ObjectiveThis study leverages structural data from antigen-antibody complexes of the influenza A virus neuraminidase (NA) protein to investigate the spatial recognition relationship between the antigenic epitopes and antibody paratopes. MethodsStructural data on NA protein antigen-antibody complexes were comprehensively collected from the SAbDab database, and processed to obtain the amino acid sequences and spatial distribution information on antigenic epitopes and corresponding antibody paratopes. Statistical analysis was conducted on the antibody sequences, frequency of use of genes, amino acid preferences, and the lengths of complementarity determining regions (CDR). Epitope hotspots for antibody binding were analyzed, and the spatial structural similarity of antibody paratopes was calculated and subjected to clustering, which allowed for a comprehensively exploration of the spatial recognition relationship between antigenic epitopes and antibodies. The specificity of antibodies targeting different antigenic epitope clusters was further validated through bio-layer interferometry (BLI) experiments. ResultsThe collected data revealed that the antigen-antibody complex structure data of influenza A virus NA protein in SAbDab database were mainly from H3N2, H7N9 and H1N1 subtypes. The hotspot regions of antigen epitopes were primarily located around the catalytic active site. The antibodies used for structural analysis were primarily derived from human and murine sources. Among murine antibodies, the most frequently used V-J gene combination was IGHV1-12*01/IGHJ2*01, while for human antibodies, the most common combination was IGHV1-69*01/IGHJ6*01. There were significant differences in the lengths and usage preferences of heavy chain CDR amino acids between antibodies that bind within the catalytic active site and those that bind to regions outside the catalytic active site. The results revealed that structurally similar antibodies could recognize the same epitopes, indicating a specific spatial recognition between antibody and antigen epitopes. Structural overlap in the binding regions was observed for antibodies with similar paratope structures, and the competitive binding of these antibodies to the epitope was confirmed through BLI experiments. ConclusionThe antigen epitopes of NA protein mainly ditributed around the catalytic active site and its surrounding loops. Spatial complementarity and electrostatic interactions play crucial roles in the recognition and binding of antibodies to antigenic epitopes in the catalytic region. There existed a spatial recognition relationship between antigens and antibodies that was independent of the uniqueness of antibody sequences, which means that antibodies with different sequences could potentially form similar local spatial structures and recognize the same epitopes.

Objective: To investigate the accuracy of the mandibular curve of Spee and mandibular curve of Wilson curve, mandibular posterior crown inclination, maxillary and mandibular arch width, and mandibular incisor labial inclination changes in the invisible orthodontic treatment of extracted and non-extracted patients to provide a basis for the study of the therapeutic efficacy of the invisible aligner. Methods: This study was approved by the Unit Medical Ethics Committee. Adult bony Class I patients treated with invisible aligners between 2016 and 2023 were selected and categorized into 32 cases in a group with four first premolar extractions and 33 cases in a non-extraction group. The initial scanning model (T1), the orthodontic plan design model (T2), and the scanning model after alignment and leveling (T3) were collected, and the scanning data at different time points were exported to STL format files. They were then analyzed and measured using GOM Inspect 2019 software; the clinical effect (T1-T3) was defined as AC, and the expected result (T1-T2) was defined as CC. To explore the mandibular curve of Spee, the leveling accuracy of the mandibular Wilson curve (AC/CC×100%), the change in mandibular posterior crown inclination, the change in maxillary and mandibular arch width and the change in mandibular incisor labial inclination. The results were tallied using R4.3.2 software. Results: The leveling accuracy of the mandibular curve of Spee was 3.2% and 10.1% in the extraction and non-extraction groups, respectively; the leveling accuracy of the mandibular first molar in the extraction and non-extraction groups was 9.5% and 4.2%, respectively, and the leveling accuracy of the mandibular second premolar was 32.8% and 25%, respectively. The leveling accuracy of the mandibular curve of Wilson was 126% in the extraction group compared to 704% in the non-extraction group. The maximum values of AC for crown inclination of the mandibular posterior teeth were all found in the first molar and the minimum values in the second premolar (P< 0.05); CC was the greatest in the second premolar and the least in the first molar in the extraction group (P< 0.05), and in the second molar and the least in the second premolar in the non-extraction group (P< 0.05). There was no significant difference in the change of maxillary and mandibular arch widths in the extraction group (P> 0.05); the AC of the arch widths at the maxillary first molar and at the mandibular second premolar and first molar in the non-extraction group was significantly greater than the CC (P< 0.05). The AC of the mandibular second premolar crown inclination was significantly greater in the non-extraction group than in the extraction group (P < 0.05), showing a more pronounced buccal inclination of the crowns; in contrast, there was no significant difference between the mandibular molar crown inclination AC and CC in the two groups (P > 0.05). The CC of mandibular curve of Spee in the extraction group was significantly greater than that in the non-extraction group (P < 0.05), whereas there was no significant difference in AC between the two groups (P > 0.05). In addition, the AC of the labial inclination of the mandibular incisors in the extraction group and the non-extraction group was smaller than the CC, but both were positive, indicating an increase in the degree of labial inclination of the mandibular incisors. Conclusion The invisible aligner mandibular curve of Spee leveling was poorly expressed, and there was a tendency for overexpression of the mandibular curve of Wilson leveling. Increased labial inclination of the mandibular incisors was observed in patients. The extraction group was accurately predicted in arch width control, there was overexpansion in the non-extraction group.

This study aims to explore the mechanism of Jiaotai Pills in treating depression based on metabolomics and network pharmacology. The chemical constituents of Jiaotai Pills were identified by UHPLC-Orbitrap Exploris 480, and the targets of Jiaotai Pills and depression were retrieved from online databases. STRING and Cytoscape 3.7.2 were used to construct the protein-protein interaction network of core targets of Jiaotai Pills in treating depression and the "compound-target-pathway" network. DAVID was used for Gene Ontology(GO) function and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses of the core targets. The mouse model of depression was established with chronic unpredictable mild stress(CUMS) and treated with different doses of Jiaotai Pills. The behavioral changes and pathological changes in the hippocampus were observed. UHPLC-Orbitrap Exploris 120 was used for metabolic profiling of the serum, from which the differential metabolites and related metabolic pathways were screened. A "metabolite-reaction-enzyme-gene" network was constructed for the integrated analysis of metabolomics and network pharmacology. A total of 34 chemical components of Jiaotai Pills were identified, and 143 core targets of Jiaotai Pills in treating depression were predicted, which were mainly involved in the arginine and proline, sphingolipid, and neurotrophin metabolism signaling pathways. The results of animal experiments showed that Jiaotai Pills alleviated the depression behaviors and pathological changes in the hippocampus of the mouse model of CUMS-induced depression. In addition, Jiaotai Pills reversed the levels of 32 metabolites involved in various pathways such as arginine and proline metabolism, sphingolipid metabolism, and porphyrin metabolism in the serum of model mice. The integrated analysis showed that arginine and proline metabolism, cysteine and methionine metabolism, and porphyrin metabolism might be the key pathways in the treatment of depression with Jiaotai Pills. In conclusion, metabolomics combined with network pharmacology clarifies the antidepressant mechanism of Jiaotai Pills, which may provide a basis for the clinical application of Jiaotai Pills in treating depression.
Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Depression/genetics* ; Mice ; Network Pharmacology ; Metabolomics ; Male ; Disease Models, Animal ; Humans ; Protein Interaction Maps/drug effects* ; Antidepressive Agents

This study aims to explore whether Albiziae Cortex-Tribuli Fructus can exert an anti-hepatic fibrosis effect by regulating the nuclear factor E2-related factor 2(Nrf2)/NOD-like receptor protein 3(NLRP3)/cysteine protease-1(caspase-1) pathway and analyze its potential mechanism. In the in vivo experiment, a mouse model of hepatic fibrosis was established by subcutaneous injection of carbon tetrachloride. The levels of alanine aminotransferase(ALT), aspartate aminotransferase(AST), collagen type Ⅳ(ColⅣ), laminin(LN), procollagen type Ⅲ(PCⅢ), and hyaluronic acid(HA) in the serum of mice were measured using a fully automated biochemical analyzer and ELISA. Hematoxylin and eosin(HE) and Masson staining were used to observe inflammation and collagen fiber deposition in the liver tissue. Western blot and RT-qPCR were employed to detect the protein and mRNA expression of collagen type Ⅰ(collagen Ⅰ), α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA), Nrf2, NLRP3, gasdermin D(GSDMD), and caspase-1 in the hepatic tissue. In the in vitro experiment, human hepatic stellate cells(HSC-LX2) were pretreated with Nrf2 agonist or inhibitor, followed by the addition of blank serum, AngⅡ + blank serum, and AngⅡ + Albiziae Cortex-Tribuli Fructus-containing serum for intervention. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression of Nrf2, NLRP3, GSDMD, caspase-1, α-SMA, GSDMD-N, and apoptosis-associated speck-like protein(ASC) in cells. DCFH-DA fluorescence probe was used to detect the cellular ROS levels. The results from the in vivo experiment showed that, compared with the model group, Albiziae Cortex-Tribuli Fructus significantly reduced the serum levels of AST, ALT, ColⅣ, LN, PCⅢ, and HA, reduced the infiltration of inflammatory cells and collagen fiber deposition in the liver tissue, significantly upregulated the protein and mRNA expression of Nrf2 in the liver tissue, and significantly downregulated the protein and mRNA expression of collagen I, α-SMA, NLRP3, GSDMD, and caspase-1 in the liver tissue. The results from the in vitro experiment showed that Nrf2 activation decreased the protein expression of NLRP3, GSDMD, caspase-1, α-SMA, GSDMD-N, ASC, and ROS levels in HSC-LX2, while Nrf2 inhibition showed the opposite trend. Furthermore, Albiziae Cortex-Tribuli Fructus-containing serum directly decreased the expression of the above proteins and ROS levels. In conclusion, Albiziae Cortex-Tribuli Fructus can effectively improve hepatic fibrosis, and its mechanism of action may involve inhibiting pyroptosis through the regulation of the Nrf2/NLRP3/caspase-1 pathway.
Animals ; NF-E2-Related Factor 2/genetics* ; Liver Cirrhosis/genetics* ; Mice ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Caspase 1/genetics* ; Male ; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein/genetics* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Humans ; Liver/metabolism* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Plant Extracts ; Tribulus

The level of urinary albumin is a critical indicator for the early diagnosis and management of chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, existing methods for detecting albumin are not conducive to point-of-care testing due to the complexity of reagent addition and incubation processes. This study presents a smartphone-integrated handheld automated biochemical analyzer (sHABA) designed for point-of-care testing of urinary albumin. The sHABA features a pre-loaded, disposable reagent cassette with reagents for the albumin assay arranged in the order of their addition within a hose. The smartphone-integrated analyzer can drive the reagents following a preset program, to enable automatic sequential addition. The sHABA has a detection limit for albumin of 5.9 mg/L and a linear detection range from 7 to 450 mg/L. The consistency of albumin level detection in 931 urine samples using sHABA with clinical tests indicates good sensitivity (95.78%) and specificity (90.16%). This research advances the field by providing an automated detection method for albumin in a portable device, allowing even untrained individuals to monitor CKD in real time at the patient's bedside. In the context of promoting tiered diagnosis and treatment, the sHABA has the potential to become an essential tool for the early diagnosis and comprehensive management of CKD and other chronic conditions.

The accumulation of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) oxidative damage mediated by reactive oxygen species (ROS) is closely associated with liver diseases. 8-Oxoguanine (8-OxoG), a prevalent DNA oxidation product, plays a significant role in liver disease progression. The base excision repair (BER) pathway, comprising over 30 proteins including 8-OxoG DNA glycosylase1 (OGG1), MutY homolog (MUTYH), and MutT homolog protein 1 (MTH1), is responsible for the clearance and mismatch repair of 8-OxoG. Abnormally high levels of 8-OxoG and dysregulated expression and function of 8-OxoG repair enzymes contribute to the onset and development of liver diseases. Consequently, targeting the 8-OxoG production and repair system with agonists or inhibitors may offer a promising approach to liver disease treatment. This review summarizes the impact of 8-OxoG accumulation and dysregulated repair enzymes on various liver diseases, including viral liver disease, alcoholic liver disease (ALD), metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), cholestatic liver disease (CLD), liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, and liver cancer. Additionally, we review natural constituents as potential therapeutic agents that regulate 8-OxoG production, repair enzymes, and repair system-related signal pathways in oxidative damage-induced liver diseases.
Humans ; Liver Diseases/genetics* ; Biological Products/pharmacology* ; DNA Repair/drug effects* ; Guanine/metabolism* ; Animals ; Disease Progression ; DNA Damage ; Oxidative Stress

Wastewater-based epidemiology has emerged as a transformative surveillance tool for estimating substance consumption and monitoring disease prevalence, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. It enables the population-level monitoring of illicit drug use, pathogen prevalence, and environmental pollutant exposure. In this perspective, we summarize the key challenges specific to the Chinese context: (1) Sampling inconsistencies, necessitating standardized 24-hour composite protocols with high-frequency autosamplers (≤ 15 min/event) to improve the representativeness of samples; (2) Biomarker validation, requiring rigorous assessment of excretion profiles and in-sewer stability; (3) Analytical method disparities, demanding inter-laboratory proficiency testing and the development of automated pretreatment instruments; (4) Catchment population dynamics, reducing estimation uncertainties through mobile phone data, flow-based models, or hydrochemical parameters; and (5) Ethical and data management concerns, including privacy risks for small communities, mitigated through data de-identification and tiered reporting platforms. To address these challenges, we propose an integrated framework that features adaptive sampling networks, multi-scale wastewater sample banks, biomarker databases with multidimensional metadata, and intelligent data dashboards. In summary, wastewater-based epidemiology offers unparalleled scalability for equitable health surveillance and can improve the health of the entire population by providing timely and objective information to guide the development of targeted policies.
China/epidemiology* ; Humans ; Wastewater/analysis* ; COVID-19/epidemiology* ; Public Health ; Wastewater-Based Epidemiological Monitoring ; SARS-CoV-2

Objective To investigate the efficacy of the therapy of soothing liver and strengthening spleen(shortened as Shugan Jianpi therapy)in the treatment of active thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy(TAO)complicated with dry eye,and to provide a reference basis for clinical treatment.Methods A total of 108 patients with active TAO complicated with dry eye of liver depression and qi stagnation type were randomly divided into observation group and control group,54 patients in each group.Both groups were given conventional treatment for intervention of Graves'disease,and additionally the control group was given hormone shock therapy by intravenous injection of Methylprednisolone Sodium Succinate,and the observation group was treated with Chinese medicine prescription for soothing liver and strengthening spleen orally and intravenous injection of Methylprednisolone Sodium Succinate.The treatment period lasted for 12 weeks,and then the patients were followed up till to the 6th month.The changes of clinical activity score(CAS),proptosis,ocular surface disease index(OSDI),corneal fluorescein staining(FL),Schirmer I test(SIT)and tear film break-up time(BUT)in the two groups were observed before and after the treatment.After treatment,the clinical efficacy of the two groups was evaluated.Results(1)After 6 months of treatment,the total effective rate in the observation group was 94.44%(51/54)and that in the control group was 74.07%(40/54),and the intergroup comparison(tested by chi-square test)showed that the efficacy of the observation group was significantly superior to that of the control group(P＜0.05).(2)After treatment,the CAS,OSDI score and proptosis of the patients in the two groups were all lower than those before treatment(P＜0.01),and the reduction in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P＜0.01).(3)After treatment,the indicators of tear secretion function such as SIT,FL score and BUT of patients in the two groups were improved compared with those before treatment(P＜0.01),and the improvement in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group,the differences being all statistically significant(P＜0.01).Conclusion Shugan Jianpi therapy exerts certain clinical efficacy in treating patients with active TAO complicated with dry eye of liver depression and qi stagnation type,which can effectively relieve the proptosis,prolong the tear film break-up time,promote the secretion of tears and the repair of corneal epithelium,improve the visual function,and enhance the quality of life of the patients.