OBJECTIVES: To determine the pharmacological impact of hesperidin, the main component of Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium, on depressive behavior and elucidate the mechanism by which hesperidin treats depression, focusing on the gut-brain axis. METHODS: Fifty-four Sprague Dawley male rats were randomly allocated to 6 groups using a random number table, including control, model, hesperidin, probiotics, fluoxetine, and Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium groups. Except for the control group, rats in the remaining 5 groups were challenged with chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) for 21 days and housed in single cages. The sucrose preference test (SPT), immobility time in the forced swim test (FST), and number in the open field test (OFT) were performed to measure the behavioral changes in the rats. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to determine the levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in brain tissue, and the histopathology was performed to evaluate the changes of colon tissue, together with sequencing of the V3-V4 regions of 16S rRNA gene on feces to explore the changes of intestinal flora in the rats. RESULTS: Compared to the control group, the rats in the model group showed notable reductions in body weight, SPF, and number in OFT (P<0.01). Hesperidin was found to ameliorate depression induced by CUMS, as seen by improvements in body weight, SPT, immobility time in FST, and number in OFT (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Regarding neurotransmitters, it was found that at a dose of 50 mg/kg hesperidin treatment upregulated the levels of 5-HT and BDNF in depressed rats (P<0.05). Compared to the control group, the colon tissue of the model group exhibited greater inflammatory cell infiltration, with markedly reduced numbers of goblet cells and crypts and were significantly improved following treatment with hesperidin. Simultaneously, the administration of hesperidin demonstrated a positive impact on the gut microbiome of rats treated with CUMS, such as Shannon index increased and Simpson index decreased (P<0.01), while the abundance of Pseudomonadota and Bacteroidota increased in the hesperidin-treated group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION The mechanism responsible for the beneficial effects of hesperidin on depressive behavior in rats may be related to inhibition of the expressions of BDNF and 5-HT and preservation of the gut microbiota.
Animals ; Hesperidin/therapeutic use* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Depression/drug therapy* ; Male ; Stress, Psychological/drug therapy* ; Brain/metabolism* ; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor/metabolism* ; Serotonin/metabolism* ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome/drug effects* ; Behavior, Animal/drug effects* ; Rats ; Brain-Gut Axis/drug effects* ; Chronic Disease ; Colon/drug effects*

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of mucin 1 (MUC1) on the proliferation and apoptosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and its regulatory mechanism. MethodsThe 60 NPC and paired para-cancer normal tissues were collected from October 2020 to July 2021 in Quanzhou First Hospital. The expression of MUC1 was measured by real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) in the patients with PNC. The 5-8F and HNE1 cells were transfected with siRNA control (si-control) or siRNA targeting MUC1 (si-MUC1). Cell proliferation was analyzed by cell counting kit-8 and colony formation assay, and apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry analysis in the 5-8F and HNE1 cells. The qPCR and ELISA were executed to analyze the levels of TNF-α and IL-6. Western blot was performed to measure the expression of MUC1, NF-кB and apoptosis-related proteins (Bax and Bcl-2). ResultsThe expression of MUC1 was up-regulated in the NPC tissues, and NPC patients with the high MUC1 expression were inclined to EBV infection, growth and metastasis of NPC. Loss of MUC1 restrained malignant features, including the proliferation and apoptosis, downregulated the expression of p-IкB、p-P65 and Bcl-2 and upregulated the expression of Bax in the NPC cells. ConclusionDownregulation of MUC1 restrained biological characteristics of malignancy, including cell proliferation and apoptosis, by inactivating NF-κB signaling pathway in NPC.

ObjectiveHuman Ku70 protein mainly involves the non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) repair of double-stranded DNA breaks (DSB) through its DNA-binding properties, and it is recently reported having an RNA-binding ability. This paper is to explore whether Ku70 has RNA helicase activity and affects miRNA maturation. MethodsRNAs bound to Ku protein were analyzed by RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (RIP-seq) and bioinfomatic anaylsis. The expression relationship between Ku protein and miRNAs was verified by Western blot (WB) and quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assays. Binding ability of Ku protein to the RNAs was tested by biolayer interferometry (BLI) assay. RNA helicase activity of Ku protein was identified with EMSA assay. The effect of Ku70 regulated miR-124 on neuronal differentiation was performed by morphology analysis, WB and immunofluorescence assays with or without Zika virus (ZIKV) infection. ResultsWe revealed that the Ku70 protein had RNA helicase activity and affected miRNA maturation. Deficiency of Ku70 led to the up-regulation of a large number of mature miRNAs, especially neuronal specific miRNAs like miR-124. The knockdown of Ku70 promoted neuronal differentiation in human neural progenitor cells (hNPCs) and SH-SY5Y cells by boosting miR-124 maturation. Importantly, ZIKV infection reduced the expression of Ku70 whereas increased expression of miR-124 in hNPCs, and led to morphologically neuronal differentiation. ConclusionOur study revealed a novel function of Ku70 as an RNA helicase and regulating miRNA maturation. The reduced expression of Ku70 with ZIKV infection increased the expression of miR-124 and led to the premature differentiation of embryonic neural progenitor cells, which might be one of the causes of microcephaly.

Objective:To investigate the diagnostic value of machine learning model based on 18F-FDG PET/CT for polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR). Methods:From November 2014 to December 2022, 177 patients (119 males, 58 females; age: 67.0 ( 61.0, 72.0) years) admitted to the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, the First People′s Hospital of Changzhou, with suspected PMR and undergoing 18F-FDG PET/CT examination were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were randomly divided into training set and validation set at the ratio of 7∶3. Three machine learning models, including classification and regression tree (CART), the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) algorithm, and logistic regression, were established based on the PET/CT imaging features to aid in the diagnosis of PMR. The diagnostic efficacy of each model was evaluated by ROC curve analysis and differences among AUCs were analyzed by Delong test. Results:There were 78(44.1%, 78/177) PMR patients and 99(55.9%, 99/177) non-PMR patients, and 124 patients in the training set and 53 patients in the validation set. The logistic regression model (training set: AUC=0.961; validation set: AUC=0.930) was superior to the CART (training set: AUC=0.902, z=2.96, P=0.003; validation set: AUC=0.844, z=2.46, P=0.014) in diagnosing PMR, and was similar to LASSO algorithm (training set: AUC=0.957, z=0.95, P=0.340; validation set: AUC=0.930, z=0.00, P=1.000), but with fewer sites evaluated. The simplified PMR-Logit score had the AUC of 0.951 in the overall population, with the sensitivity of 89.74%(70/78) and the specificity of 90.91%(90/99). Conclusion:Machine learning models based on 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging features are expected to be an effective diagnostic tool for PMR.

Objective:To investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of ferric derisomaltose injection versus iron sucrose injection in the treatment of iron deficiency anemia (IDA) .Methods:A total of 120 patients with iron deficiency anemia admitted from June 2021 to March 2023 were given intravenous iron supplementation with ferric derisomaltose to assess the efficacy and safety of hemoglobin (HGB) elevation before and after treatment. Simultaneously, the clinical effects of iron supplementation with iron sucrose were compared to those of inpatient patients during the same period.Results:Baseline values were comparable in both groups. Within 12 weeks of treatment, the elevated HGB level in the ferric derisomaltose group was higher than that of the iron sucrose group, with a statistical difference at all time points, and the proportion of HGB increased over 20 g/L in the patients treated for 4 weeks was higher (98.7%, 75.9% ). During the treatment with ferric derisomaltose and iron sucrose, the proportion of mild adverse reactions in the ferric derisomaltose group was slightly lower than that of the iron sucrose group, and neither group experienced any serious adverse reactions. The patients responded well to the infusion treatment, with no reports of pain or pigmentation at the injection site.Conclusion:The treatment of IDA patients with ferric derisomaltose has a satisfactory curative effect, with the advantages of rapidity, accuracy, and safety. Therefore, it is worthy of widespread clinical use.

Objective:This study aimed at investigating the efficacy and safety of eltrombopag in the treatment of adult primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) and evaluated the factors influencing its efficacy and side effects.Methods:A total of 198 patients with adult ITP who were admitted to Tianjin Medical University General Hospital between January 2018 and March 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. The efficacy of each starting dose of eltrombopag was evaluated, and adverse events were analyzed. The factors influencing efficacy were investigated, including sex, age, adult ITP type, platelet antibodies, and combined drug treatments.Results:Of the 198 patients, 70 males and 128 females with a median age of 45 years (18-88 years) were included; 130 (65.7%) had newly diagnosed adult ITP, 25 (12.6%) had persistent adult ITP, and 43 (21.7%) had chronic adult ITP. The bleeding event scores at baseline were assessed; 84.3% had scores of<4 and 15.7% had scores of ≥4. The eltrombopag response rate (initial response) at 6 weeks was 78.8% (complete response [CR]: 49.0%; CR1: 14.6%; CR2: 15.2%). The median response time to eltrombopag was 7 (7, 14) days. The initial response rates to 25, 50, and 75 mg eltrombopag were 74.1%, 85.9%, and 60.0%, respectively ( P=0.031). The initial response rate to the 50 mg dose was significantly higher than that of the 25-mg and 75-mg doses. Two patients received 100 mg as the starting dose, and their initial response was 0. Regarding dose adjustment, 70.7% of the patients remained on the starting dose, 8.6% underwent dose adjustment to 50 mg, and 6.1% underwent dose adjustment to 75 mg. Another two patients underwent dose adjustment to 100 mg. After dose adjustment, the persistent response rates were 83.6%, 85.3%, and 85.7% for the 25-, 50-, and 75-mg doses, respectively, with no significant difference. After dose adjustment, the sustained efficacy rate for the 100-mg dose (4 patients) was 100.0%. After 6 weeks of treatment with eltrombopag, the overall bleeding score of patients with ITP decreased. The number of patients with a score of ≥4 decreased to 0, the number of patients with a score of<4 decreased, and there was no significant change in the number of patients with a score of 1-2. The most common adverse event associated with eltrombopag was impaired liver function (7.7%). No thrombosis events or other adverse events were observed. ITP type and number of megakaryocytes significantly affected the initial response to eltrombopag. The initial response rates to eltrombopag for newly diagnosed adult ITP, persistent adult ITP, and chronic adult ITP were 85.3%, 56.0%, and 76.2%, respectively ( P=0.003). For megakaryocytes, the initial response rates were 61.8%, 87.1%, and 84.3% ( P=0.009) for the decreased, normal, and increased megakaryocyte groups, respectively. Conclusion:Eltrombopag, as a second-line or higher treatment for adult ITP, has a rapid onset of action and good safety. The initial response rate is significantly higher with a dose of 50 mg than with a dose of 25 mg. Patients with newly diagnosed ITP and those with normal or increased megakaryocyte numbers have a higher initial response rate to eltrombopag.

Objective:To analyze the level and clinical significance of IL-18 and IL-18-binding protein (BP) in the bone marrow of patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) .Methods:A total of 43 newly diagnosed patients with MDS who were admitted to the Department of Hematology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, from July 2020 to February 2021 were randomly selected. The control group consisted of 14 patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and 25 patients with iron-deficiency anemia (IDA). The levels of IL-18 and IL-18 BP in the bone marrow supernatant were measured, and their correlations with MDS severity, as well as the functionality of CD8 + T cells and natural killer cells, was analyzed. Results:The levels of IL-18, IL-18 BP, and free IL-18 (fIL-18) in the bone marrow supernatant of patients with MDS were higher than in the IDA group. The level of fIL-18 was linearly and negatively correlated with the MDS-International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS) score. IL-18 receptor (IL-18Rα) expression on CD8 + T cells in the MDS group was lower than in the IDA group, and the levels of fIL-18 and IL-18Rα were positively correlated with CD8 + T-cell function in the MDS group. Conclusion:IL-18 BP antagonizes IL-18, leading to a decrease in fIL-18 in the bone marrow microenvironment of patients with MDS, affecting CD8 + T-cell function, which is closely related to MDS severity; therefore, it may become a new target for MDS treatment.

Objective To investigate the patterns of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome differentiation and treatment for dengue fever by using R language data visualization technology,so as to provide reference for TCM syndrome differentiation and treatment of dengue fever.Methods The related literature of dengue fever treated by Chinese medicine was retrieved from CNKI,Wanfang Data,and VIP.R-Studio software was used to conduct descriptive statistical analysis of the TCM syndromes,treatment methods,prescriptions and Chinese medicine in the literature of dengue fever treated by oral use of Chinese medicine.Based on Apriori algorithm,association rule mining and cluster analysis were carried out to explore the TCM syndrome and treatment patters of dengue fever.Results A total of 176 prescriptions for effective cases were extracted,and the included literature involved 29 syndromes,73 TCM treatment methods,56 classical prescriptions and 35 self-formulated prescriptions,and 179 Chinese medicinals.The syndrome of comorbidity of defense phase and qi phase and the syndrome of blazing of both qi phase and nutrient phase were the high-frequency syndromes of dengue fever treated by oral use of Chinese medicine.The high-frequency treatment methods covered heat-clearing therapy,toxin-removing therapy,blood-cooling therapy and dampness-resolving therapy.Qingwen Baidu Decoction was the most frequently-used prescription.Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma,Forsythiae Fructus,Scutellariae Radix,Gypsum Fibrosum,and Lonicerae Japonicae Flos were the frequently-used Chinese medinals.There were three drug combinations containing Paeoniae Radix Rubra,Moutan Cortex,and Rehmanniae Radix,and their correlation of association rules was the highest.Bubali Cornu,Moutan Cortex,Paeoniae Radix Rubra,Rehmanniae Radix,Lonicerae Japonicae Flos,Forsythiae Fructus,Gypsum Fibrosum,Scutellariae Radix,Anemarrhenae Rhizoma,and Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma were the core Chinese medicinals for the treatment of dengue fever.Conclusion The TCM syndromes of dengue fever are predominated by the syndrome of comorbidity of defense phase and qi phase and the syndrome of blazing of both qi phase and nutrient phase.The treatment of dengue fever with TCM is based on the principle of clearing heat toxin from the qi phase,cooling the nutrient-blood excess heat,resolving pathogenic dampness,and nourishing qi and yin.The treatment focuses on clearing qi phase and blood phase,and the application of removing stasis in febrile diseases should be stressed,thus to block the progression of the disease in time.

The prevalence of Lyme disease in endogenous populations in Urumqi,Xinjiang was investigated.In total,795 serum samples were collected from residents of three townships in the surrounding area of Urumqi City from 2022 to 2023,which included 383 from Lucaogou Town,145 from Shuixigou Town,and,267 from Tori Township.Serum levels of IgG and IgM antibodies were screened with an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)and confirmed by western blot(WB)analysis.Clinical data of WB-positive indi-viduals were collected and comprehensive analysis was con-ducted for case diagnosis.The chi square test was used for statistical analysis of the results and the P＜0.05 was consid-ered statistically significant.In total,110(13.84％)of 795 samples were positive.The positivity rates was higher in females than males[16.26％(73/449)vs.10.69％(37/346),x2=5.076,P=0.024],while there was no significant difference among age groups(x2=2.569,P=0.766).The positivity rates for serum antibodies in Shuixigou Town,Lucaogou Town,and Tuoli Township were 17.98％(48/267),14.48％(21/145),and 10.70％(41/383),respectively,with a significantly higher rate in Tuoli Township than Lucaogou Town(x2=7.041,P=0.008).Of 110 individuals who were initially positive for IgG and IgM antibodies with the ELISA,82(10.31％)were con-firmed positive by WB analysis.In total,20(2.52％)patients were diagnosed with Lyme disease based on clinical manifesta-tions.Lyme disease is epidemic among the population in Urumqi,as the infection rate is higher than the national average.Hence,continued surveillance is recommended for prevention of Lyme disease.