Objectives: Blood and urine are commonly used specimens for clinical testing, and their contents, particularly exosomal microRNA (miRNA), are diverse, reflecting the metabolic activities of tissues and organs in the body. Methods: Blood and urine samples were collected from six healthy adults. Exosomes were then enriched from these samples, followed by sequencing and bioinformatic analysis of exosomal miRNA. Results: The comparative analysis of miRNAs in blood and urine revealed that 41 miRNAs were more abundant in blood, while 61 were found at lower levels. Notably, hsa-miR-934 was among those with higher expression in blood, whereas hsa-miR-425-5p was one of the miRNAs with lower expression.Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis indicated that the target mRNAs of differentially expressed exosomal miRNAs (DEexo-miRNAs) in both blood and urine are implicated in various signaling pathways, including proteoglycans in cancer, axonal guidance, and the regulation of the actin cytoskeleton. Additionally, the target mRNAs associated with DEexo-miRNAs in urine were also linked to processes such as ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis and the phosphatidylinositol signaling system. In contrast, the target mRNAs corresponding to DEexo-miRNAs in blood were involved in the FoxO signaling pathway and chronic myeloid leukemia, among others. Conclusion This study observed differential expression of exosomal miRNAs in blood and urine, thereby enriching the available library of exosomal miRNA for these two sample types. It also lays the groundwork for the detection of exosomal biomarkers from blood and urine.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of Zhenqi Buxue Oral Liquid (ZQ), progesterone capsules, and their combination in treating oligomenorrhea and hypomenorrhea with qi-blood and Kidney (Shen) essence deficiency. METHODS: This was a prospective, randomized, multi-center controlled trial between June 2022 to December 2022. Ninety-six oligomenorrhea and hypomenorrhea patients with qi-blood and Shen essence deficiency were randomly assigned to receive ZQ (ZQ group, 29 cases), progesterone capsules (PG group, 32 cases), or the combined Chinese and Western medicine (COM group, 31 cases) at a ratio of 1:1:1. Patients in the ZQ or PG group took daily 10 mL twice a day of ZQ or 200 mg once a day of progesterone capsules for 10 consecutive days on day 15 of the menstrual cycle respectively, and patients in the COM group received the same ZQ combined with progesterone capsules. The treatment course lasted for 3 months and follow-up was performed at 1 and 3 months after the end of treatment. Primary endpoint was the menstrual Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndrome Scale (TCMSS) scores. Secondary endpoints included pictorial blood loss assessment chart (PBAC) scores, clinical efficacy rate, 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) scores, sex hormones and thickness of endometrium. Adverse events (AEs) were recorded. RESULTS: TCMSS scores after 1- and 3-month treatment in all groups were significantly lower than those at baseline (P<0.05). Only TCMSS scores after 3-month treatment in the ZQ and COM groups continuously decreased compared with those after 1-month treatment in the same group (P<0.01). TCMSS scores after 3-month treatment in the ZQ and COM groups were significantly lower than those in the PG group (P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with baseline, PBAC scores in the ZQ and COM groups after 3 months of treatment were also significantly higher (both P<0.01). The total effective rates of TCM syndrome of 3-month treatment were significantly improved in all groups compared with that after 1 month of treatment (P<0.05). The total effective rate of the COM group was the highest in the 3rd month of treatment and significantly higher than that of PG group alone (P<0.05). Compared with baseline, only the SF-36 scores of COM group were significantly improved after 3 months of treatment (P<0.05). No serious adverse reactions were observed after treatment. CONCLUSIONS The combination of ZQ and PG, or ZQ only had better effects on reducing TCMSS scores compared with PG, and COM showed the higher total effective rate compared with monotherapy. Besides, COM could effectively improve menstrual blood loss and quality of life. ZQ combined with PG may be an effective and safe option for oligomenorrhea and hypomenorrhea patients with qi-blood and Shen essence deficiency.
Female ; Humans ; Progesterone/therapeutic use* ; Qi ; Oligomenorrhea/drug therapy* ; Quality of Life ; Prospective Studies ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/adverse effects* ; Capsules ; Kidney

Platelets are reprogrammed by cancer via a process called education, which favors cancer development. The transcriptional profile of tumor-educated platelets (TEPs) is skewed and therefore practicable for cancer detection. This intercontinental, hospital-based, diagnostic study included 761 treatment-naïve inpatients with histologically confirmed adnexal masses and 167 healthy controls from nine medical centers (China, n = 3; Netherlands, n = 5; Poland, n = 1) between September 2016 and May 2019. The main outcomes were the performance of TEPs and their combination with CA125 in two Chinese (VC1 and VC2) and the European (VC3) validation cohorts collectively and independently. Exploratory outcome was the value of TEPs in public pan-cancer platelet transcriptome datasets. The AUCs for TEPs in the combined validation cohort, VC1, VC2, and VC3 were 0.918 (95% CI 0.889-0.948), 0.923 (0.855-0.990), 0.918 (0.872-0.963), and 0.887 (0.813-0.960), respectively. Combination of TEPs and CA125 demonstrated an AUC of 0.922 (0.889-0.955) in the combined validation cohort; 0.955 (0.912-0.997) in VC1; 0.939 (0.901-0.977) in VC2; 0.917 (0.824-1.000) in VC3. For subgroup analysis, TEPs exhibited an AUC of 0.858, 0.859, and 0.920 to detect early-stage, borderline, non-epithelial diseases and 0.899 to discriminate ovarian cancer from endometriosis. TEPs had robustness, compatibility, and universality for preoperative diagnosis of ovarian cancer since it withstood validations in populations of different ethnicities, heterogeneous histological subtypes, and early-stage ovarian cancer. However, these observations warrant prospective validations in a larger population before clinical utilities.
Humans ; Female ; Blood Platelets/pathology* ; Biomarkers, Tumor/genetics* ; Ovarian Neoplasms/pathology* ; China

Astragali Radix(AR)is a clinically used herbal medicine with multiple immunomodulatory activities that can strengthen the activity and cytotoxicity of natural killer(NK)cells.However,owing to the complexity of its composition,the specific active ingredients in AR that act on NK cells are not clear yet.Cell membrane chromatography(CMC)is mainly used to screen the active ingredients in a complex system of herbal medicines.In this study,a new comprehensive two-dimensional(2D)NK-92MI CMC/C18 column/time-of-flight mass spectrometry(TOFMS)system was established to screen for potential NK cell acti-vators.To obtain a higher column efficiency,3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane-modified silica was synthesized to prepare the NK-92MI CMC column.In total,nine components in AR were screened from this system,which could be washed out from the NK-92MI/CMC column after 10 min,and they showed good affinity for NK-92MI/CMC column.Two representative active compounds of AR,isoastragaloside Ⅰ and astragaloside Ⅳ,promoted the killing effect of NK cells on K562 cells in a dose-dependent manner.It can thus suggest that isoastragaloside Ⅰ and astragaloside Ⅳ are the main immunomodulatory compo-nents of AR.This comprehensive 2D NK-92MI CMC analytical system is a practical method for screening immune cell activators from other herbal medicines with immunomodulatory effects.

Cell membrane affinity chromatography has been widely applied in membrane protein (MP)-targeted drug screening and interaction analysis. However, in current methods, the MP sources are derived from cell lines or recombinant protein expression, which are time-consuming for cell culture or purification, and also difficult to ensure the purity and consistent orientation of MPs in the chromatographic stationary phase. In this study, a novel in situ synthesis membrane protein affinity chromatography (iSMAC) method was developed utilizing cell-free protein expression (CFE) and covalent immobilized affinity chromatography, which achieved efficient in situ synthesis and unidirectional insertion of MPs into liposomes in the stationary phase. The advantages of iSMAC are: 1) There is no need to culture cells or prepare recombinant proteins; 2) Specific and purified MPs with stable and controllable content can be obtained within 2 h; 3) MPs maintain the transmembrane structure and a consistent orientation in the chromatographic stationary phase; 4) The flexible and personalized construction of cDNAs makes it possible to analyze drug binding sites. iSMAC was successfully applied to screen PDGFRβ inhibitors from Salvia miltiorrhiza and Schisandra chinensis. Micro columns prepared by in-situ synthesis maintain satisfactory analysis activity within 72 h. Two new PDGFRβ inhibitors, salvianolic acid B and gomisin D, were screened out with K _D values of 13.44 and 7.39 μmol/L, respectively. In vitro experiments confirmed that the two compounds decreased α-SMA and collagen Ӏ mRNA levels raised by TGF-β in HSC-T6 cells through regulating the phosphorylation of p38, AKT and ERK. In vivo, Sal B could also attenuate CCl₄-induced liver fibrosis by downregulating PDGFRβ downstream related protein levels. The iSMAC method can be applied to other general MPs, and provides a practical approach for the rapid preparation of MP-immobilized or other biological solid-phase materials.

Objective: To explore and establish the preparation system of human intestinal fluid transplantation (HIFT) and HIFT capsule, and to preliminarily apply it to clinic. Methods: Strict standards for donor screening and management were established. The nasojejunal tube was catheterized into the distal jejunum, and then it was connected with an improved disposable sterile negative pressure collection device for the collection of human intestinal fluid. After that, it was prepared into capsules by filtering, adding 10% glycerin protectant and freeze-drying method. The amount of living bacteria was used as the standard of therapeutic dose. The living bacteria amount in fluid is ≥ 5.0×10⁸ /mL and the living bacteria proportion is ≥ 83%; the living bacteria amount in powder is ≥ 2.0×10⁶ /g and the living bacteria proportion is ≥ 81%; The observational indicators included: (1) the basic information of the donor, the amount of living bacteria in the HIF and powder. (2) Preliminary analysis of the treatment for ASD, which combined HIFT capsule with standard FMT capsule, from February to December 2021 (Clinical trial Registration Number: ChiCTR2100043929). Evaluation criteria: Trypan blue staining method was used to detect the living bacteria amount in fluid and powder. The Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC) and Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) were used to evaluate the efficacy. Results: Compared with the parent donor, the standard donor was younger [(25.4±0.9) y vs. (30.7±3.2) y, t=-19.097, P=0.001] and had a lower body mass index [(19.7±0.5) kg/m² vs. (20.8±1.3) kg/m², t=-8.726, P=0.001], more in the living bacteria amount in powder [(7.47±1.52)×10⁶/g vs. (5.03±1.38)×10⁶/g, t=11.331, P=0.031], Chao index (205.4±6.8 vs. 194.2±7.2, t=10.415, P=0.001), and Shannon index (3.25±0.14 vs 2.72±0.27, t=19.465, P=0.001). The differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). However, there were no significant differences in gender, drainage volume and total number of bacterial liquid colonies between the two groups (all P>0.05). Both the standard donor and the parent donor met the donor screening criteria, and the preparation fluid and powder met the treatment criteria. Eight patients received the treatment of HIFT combined with fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT). Preliminary statistical results showed that HIFT combined with FMT improved ABC and CARS at the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th months. The differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). No severe adverse reaction occurred. Conclusion: Based on the previous research on FMT preparation system and the clinical technology in our center, this study developed a high standard HIFT preparation system, and explored the clinical study of HIFT combined with FMT, in order to provide an innovative therapy for the treatment of diseases.
Bacteria ; Child ; Fecal Microbiota Transplantation/methods* ; Glycerol ; Humans ; Powders ; Trypan Blue

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the molecular mechanism in stable cell strains expressing Mini-hF9 gene with nonsense mutation. METHODS: Mini-hF9 gene and its nonsense mutants were transfected into HeLa cells independently, and stable cell strains were obtained after G418 resistance screening and monoclonal transformation. The altered splicing and protein expression of mRNA in Mini-hF9 gene in stable cell strains were detected by using RT-PCR and Western blot. RESULTS: The wild type and nonsense mutated human coagulation factor IX stable cell strains were constructed successfully, which were named HeLa-F9-WT, HeLa-F9-M1 and HeLa-F9-M2. Only normal splicing Norm was detected in the wild-type cell strain HeLa-F9-WT; Norm and Alt-S1 splicing were detected in HeLa-F9-M1; while Norm, Alt-S1 and Alt-S2 splicing were detected in HeLa-F9-M2. CONCLUSION The nonsense associated altered splicing (NAS) pathway, which generated alternately spliced transcripts, might be triggered in coagulation factor IX gene with nonsense mutation.
Codon, Nonsense ; Factor IX/metabolism* ; HeLa Cells ; Humans ; Mutation ; RNA Splicing ; RNA, Messenger/metabolism*

BACKGROUND: Perioperative treatment has become an increasingly important aspect of the management of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Small-scale clinical studies performed in recent years have shown improvements in the major pathological remission rate after neoadjuvant therapy, suggesting that it will soon become an important part of NSCLC treatment. Nevertheless, neoadjuvant immunotherapy may be accompanied by serious adverse reactions that lead to delay or cancelation of surgery, additional illness, and even death, and have therefore attracted much attention. The purpose of the clinical recommendations is to form a diagnosis and treatment plan suitable for the current domestic medical situation for the immune-related adverse event (irAE). METHODS: This recommendation is composed of experts in thoracic surgery, oncologists, thoracic medicine and irAE related departments (gastroenterology, respirology, cardiology, infectious medicine, hematology, endocrinology, rheumatology, neurology, dermatology, emergency section) to jointly complete the formulation. Experts make full reference to the irAE guidelines, large-scale clinical research data published by thoracic surgery, and the clinical experience of domestic doctors and publicly published cases, and repeated discussions in multiple disciplines to form this recommendation for perioperative irAE. RESULTS: This clinical recommendation covers the whole process of prevention, evaluation, examination, treatment and monitoring related to irAE, so as to guide the clinical work comprehensively and effectively. CONCLUSIONS Perioperative irAE management is an important part of immune perioperative treatment of lung cancer. With the continuous development of immune perioperative treatment, more research is needed in the future to optimize the diagnosis and treatment of perioperative irAE.

An ideal animal model of azoospermia would be a powerful tool for the evaluation of spermatogonial stem cell (SSC) transplantation. Busulfan has been commonly used to develop such a model, but 30%-87% of mice die when administered an intraperitoneal injection of 40 mg kg^-1. In the present study, hematoxylin and eosin staining, Western blot, immunofluorescence, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction were used to test the effects of busulfan exposure in a mouse model that received two intraperitoneal injections of busulfan at a 3-h interval at different doses (20, 30, and 40 mg kg^-1) on day 36 or a dose of 40 mg kg^-1 at different time points (0, 9, 18, 27, 36, and 63 days). The survival rate of the mice was 100%. When the mice were treated with 40 mg kg^-1 busulfan, dramatic SSC depletion occurred 18 days later and all of the germ cells were cleared by day 36. In addition, the gene expressions of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2), chemokine (C-X-C Motif) ligand 12 (CXCL12), and colony-stimulating factor 1 (CSF1) were moderately increased by day 36. A 63-day, long-term observation showed the rare restoration of endogenous germ cells in the testes, suggesting that the potential period for SSC transplantation was between day 36 and day 63. Our results demonstrate that the administration of two intraperitoneal injections of busulfan (40 mg kg^-1 in total) at a 3-h interval to mice provided a nonlethal and efficient method for recipient preparation in SSC transplantation and could improve treatments for infertility and the understanding of chemotherapy-induced gonadotoxicity.
Adult Germline Stem Cells/transplantation* ; Animals ; Azoospermia/chemically induced* ; Busulfan/toxicity* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Infertility, Male/chemically induced* ; Injections, Intraperitoneal ; Male ; Mice ; Spermatogenesis/drug effects* ; Spermatogonia/drug effects* ; Stem Cell Transplantation/methods*

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the univariate heritability of resting heart rate and common chronic disease such as hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia based on extended pedigrees in Fujian Tulou area and to explore bivariate heritability to test for the genetic correlation between resting heart rate and other relative phenotypes. METHODS: The study was conducted in Tulou area of Nanjing County, Fujian Province from August 2015 to December 2017. The participants were residents with Zhang surname and their relatives from Taxia Village, Qujiang Village, and Nanou Village or residents with Chen surname and their relatives from Caoban Village, Tumei Village, and Beiling Village. The baseline survey recruited 1 563 family members from 452 extended pedigrees. The pedigree reconstruction was based on the family information registration and the genealogy booklet. Univariate and bivariate heritability was estimated using variance component models for continuous variables, and susceptibility-threshold model for binary variables. RESULTS: The pedigree reconstruction identified 1 seven-generation pedigree, 2 five-generation pedigrees, 23 four-generation pedigrees, 186 three-generation pedigrees, and 240 two-generation pedigrees. The mean age of the participants was 57.2 years and the males accounted for 39.4%. The prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia in this population was 49.2%, 10.0%, and 45.2%, respectively. The univariate heritability estimation of resting heart rate, hypertension, and dyslipidemia was 0.263 (95%CI: 0.120－0.407), 0.404 (95%CI: 0.135－0.673), and 0.799 (95%CI: 0.590－1), respectively. The heritability of systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, fasting glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol was 0.379, 0.306, 0.393, 0.452, 0.568, 0.852, and 0.387, respectively. In bivariate analysis, there were phenotypic correlations between resting heart rate with hypertension, diabetes, diastolic blood pressure, fasting glucose, and triglyceride. After taking resting heart rate into account, there were strong genetic correlations between resting heart rate with fasting glucose (genetic correlation 0.485, 95%CI: 0.120－1, P<0.05) and diabetes (genetic correlation 0.795, 95%CI: 0.181－0.788, P<0.05). CONCLUSION Resting heart rate was a heritable trait and correlated with several common chronic diseases and related traits. There was strong genetic correlation between resting heart rate with fasting glucose and diabetes, suggesting that they may share common genetic risk factors.
Blood Pressure ; Chronic Disease ; Female ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pedigree