POEMS syndrome is a rare condition associated with plasma cell disorders， and it often involves multiple systems and has diverse clinical manifestations. This article reports two cases of POEMS syndrome with hepatosplenomegaly as the initial manifestation. During the course of the disease， the patients presented with lower limb weakness， hepatosplenomegaly， lymph node enlargement， ascites， hypothyroidism， positive M protein， and skin hyperpigmentation， and ¹⁸F-FDG PET-CT imaging revealed bone lesions mainly characterized by osteolytic changes and plasma cell tumors. There was an increase in the serum level of vascular endothelial growth factor. The patients were finally diagnosed with POEMS syndrome， and the symptoms were relieved after immunomodulatory treatment.

Purpose: This research observed the efficacy and safety of soft tissue expansion combined with recombinant human epidermal growth factor (rhEGF) in repairing second-degree scald scars. Methods: This study conducted a prospective, single-blind, randomized controlled trial. Eighty-four patients with deep second-degree scald scars were evenly divided into the control and observation groups. The control group was treated with soft tissue expansion, and the observation group was additionally treated with rhEGF. The skin expansion and wound healing times were compared. The changes in wound exudate and inflammation around the wound were observed after first-stage surgery. The hydroxyproline (OHP) and collagen I/III ratios were compared during the second stage of surgery.The complications and repair effects during treatment were evaluated. Results: The observation group exhibited lower expansion time, immediate retraction rate, and wound healing time, higher skin expansion rate, higher wound exudate score and inflammation score, higher OHP, lower collagen I/III, lower complication rate, and higher total effective rate than the control group (all P < 0.05). Conclusion Skin soft tissue expansion combined with rhEGF is more effective in repairing second-degree scald scars, which can effectively increase skin expansion area and reduce wound infection and complications.

Purpose: This research observed the efficacy and safety of soft tissue expansion combined with recombinant human epidermal growth factor (rhEGF) in repairing second-degree scald scars. Methods: This study conducted a prospective, single-blind, randomized controlled trial. Eighty-four patients with deep second-degree scald scars were evenly divided into the control and observation groups. The control group was treated with soft tissue expansion, and the observation group was additionally treated with rhEGF. The skin expansion and wound healing times were compared. The changes in wound exudate and inflammation around the wound were observed after first-stage surgery. The hydroxyproline (OHP) and collagen I/III ratios were compared during the second stage of surgery.The complications and repair effects during treatment were evaluated. Results: The observation group exhibited lower expansion time, immediate retraction rate, and wound healing time, higher skin expansion rate, higher wound exudate score and inflammation score, higher OHP, lower collagen I/III, lower complication rate, and higher total effective rate than the control group (all P < 0.05). Conclusion Skin soft tissue expansion combined with rhEGF is more effective in repairing second-degree scald scars, which can effectively increase skin expansion area and reduce wound infection and complications.

Purpose: This research observed the efficacy and safety of soft tissue expansion combined with recombinant human epidermal growth factor (rhEGF) in repairing second-degree scald scars. Methods: This study conducted a prospective, single-blind, randomized controlled trial. Eighty-four patients with deep second-degree scald scars were evenly divided into the control and observation groups. The control group was treated with soft tissue expansion, and the observation group was additionally treated with rhEGF. The skin expansion and wound healing times were compared. The changes in wound exudate and inflammation around the wound were observed after first-stage surgery. The hydroxyproline (OHP) and collagen I/III ratios were compared during the second stage of surgery.The complications and repair effects during treatment were evaluated. Results: The observation group exhibited lower expansion time, immediate retraction rate, and wound healing time, higher skin expansion rate, higher wound exudate score and inflammation score, higher OHP, lower collagen I/III, lower complication rate, and higher total effective rate than the control group (all P < 0.05). Conclusion Skin soft tissue expansion combined with rhEGF is more effective in repairing second-degree scald scars, which can effectively increase skin expansion area and reduce wound infection and complications.

OBJECTIVES: To study the molecular mechanisms of LDH-loaded si-NEAT1 for regulating paclitaxel resistance and tumor-associated macrophage (TAM) polarization in breast cancer. METHODS: qRT-PCR and Western blotting were used to detect the expression of lncRNA NEAT1, miR-133b, and PD-L1 in breast cancer SKBR3 cells and paclitaxel-resistant SKBR3 cells (SKBR3-PR). The effects of transfection with si-NEAT1 and miR-133b mimics on MRP, MCRP and PD-L1 expressions and cell proliferation, migration and apoptosis were investigated using qRT-PCR, Western blotting, scratch and Transwell assays, and flow cytometry. Rescue experiments were conducted using si-NEAT1 and miR-133b inhibitor. Human THP-1 macrophages were cultured in the presence of conditioned media (CM) derived from SKBR3 and SKBR3-PR cells with or with si-NEAT1 transfection for comparison of IL-4-induced macrophage polarization by detecting the surface markers. LDH@si-NEAT1 nanocarriers were constructed, and their effects on MRP, MCRP and PD-L1 expressions and cell behaviors of the tumor cells were examined. THP-1 cells were treated with the CM from LDH@si-NEAT1-treated tumor cells, and the changes in their polarization were assessed. RESULTS: SKBR3-PR cells showered significantly upregulated NEAT1 and PD-L1 expressions and lowered miR-133b expression as compared with their parental cells. Transfection with si-NEAT1 and miR-133b mimics inhibited viability, promoted apoptosis and enhanced MRP and BCRP expressions in SKBR3-PR cells. NEAT1 knockdown obvious upregulated miR-133b and downregulated PD-L1, MRP and BCRP expressions. The CM from SKBR3-PR cells obviously promoted M2 polarization of THP-1 macrophages, which was significantly inhibited by CM from si-NEAT1-transfected cells. Treatment with LDH@si-NEAT1 effectively inhibited migration and invasion, promoted apoptosis, and reduced MRP, BCRP and PD-L1 expressions in the tumor cells. The CM from LDH@si-NEAT1-treated SKBR3-PR cells significantly downregulated Arg-1, CD163, IL-10, and PD-L1 and upregulated miR-133b expression in THP-1 macrophages. CONCLUSIONS LDH@si-NEAT1 reduces paclitaxel resistance of breast cancer cells and inhibits TAM polarization by targeting the miR-133b/PD-L1 axis.
Humans ; MicroRNAs/genetics* ; RNA, Long Noncoding/genetics* ; Paclitaxel/pharmacology* ; Breast Neoplasms/metabolism* ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm ; B7-H1 Antigen/metabolism* ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Female ; Tumor-Associated Macrophages ; Apoptosis ; Cell Proliferation ; Macrophages ; Cell Movement

Eight new diterpenoids, Isodons A-H (1-8), comprising seco-abietane and abietane-type structures, together with 13 known analogues (9-21), were isolated from Isodon lophanthoides (Buch.-Ham. ex D. Don) Hara. The compounds (+)-3/(-)-3, (+)-4/(-)-4, and (+)-5/(-)-5 were identified as three enantiomeric pairs. The planar structures and absolute configurations of 1-8 were determined through high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HR-ESI-MS), 1D & 2D nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations, and X-ray diffraction crystallography. A cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase (Cyp7a1) luciferase reporter assay revealed significant anti-cholestatic activities for compounds 1, (+)-4, 6, 7, 12-14, and 16. Additionally, compound 6 demonstrated anti-cholestatic effects through the farnesoid X receptor (FXR)-associated signaling pathways in vitro and in vivo. These findings suggest potential applications for I. Lophanthoides in pharmaceutical development.
Abietanes/pharmacology* ; Molecular Structure ; Animals ; Isodon/chemistry* ; Humans ; Diterpenes/pharmacology* ; Plant Extracts/chemistry*

Objective To construct a prokaryotic expression vector of of the long QT syndrome(LQTS)associated C-terminal lobe of calmodulin(CaM)mutant E141G(C-lobeE141G)and to identify the expression,purification,and activity of C-lobeE141G.Methods A cDNA fragment was inserted into a PGEX-6p-3 plasmid vector and transferred into Escherichia coli BL21 receptor cells,and glutathione-S-trans-ferase(GST)fusion protein was induced by isopropyl thio-β-D galactoside(IPTG).Glutathione-Sepharose 4B beads were used to separate and purify GST-C-lobeE141G.After removing the GST label with protease,the purity and concentration of purified C-lobeE141G were detected using SDS-PAGE and BCA,respectively.The activity of purified C-lobeE141G was detected using the GST pull-down method and patch clamp technique.Results GST-C-lobeE141G fusion protein was highly expressed,and C-lobeE141G with high purity and concentration was obtained.The purified C-lobeE141G protein not only bound to CaV1.2 calcium channels,but also rescued the channel activity from run-down in the ventricular myocytes of rat hearts.Conclusion This study successfully constructed a prokaryotic expression vector of C-lobeE141G,which provides a material basis for the study of the mechanism of LQTS mediated by C-lobe mutations in CaM.

Objective:To investigated the prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms in patients with colorectal polyps in part of Xinjiang area and to explore the associated influencing factors related to psychological status, and to provide evidence and clues to promote the diagnosis and treatment of psychosomatic diseases in digestive system.Methods:From December 2021 to June 2022, at the First Affiliated Hospital of Shihezi University, the Fourth Division Hospital of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, the Third Division Hospital of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (Kashgar Hospital), the Thirteenth Division Red Star Hospital of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, the Tenth Division Beitun Hospital of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, the Seventh Division Hospital of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, the Fifth Division Hospital of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, patients who underwent colonoscopy and colorectal polyps detected were enrolled. The generalized anxiety disorder scale-7 (GAD-7) was used to screen anxiety symptoms, and the patient health questionaire-8 (PHQ-8) was performed to screen depression symptoms, and the general situation questionnaire was used to collect clinical information of patients. The questionnairs were completed via the Questionnaire Star platform or paper questionnaire, and a database was established. The patients were divided into groups according to whether with anxiety and depression symptoms. Multivariable logistic regression models was performed to analyze the factors related to anxiety and depression.Results:A total of 516 questionnaires were distributed and collected, among which 9 questionnaires were incomplete and 507 questionnaires were valid, the effective rate of questionnaires was 98.26%. The detection rates of anxiety and depression symptoms in 507 patients with colorectal polyps were 21.50%(109/507) and 19.33%(98/507), respectively. The results of multivariable logistic analysis revealed that female ( OR=3.87, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 2.30 to 6.51, P<0.001), maximum diameter of polyp ( OR=1.74, 95% CI 1.14 to 2.67, P=0.011), perception of polyps as cancer ( OR=13.96, 95% CI 1.48 to 132.07, P=0.022), and the occurrence of gastrointestinal symptoms after polyp detection ( OR=5.43, 95% CI 1.74 to 16.92, P=0.004) were independent risk factors of anxiety in patients with colorectal polyps. Female ( OR=2.42, 95% CI 1.47 to 4.00, P=0.001), the number of polyps ( OR=1.07, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.13, P=0.028) and the count of gastrointestinal symptoms ( OR=2.04, 95% CI 1.34 to 3.10, P=0.001) were independent risk factors of depression in patients with colorectal polyps. Conclusion:Gender, polyp size, number of polyps, disease perception, and concomitant gastrointestinal symptoms are associated with anxiety and depression in patients with colorectal polyps.

Previous studies suggest that the reduction of SMAD3 (mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 3) has a great impact on tumor development, but its exact pathological function remains unclear. In this study, we found that the protein level of SMAD3 was greatly reduced in human-grade IV glioblastoma tissues, in which LAMP2A (lysosome-associated membrane protein type 2A) was significantly up-regulated. LAMP2A is a key rate-limiting protein of chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA), a lysosome pathway of protein degradation that is activated in glioma. We carefully analyzed the amino-acid sequence of SMAD3 and found that it contained a pentapeptide motif biochemically related to KFERQ, which has been proposed to be a targeting sequence for CMA. In vitro, we confirmed that SMAD3 was degraded in either serum-free or KFERQ motif deleted condition, which was regulated by LAMP2A and interacted with HSC70 (heat shock cognate 71 kDa protein). Using isolated lysosomes, amino-acid residues 75 and 128 of SMAD3 were found to be of importance for this process, which affected the CMA pathway in which SMAD3 was involved. Similarly, down-regulating SMAD3 or up-regulating LAMP2A in cultured glioma cells enhanced their proliferation and invasion. Taken together, these results suggest that excessive activation of CMA regulates glioma cell growth by promoting the degradation of SMAD3. Therefore, targeting the SMAD3-LAMP2A-mediated CMA-lysosome pathway may be a promising approach in anti-cancer therapy.

Objective:To summarize the clinical characteristics and the features of electroencephalograph (EEG) of children with DEPDC5 gene variants related epilepsy.Methods:The clinical data, gene variation, EEG and head magnetic resonance image (MRI) of 20 epileptic children with DEPDC5 gene variants admitted to Department of Pediatrics, Peking University First Hospital from May 2017 to November 2020 were retrospectively analyzed.Results:Twenty patients with heterozygous DEPDC5 gene variants were enrolled, 8 of 20 patients were nonsense variants, 6 were missense variants, 3 were frame-shift variants, 2 were splicing variants, and 1 was large fragment deletion. Sixteen cases had hereditary variation and 4 had de novo variation. Fifteen of variations were novel. Nine were male, while 11 were female. Their latest follow-up age ranged from 10 months to 13 years and one month.The epilepsy onset age ranged from 3 hours to 11 years and 3 months, the median age was 10.5 months. Twelve (60%) patients had developmental delay. Nineteen patients had focal seizures, 7 had epileptic spasms, 1 had multiple seizure types including tonic, atypical absence, dystonic and myoclonic seizures. Epileptic form discharges were observed in 18 patients during the interictal phase, and 11 were focal discharges, 7 were multifocal discharges. Ten (50%) patients had abnormal brain MRI, including focal cortical dysplasia in 5 patients, undefined malformation of cortical development in 4 patients, hemimegalencephaly in 1 patient. Four patients were diagnosed as West syndrome and one patient was diagnosed as Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. Fourteen (70%) patients were diagnosed as drug-resistant epilepsy. Four patients became seizure-free by treatment with anti-epileptic drugs. Three children were treated with surgery, and 2 of them became seizure-free, 1 had more than 75% reduction in seizures.Conclusions:DEPDC5 gene variant epilepsy is inherited with incomplete penetrance and focal seizure is the major seizure type. However, epileptic spasms, generalized seizures can also be observed. Half of the patients brain malformations. Most of the patients are drug-resistant epilepsy. Patients with clear epileptogenic zones can be treated with surgery. Treatment-resistant patients are more likely to be complicated with developmental delay.