Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by synovial inflammation, joint destruction, and functional impairment. Angiogenesis plays a key role in the pathological progression of RA with dysfunction of endothelial cells to promote synovial inflammation, sustain pannus formation, subsequently leading to joint damage. Colquhounia Root Tablets (CRT), a Chinese patent drug, has shown a satisfying clinical efficacy in treating RA, while the underlying mechanism by which CRT inhibits RA-associated angiogenesis remains unclear. In this study, we applied a research approach combining transcriptomic data analysis, bio-network mapping, and in vivo and in vitro experiments to explore the molecular mechanisms of CRT in suppressing angiogenesis in RA. Animal welfare and experimental procedures follow the regulations of the Animal Ethics Committee of Institute of Basic Theory for Chinese Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences (ratification number: IBTCMCACMS21-2307-06). Network analysis identified that key genes such as nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-containing protein 2 (NOD2), SMAD family member 3 (SMAD3), and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) significantly enriched in pathways related to NOD-like receptor signaling and VEGF signaling, indicating that CRT may inhibit angiogenesis by regulating vascular endothelial cell function with modulating angiogenesis-related pathways. In vivo data showed that CRT significantly reduced the positive expression of CD31 and VEGF in the ankle joint of adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA) rats. In vitro data further confirmed that CRT effectively inhibited VEGF-induced migration, invasion, and tube formation in HUVECs, while significantly reduced the expression of angiogenesis-related factors VEGF/CD31/Ang-1, as well as the positive expression of VEGF and CD31 in HUVECs. Furthermore, CRT markedly decreased the protein expression of NOD2, VEGFA, and SMAD3. In conclusion, these findings indicate that CRT may inhibit the RA-related angiogenesis by targeting the NOD2/SMAD3/VEGF signaling axis to improve endothelial cell function, enriching the scientific connotation of CRT in inhibiting pathological angiogenesis in RA and also offer new insights for clinical prevention and treatment of RA.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the role of Tripterygium wilfordii multiglycoside (TGW) in the treatment of psoriatic dermatitis from a cellular immunological perspective. METHODS: Mouse models of psoriatic dermatitis were established by imiquimod (IMQ). Twelve male BALB/c mice were assigned to IMQ or IMQ₊TGW groups according to a random number table. Histopathological changes in vivo were assessed by hematoxylin and eosin staining. Ratios of immune cells and cytokines in mice, as well as PAM212 cell proliferation in vitro were assessed by flow cytometry. Pro-inflammatory cytokine expression was determined using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: TGW significantly ameliorated the severity of IMQ-induced psoriasis-like mouse skin lesions and restrained the activation of CD45⁺ cells, neutrophils and T lymphocytes (all P<0.01). Moreover, TGW significantly attenuated keratinocytes (KCs) proliferation and downregulated the mRNA levels of inflammatory cytokines including interleukin (IL)-17A, IL-23, tumor necrosis factor α, and chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 1 (P<0.01 or P<0.05). Furthermore, it reduced the number of γ δ T17 cells in skin lesion of mice and draining lymph nodes (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS TGW improved psoriasis-like inflammation by inhibiting KCs proliferation, as well as the associated immune cells and cytokine expression. It inhibited IL-17 secretion from γ δ T cells, which improved the immune-inflammatory microenvironment of psoriasis.
Male ; Animals ; Mice ; Tripterygium ; Psoriasis/drug therapy* ; Keratinocytes ; Skin Diseases/metabolism* ; Cytokines/metabolism* ; Imiquimod/metabolism* ; Dermatitis/pathology* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Skin/metabolism*

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics of Ureaplasma urealyticum(UU)infection and colonization in extremely preterm infants and its impact on the incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia(BPD).Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 258 extremely preterm infants who were admitted to the Department of Neonatology,Shenzhen Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital,from September 2018 to September 2022.According to the results of UU nucleic acid testing and the evaluation criteria for UU infection and colonization,the subjects were divided into three groups:UU-negative group(155 infants),UU infection group(70 infants),and UU colonization group(33 infants).The three groups were compared in terms of general information and primary and secondary clinical outcomes.Results Compared with the UU-negative group,the UU infection group had significant increases in the incidence rate of BPD,total oxygen supply time,and the length of hospital stay(P<0.05),while there were no significant differences in the incidence rates of BPD and moderate/severe BPD between the UU colonization group and the UU-negative group(P>0.05).Conclusions The impact of UU on the incidence of BPD in extremely preterm infants is associated with the pathogenic state of UU(i.e.,infection or colonization),and there are significant increases in the incidence rate of BPD,total oxygen supply time,and the length of hospital stay in extremely preterm infants with UU infection.UU colonization is not associated with the incidence of BPD and moderate/severe BPD in extremely preterm infants.

Atherosclerosis is the pathological basis of a variety of cardiovascular diseases,which are still the leading cause of human death worldwide.Ferroptosis is a kind of iron dependent non-apoptotic cell death mode,which is closely related to various physiological mechanisms.Recent studies have found that ferroptosis in macrophages plays an important role in the occurrence and development of atherosclerosis.Based on the imbalance of iron metabolism in macrophages,this paper reviews the correlation between ferroptosis in macrophages and atherosclerosis in terms of the interaction between ferroptosis in macrophages and lipid peroxidation,inflammation,oxidative stress,etc.,in order to provide new ideas for the study of the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis.

Objective To explore the imaging features of primary cardiac tumors detected by echocardiography,CT and MR in children,and to analyze the value of each examination and the clinical examination strategies.Methods The clinical,pathological and imaging data of the children with primary cardiac tumors confirmed by surgery and pathology from Jun 2008 to Feb 2022 in Children's Hospital,Fudan University were analyzed retrospectively.Tumor size,location,motion,signal characteristics on different sequences,and pericardial involvement were evaluated on MR images.Results A total of 23 children(16 males and 7 females)were included.The age of onset ranged from 1 month to 13 years old,average on(54.45±58.57)months.While the onset age of rhabdomyomas was only(7.23±6.30)months.The clinical manifestations mainly included 6 cases of cardiac murmur,3 cases of cardiac insufficiency,3 cases of epilepsy,2 cases of cerebral infarction,and 1 case of arrhythmia.Pathological results showed that there were 22 cases of benign tumors(9 cases of fibromas,8 cases of myxomas,4 cases of rhabdomyomas and 1 case of lipoma)and 1 case of malignant tumor(rhabdomyosarcoma).Echocardiography has a high diagnostic accuracy for myxoma.CT showed a case of malignant rhabdomyosarcoma with invasion of the pericardium and compression of the pulmonary artery and bronchus.MR showed that the fibroma had significantly late gadolinium enhancement.The signal of rhabdomyoma was equal on T1WI,and slightly increased on T2WI,perfusion and late gadolinium enhancement sequences.Myxoma had high signal on T2WI and late gadolinium enhancement.It had obvious motions in Cine sequence.The signal of lipoma on each sequence was consistent with that of fat tissue,and there was no high signal of perfusion and late gadolinium enhancement.Conclusion All types of primary cardiac tumors in children have imaging characteristics.MR has great advantages in diagnosing cardiac tumors.The clinical team needs to select the appropriate examination method according to the actual medical situation.

Aim To observe the behavioral effects of exogenous allopregnanolone(ALLO)and its inhibitor finasteride on the receptive period(R)and non-recep-tive period(NR)of PMDD liver-qi inversion model rats and the expression of GABAARα4,GABAARδ mR-NA and protein effects to explore its pathogenesis.Methods The PMDD liver-qi reverse syndrome rat model was prepared.The rats were divided into the normal group R and NR(control-R,control-NR),model group R and NR(Model-R,Model-NR),nor-mal group R+ALLO and NR+ALLO(Control+A-R,Control+A-NR),and model group R+ALLO and NR+ALLO(Model+A-R,Model+A-NR),model group R+finasteride and NR+finasteride(Model+F-R,Model+F-NR).The elevated cross labyrinth ex-periment and social interaction experiment were used to detect the behaviors of rats;fluorescence quantitative PCR and immunofluorescence were used to detect the expression of GABAARα4 and 8 mRNA and protein in rat amygdala and hippocampus.Results In the be-havioral evaluation,in the NR period,in the elevated cross maze test and in the social interaction test,the rats in the model group had anxiety behavior and de-creased social communication ability(P＜0.05),while the rats in the Model+A group could effectively relieve anxiety symptoms and improve their social com-munication ability(P＜0.05),and the rats in the Model+F group had increased anxiety behavior and social disorder(P＜0.05).In fluorescence quantita-tive PCR and immunofluorescence experiments,the ex-pression of GABAARα4 subunit in the model group was up-regulated in the hippocampus(P＜0.01),and the expression of δ subunit was down-regulated(P＜0.01);the expression of GABAARα4 subunit in the a-mygdala and hippocampus of the Model+A group de-creased(P＜0.01),and the expression of δ subunit increased in the hippocampus(P＜0.01).Conclu-sions The abnormal expression of GABAARα4 and 8 subunits mediated by ALLO improves the anxiety symptoms and social interaction ability of PMDD,which is the pathogenesis of PMDD liver-qi reverse syndrome,and provides basis and support for subse-quent exploration of the pathogenesis of PMDD liver-qi reverse syndrome.

Objective:To analyze the biological characteristics, phylogeny and the taxonomic status of strain 7712 (=CGMCC 1.17031=NBRC 113783=KCTC 15766) isolated from a clinical blood sample.Methods:Strain 7712 was identified by the cultural properties, cellular and colonial morphology, physiological and biochemical reactions, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry system, and genome correlation index analysis. The genomic phylogenetic tree was construct to analyze the taxonomic position. The virulence factors and resistance genes of strain 7712 and related strains were then compared by the online virulence factor database and online comprehensive antibiotic research database respectively.Results:Strain 7712 was urease negative, gram-negative nonfermenters, which was identified as Ochrobactrum anthropi by VITEK GN card. The 16S rRNA gene analysis showed that the strain was closely related to the members of genera Ochrobactrum and Brucella. The phylogenetic tree showed that strain 7712 was clustered together with Ochrobactrum teleogrylli LCB8 T and Ochrobactrum haematophilum CCUG 38531 T, along with genus Brucella and other Ochrobactrum species. The genome relatedness indexes analysis showed that the average nucleotide identity between strain 7712 and Ochrobactrum teleogrylli LCB8 T was 98.16%, which was higher than the threshold for prokaryotic species. Genetic prediction showed that strain 7712 carried several virulence-related genes and resistance-related genes, of which the existence of OCH gene might be responsible to the resistance to cephalosporin. Conclusions:A case of human infection caused by Ochrobactrum teleogrylli is identified, which would help promote the understanding of biodiversity of genus Ochrobactrum.

The approach combining disease, syndrome, and symptom was employed to investigate the characteristic changes of blood stasis syndrome in a rat model of steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head(SONFH) during disease onset and progression. Seventy-two male SD rats were randomized into a healthy control group and a model group. The rat model of SONFH was established by injection of lipopolysaccharide(LPS) in the tail vein at a dose of 20 μg·kg~(-1)·d~(-1) on days 1 and 2 and gluteal intramuscular injection of methylprednisolone sodium succinate(MPS) at a dose of 40 mg·kg~(-1)·d~(-1) on days 3-5, while the healthy control group received an equal volume of saline. The mechanical pain test, tongue color RGB technique, gait detection, open field test, and inclined plane test were employed to assess hip pain, tongue color, limping, joint activity, and lower limb strength, respectively, at different time points within 21 weeks of modeling. At weeks 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, and 21 after modeling, histopathological changes of the femoral head were observed by hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining and micro-CT scanning; four coagulation items were measured by rotational thromboelastometry; and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was employed to determine the levels of six blood lipids, vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF), endothelin-1(ET-1), nitric oxide(NO), tissue-type plasminogen activator(t-PA), plasminogen activator inhibitor factor-1(PAI-1), bone gla protein(BGP), alkaline phosphatase(ALP), receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB(RANKL), osteoprotegerin(OPG), and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5b(TRAP5b) in the serum, as well as the levels of 6-keto-prostaglandin 1α(6-keto-PGF1α) and thromboxane B2(TXB2) in the plasma. The results demonstrated that the pathological alterations in the SONFH rats were severer over time. The bone trabecular area ratio, adipocyte number, empty lacuna rate, bone mineral density(BMD), bone volume/tissue volume(BV/TV), trabecular thickness(Tb.Th), trabecular number(Tb.N), bone surface area/bone volume(BS/BV), and trabecular separation(Tb.Sp) all significantly increased or decreased over the modeling time after week 4. Compared with the healthy control group, the mechanical pain threshold, gait swing speed, stride, standing time, and walking cycle of SONFH rats changed significantly within 21 weeks after modeling, with the greatest difference observed 12 weeks after modeling. The time spent in the central zone, rearing score, and maximum tilt angle in the open field test of SONFH rats also changed significantly over the modeling time. Compared with the healthy control group, the R, G, and B values of the tongue color of the model rats decreased significantly, with the greatest difference observed 11 weeks after modeling. The levels of total cholesterol(TC), total triglycerides(TG), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol(LDL-C), and apoprotein B(ApoB) in the SONFH rats changed significantly 4 and 8 weeks after modeling. The levels of VEGF, ET-1, NO, t-PA, PAI-1, 6-keto-PGF1α, TXB2, four coagulation items, and TXB2/6-keto-PGF1α ratio in the serum of SONFH rats changed significantly 4-16 weeks after modeling, with the greatest differences observed 12 weeks after modeling. The levels of BGP, TRAP5b, RANKL, OPG, and RANKL/OPG ratio in the serum of SONFH rats changed significantly 8-21 weeks after modeling. During the entire onset and progression of SONFH in rats, the blood stasis syndrome characteristics such as hyperalgesia, tongue color darkening, gait abnormalities, platelet, vascular, and coagulation dysfunctions were observed, which gradually worsened and then gradually alleviated in the disease course(2-21 weeks), with the most notable differences occurred around 12 weeks after modeling.
Rats ; Male ; Animals ; Femur Head/pathology* ; Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1/adverse effects* ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; Femur Head Necrosis/pathology* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Steroids ; Pain ; Cholesterol

AIM:To investigate the effect of 3% diquafosol sodium eye drops combined with intense pulsed light on the treatment of meibomian gland dysfunction and the change of meibomian glands.METHODS: Prospective study. A total of 141 patients(282 eyes)who were diagnosed with meibomian gland dysfunction from January 2021 to May 2022 in our hospital were selected and they were randomly divided into the control group(73 cases, 146 eyes)and the observation group(68 cases, 136 eyes)according to random number table. The control group was given 0.3% sodium hyaluronate eye drops combined with intense pulsed light, and the observation group was treated with 3% diquafosol sodium eye drops combined with intense pulsed light. The subjective symptom score, physical sign score, non-invasive tear break-up time, tear meniscus height, lipid layer thickness, and meibomian gland density before and after the treatment were compared between the two groups at 2wk after the end of treatment.RESULTS: There were no differences in the subjective symptom score, physical sign score, non-invasive tear break-up time, tear meniscus height, lipid layer thickness, and meibomian gland density between the two groups of patients before treatment(P>0.05). After 2wk of treatment, the symptom scores and physical sign scores of patients in the two groups continued to decrease, non-invasive tear break-up time and lipid layer thickness continued to increase, and the meibomian gland density also increased. The tear meniscus height in the observation group increased, while the control group showed no significant changes. The observation group had better clinical indicators than the control group(P<0.05). No obvious complications were observed in all patients.CONCLUSION: The combination of diquafosol sodium eye drops and intense pulsed light is synergistic in the treatment of meibomian gland dysfunction, with significant therapeutic effects and improvement of meibomian gland repair, which is significantly superior to simple intense pulsed light therapy.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the risk factors for neonatal asphyxia in Hubei Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture and establish a nomogram model for predicting the risk of neonatal asphyxia. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted with 613 cases of neonatal asphyxia treated in 20 cooperative hospitals in Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture from January to December 2019 as the asphyxia group, and 988 randomly selected non-asphyxia neonates born and admitted to the neonatology department of these hospitals during the same period as the control group. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify risk factors for neonatal asphyxia. R software (4.2.2) was used to establish a nomogram model. Receiver operator characteristic curve, calibration curve, and decision curve analysis were used to assess the discrimination, calibration, and clinical usefulness of the model for predicting the risk of neonatal asphyxia, respectively. RESULTS: Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that minority (Tujia), male sex, premature birth, congenital malformations, abnormal fetal position, intrauterine distress, maternal occupation as a farmer, education level below high school, fewer than 9 prenatal check-ups, threatened abortion, abnormal umbilical cord, abnormal amniotic fluid, placenta previa, abruptio placentae, emergency caesarean section, and assisted delivery were independent risk factors for neonatal asphyxia (P<0.05). The area under the curve of the model for predicting the risk of neonatal asphyxia based on these risk factors was 0.748 (95%CI: 0.723-0.772). The calibration curve indicated high accuracy of the model for predicting the risk of neonatal asphyxia. The decision curve analysis showed that the model could provide a higher net benefit for neonates at risk of asphyxia. CONCLUSIONS The risk factors for neonatal asphyxia in Hubei Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture are multifactorial, and the nomogram model based on these factors has good value in predicting the risk of neonatal asphyxia, which can help clinicians identify neonates at high risk of asphyxia early, and reduce the incidence of neonatal asphyxia.
Infant, Newborn ; Humans ; Male ; Pregnancy ; Female ; Nomograms ; Retrospective Studies ; Cesarean Section ; Risk Factors ; Asphyxia Neonatorum/etiology*