syndrome （odds ratio ［OR］=0.081， 95% confidence interval ［CI］： 0.031‍ ‍—‍ ‍0.213， P<0.001）， Qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome （OR=0.100， 95%CI： 0.041‍ ‍—‍ ‍0.247， P<0.001）， and syndrome of Yin deficiency with internal heat （OR=0.158， 95%CI： 0.057‍ ‍—‍ ‍0.444， P<0.001）， while it was a risk factor for the syndrome of damp-heat accumulation （OR=2.378， 95%CI： 1.074‍ ‍—‍ ‍5.266， P=0.033）； the course of the disease of<1 year was a protective factor against Qi and blood deficiency syndrome （OR=0.167， 95%CI： 0.073‍ ‍—‍ ‍0.383， P<0.001）， syndrome of spleen-kidney Yang deficiency （OR=0.183， 95%CI： 0.089‍ ‍—‍ ‍0.378， P<0.001）， and syndrome of Yin deficiency and internal heat （OR=0.164， 95%CI： 0.070‍ ‍—‍ ‍0.385， P<0.001）； clinical stage Ⅰ/Ⅱ/Ⅲ was a risk factor for damp-heat accumulation （OR=2.793， 95%CI： 1.259‍ ‍—‍ ‍6.196， P=0.012） and Qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome （OR=7.863， 95%CI： 2.808‍ ‍—‍ ‍22.020， P<0.001）； lymph node metastasis was a risk factor for Qi and blood deficiency syndrome （OR=4.005， 95%CI： 1.477‍ ‍—‍ ‍10.861， P=0.006）； surgical treatment was a risk factor for Qi and blood deficiency syndrome （OR=4.151， 95%CI： 1.916‍ ‍—‍ ‍8.995， P<0.001）， syndrome of spleen-kidney yang deficiency （OR=5.352， 95%CI： 2.436‍ ‍—‍ ‍11.759， P<0.001）， Qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome （OR=2.334， 95%CI： 1.071‍ ‍—‍ ‍5.088， P=0.033）， and syndrome of Yin deficiency and internal heat （OR=4.167， 95%CI： 1.789‍ ‍—‍ ‍9.707， P<0.001）； chemotherapy was a protective factor against damp-heat accumulation （OR=0.188， 95%CI： 0.082‍ ‍—‍ ‍0.428， P<0.001）； radiotherapy was a risk factor for damp-heat accumulation （OR=2.571， 95%CI： 1.151‍ ‍—‍ ‍5.746， P=0.021） and syndrome of Yin deficiency with internal heat （OR=8.384， 95%CI： 3.348‍ ‍—‍ ‍20.997， P<0.001）； immunotherapy was a risk factor for Qi and blood deficiency syndrome （OR=2.114， 95%CI： 1.021‍ ‍—‍ ‍4.379， P=0.044）. ConclusionSex， course of the disease， clinical stage， presence or absence of lymph node metastasis， surgery， chemotherapy， radiotherapy， and immunotherapy are the main influencing factors for the TCM syndrome of pancreatic cancer.

Hepatic angiomyolipoma （HAML） is a rare benign mesenchymal tumor frequently observed in middle-aged women. Due to the absence of prominent symptoms in the early stage and the lack of specific imaging findings， the diagnosis of this disease can be challenging， leading to a high rate of misdiagnosis. This article reports a case of giant HAML with subcapsular rupture that was misdiagnosed as hepatocellular carcinoma and introduces the characteristics of the case and its diagnosis and treatment process， in order to provide a reference for the diagnosis and treatment of this type of disease.

Mesenchymal stem cells （MSCs） have emerged as a promising cellular therapy for end-stage liver disease （ESLD） due to their robust self-regenerative， paracrine， and immunomodulatory characteristics， providing new directions for the treatment of advanced liver disease. However， the clinical application of MSCs is significantly limited by the fact that only a small number of MSCs can reach the liver due to massive apoptosis or necrosis during the homing process caused by the influence of the complex microenvironment （inflammation， oxidative stress， and hypoxia） of the injured liver and the fact that a substantial proportion of MSCs become trapped in the pulmonary capillaries following intravenous administration with a lack of sufficient homing receptors or adhesion molecules. Various strategies have been developed to optimize the proliferation， migration， and homing abilities of MSCs， including preconditioning， gene modification， and nanoencapsulation technology. This article elaborates on the influencing factors for the homing ability of MSCs， the strategies to optimize their homing in ESLD， and the mechanism of the homing of MSCs， in order to improve cell transplantation efficiency， promote liver repair and regeneration， and pave the way for the application of MSCs in the treatment of ESLD.

Background The positive rate of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) among coal mine workers remains high, which seriously affects the quality of life of the workers. Objective To estimate the prevalence of WMSDs among coal miners in Shanxi Province and analyze their influencing factors. Methods From May to December 2023, 2315 coal miners from a coal mine enterprise inShanxi Province were selected by convenience sampling, and the self-administered Basic Situation Survey Scale, Musculoskeletal Disorders Questionnaire, Effort-Reward Imbalance Questionnaire, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Scale were used to evaluate general demographic characteristics, work organization characteristics, living habits, sleep quality, occupational stress, and occurrence of WMSDs symptoms and the corresponding absences (sickness absence) in past 1 year. The positive rate and absenteeism rate of WMSDs were caculated, and Pearson's chi-square test was used for identify influencing factors of WMSDs, and finally a binary logistic regression method was used to further studying the factors. Results A total of 2577 questionnaires were distributed in this survey, and 2315 valid questionnaires were recovered, with an effective recovery rate of 89.9%. The positive rate of WMSDs symptoms was 48.7% (1127/2315), the absenteeism rate due to WMSDs was 22.6% (523/2315), and the waist (17.5%), neck (11.7%), and knee (9.0%) were the most common areas presenting WMSDs symptoms. The results of logistic regression showed that compared with ≤10 years of service, the risk of WMSDs was higher for those with > 20 years of service (OR=2.167, 95%CI: 1.419, 3.311). Compared with the daily working time of ≤8 h, the risk of WMSDs was higher for those >8 h daily working time (OR=1.463, 95%CI: 1.211, 1.767). A higher risk of WMSDs was reported in workers with moderate labor intensity (OR=1.247, 95%CI: 1.009, 1.542) or heavy labor intensity (OR=1.570, 95%CI: 1.215, 2.027) than those with light labor intensity. The higher the education level (OR _{high school and technical secondary school}=1.866, 95%CI: 1.435, 2.425; OR _{junior college/bachelor degree or above}=1.953, 95%CI: 1.445, 2.639), the higher the risk of WMSDs. The risk of WMSDs was higher in workers reporting smoking (OR=1.225, 95%CI: 1.021, 1.470) or alcohol consumption (OR=1.345, 95%CI: 1.122, 1.612). The risk of WMSDs in coal miners with high occupational stress (OR=1.229, 95%CI:1.030, 1.466) or those with sleep disorders (OR=3.616, 95%CI:2.824, 4.629) was higher than that in workers with low occupational stress or no sleep disorders respectively. Conclusion The positive rate of WMSDs among coal mine personnel in Shanxi Province is high, and education level, length of service, daily working hours, smoking, alcohol consumption, labor intensity, sleep disorders, and occupational stress are influencing factors for WMSDs.

Background Exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is associated with the development of metabolic syndrome (MS). However, the role of amino acids in PAH-induced MS remains unclear. Objective To explore the impact of PAHs exposure on the incidence of MS among coking workers, and to determine potential modifying effect of amino acid on this relationship. Methods Unmatched nested case-control design was adopted and the baseline surveys of coking workers were conducted in two plants in Taiyuan in 2017 and 2019, followed by a 4-year follow-up. The cohort comprised 667 coking workers. A total of 362 participants were included in the study, with 84 newly diagnosed cases of MS identified as the case group and 278 as the control group. Urinary levels of 11 PAH metabolites and plasma levels of 17 amino acids were measured by ultrasensitive performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). Logistic regression was used to estimate the association between individual PAH metabolites and MS. Stratified by the median concentration of amino acids, Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) model was employed to assess the mixed effects of PAHs on MS. Due to the skewed data distribution, all PAH metabolites and amino acids in the analysis were converted by natural logarithm ln (expressed as lnv). Results The median age of the 362 participants was 37 years, and 83.2% were male. Compared to the control group, the case group exhibited higher concentrations of urinary 2-hydroxyphenanthrene (2-OHPhe), 9-hydroxyphenanthrene (9-OHPhe), and hydroxyphenanthrene (OHPhe) (P=0.005, P=0.049, and P=0.004, respectively), as well as elevated levels of plasma branched chain amino acid (BCAA) and aromatic amino acid (AAA) (P<0.05). After being adjusted for confounding factors, for every unit increase in lnv_2-OHPhe in urine, the OR (95%CI) of MS was 1.57 (1.11, 2.26), and for every unit increase in lnv_OHPhe, the OR (95%CI) of MS was 1.82 (1.16, 2.90). Tyrosine, leucine, and AAA all presented a significant nonlinear correlation with MS. At low levels, tyrosine, leucine, and AAA did not significantly increase the risk of MS, but at high levels, they increased the risk of MS. In the low amino acid concentration group, as well as in the low BCAA and low AAA concentration groups, it was found that compared to the PAH metabolite levels at the 50th percentile (P₅₀), the log-odds of MS when the PAH metabolite levels was at the 75th percentile (P₇₅) were 0.158 (95%CI: 0.150, 0.166), 0.218 (95%CI: 0.209, 0.227), and 0.262 (95% CI: 0.241, 0.282), respectively, However, no correlation between PAHs and MS was found in the high amino acid concentration group. Conclusion Amino acids modify the effect of PAHs exposure on the incidence of MS. In individuals with low plasma amino acid levels, the risk of developing MS increases with higher concentrations of mixed PAH exposure. This effect is partly due to the low concentrations of BCAA and AAA.

Background Unhealthy lifestyle behaviors may be associated with an increased risk of cardiometabolic risk factor aggregation (CMRF≥ 2), and few studies have focused on the correlation between the two in occupational populations. Objective To investigate the current status of CMRF≥2 and the compliance of healthy lifestyle in male occupational personnel, explore the effect of lifestyle on cardiometabolic risk, and provide reference for formulating healthy behavior promotion strategies and reducing cardiometabolic risk in occupational populations. Methods The study subjects were selected from male workers who completed occupational health examinations at an occupational disease prevention and control hospital in Shanxi Province from May to December 2023, and 15125 study subjects aged 18−60 years were finally included according to pre-determined inclusion and exclusion criteria. All subjects received a series of assessments including questionnaires (basic information, lifestyle habits, and occupational factors), physical examination, laboratory tests, and six cardiometabolic risk factors (central obesity, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, hypertriglyceridemia, low-density lipoprotein cholesterolemia, and hyperuricemia). A healthy lifestyle score was calculated based on six behavioral factors (smoking, drinking, physical activity, diet, sleep, sedentary behavior) and 1 point for one positive healthy behavior. The enrolled workers were then divided into three groups according to their total scores: 0−1 points (poor group), 2−3 points (moderate group), and 4−6 points (good group). Logistic regression models were used to analyze the statistical associations between lifestyle and CMRF≥2. Results The median age of the 15125 male study participants was 40 years, and the positive rate of CMRF≥2 was 53.5%. Adherence to moderate alcohol consumption was the most compliant healthy behavior (79.4%), followed by current non-smoking (41.7%), while adherence to adequate sedentary behavior (23.6%) and healthy eating (21.1%) were relatively low, and only 17.4% were able to adhere to four or more healthy lifestyle behaviors. After adjusting for confounders, when compared with the poor group high lifestyle score was found to be a protective factor for CMRF≥2 (moderate group: OR=0.70, 95%CI: 0.63, 0.77; good group: OR=0.66, 95%CI: 0.58, 0.75). In stratified analyses across different job types (coal miners, auxiliary workers, ground workers, and others), occupational stress (with or without), shift patterns (day shift, night shift, or rotating shift), dust exposure (with or without), and noise exposure (with or without), individuals with higher lifestyle scores exhibited a consistently lower risk of CMRF≥2. There was an interaction between shift pattern and lifestyle on CMRF≥2 (P_interaction<0.05). Conclusion This occupational group has a high positive rate of CMRF≥2 and a high prevalence of poor lifestyles with low adherence to some healthy behaviors. High healthy lifestyle scores are associated with a lower risk of aggregation of cardiometabolic risk factors, which may be reduced through lifestyle interventions.

Background The prevalence of hyperuricemia (HUA) among Chinese residents has been increasing annually, with occupational populations facing a higher risk of HUA due to shift work or obesity. Objective To investigate the impact of shift work and obesity on HUA among coal miners, and to provide scientific data for the prevention of HUA in this occupational group. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted with 25619 workers from a coal mining group in 2023 as the study population, using a questionnaire survey and occupational health check-ups. Workers who were retired or on medical leave, as well as those who provided incomplete responses to the questionnaire or did not complete anthropometric measurements or blood tests, were excluded. A total of 23173 participants were included in the study. An unconditional logistic regression model was used to analyze the association between HUA and selected factors such as shift work status, years of shift work, daily shift work hours, body mass index (BMI), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), and visceral adiposity index (VAI), as well as the interaction between obesity and shift work on HUA. Restricted cubic spline functions were used to analyze the dose-response relationship between years of shift work, daily shift work hours, and HUA. Results The average age of the included workers was (42.38 ± 9.82) years. A total of 6735 workers reported positive HUA, with a positive rate of 29.1%, and the prevalence was higher in men compared to women (31.8% vs. 13.9%). After adjusting for confounding factors, the restricted cubic spline model revealed a nonlinear dose-response relationship between years of shift work, daily shift work duration, and HUA: ① When the years of shift work exceeded 3.25 years, the risk of HUA in workers gradually increased with longer work duration. At 20 years of shift work, the risk increase showed a "saturation effect," meaning that the risk of HUA no longer increased with additional years of shift work. ② When daily shift work duration was below 10 h, the risk of HUA increased with the length of shift work, but after exceeding 10 h, the risk stabilized. After adjusting for confounding factors, the logistic regression model showed that, compared to non-shift workers, shift workers, those with 10-20 years and over 20 years of shift work experience, as well as those working less than 8 h and more than 8 h per day, had a higher risk of HUA, with odds ratios (OR) of 1.14 (95%CI: 1.06, 1.22), 2.42 (95%CI: 2.20, 2.67), 2.23 (95%CI: 2.00, 2.48), 1.41 (95%CI: 1.29, 1.54), and 1.90 (95%CI: 1.75, 2.06), respectively. Additionally, compared to individuals with normal obesity indices, those with overweight and obesity based on BMI, high and very high VAI and excessive WHtR had a higher risk of HUA, with ORs of 2.01 (95%CI: 1.85, 2.17), 3.51 (95%CI: 3.20, 3.84), 1.42 (95%CI: 1.32, 1.54), 2.10 (95%CI: 1.91, 2.30), and 1.82 (95%CI: 1.69, 1.97), respectively. The interaction analysis showed no interaction between shift work and obesity index (both P_s < 0.001). Conclusion Shift work, longer shift work years, and longer daily shift work hours increase the risk of HUA among coal miners. Additionally, the role of obesity in the development of HUA cannot be ignored.