Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) has serious harm to human hearing health, where blood lipid and inflammatory levels may play a key role in it. Thus, the purpose of this investigation was to Show more
Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) has serious harm to human hearing health, where blood lipid and inflammatory levels may play a key role in it. Thus, the purpose of this investigation was to assess the connection between inflammatory and lipid variables and SSNHL. Patients diagnosed with SSNHL had an analysis of serum lipid parameters, such as total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides, HDL-C, LDL-C, apolipoprotein A (apo A), apolipoprotein B (apo B), and lipoprotein A (Lp(a)), as well as inflammatory factors like TNF-α and IL-10. After that, risk factor analysis was carried out utilizing univariate, multivariate regression, and LASSO retrospective modeling. In all, 72 SSNHL patients and 67 healthy control individuals were involved. The LDL/HDL, total cholesterol, ApoB, LP(a), IL-10, TNF-α, and IFN-γ considerably higher in the SSNHL group than in the healthy control group, however, nervonic acid and coenzyme Q were decreased significantly in SSNHL than Control group. The multivariate logistic regression model's analysis using multifactorial retrospective modeling revealed significant changes in LDL, LDL/HDL, IL-10, and TNF-α. In addition, in the LASSO regression model, the model demonstrated high discrimination, as evidenced by the C-index for the cohort's prediction nomogram, which was 0.998 (95% CI, 0.154-1.115) and confirmed to be 0.925 following bootstrapping validation. Finally, IL-10 and LDL/HDL were the main risk factors in SSNHL. LDL/HDL and IL-10 may be closely related to SSNHL's progress and should be evaluated promptly before treating patients with SSNHL. Show less
The natural compound pterostilbene (PTE) has multiple cardiovascular protective effects. However, its effects on pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH)-associated vascular remodeling remain to be eluci Show more
The natural compound pterostilbene (PTE) has multiple cardiovascular protective effects. However, its effects on pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH)-associated vascular remodeling remain to be elucidated. This study investigated the effects of PTE on monocrotaline (MCT)-induced PAH in rats Experimental PAH was established by subcutaneous injection of MCT (50 mg/kg) in Sprague-Dawley rats, which were then randomly divided into vehicle or PTE (15 mg/kg via gavage) treatment groups. Endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) was modeled in hPAECs by treating with transforming growth factor-β, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interleukin-1β in combination. In rats with MCT-induced PAH, administration of PTE resulted in a reduction in right ventricular systolic pressure, thereby alleviating right ventricular hypertrophy. This was accompanied by mitigation of the remodeling of pulmonary arteries. PTE mitigates MCT-induced PAH and vascular remodeling in rats, at least in part, by inhibiting HMGA-mediated EndMT, suggesting that PTE may be a useful complementary medicine in the treatment of PAH. Show less
Type 2 diabetes (T2D) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are interrelated conditions that significantly impair quality of life. This study aimed to identify a feasible biomarker for assessing T2D-MCI Show more
Type 2 diabetes (T2D) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are interrelated conditions that significantly impair quality of life. This study aimed to identify a feasible biomarker for assessing T2D-MCI risk and to evaluate a potential therapeutic strategy. We integrated data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) with Mendelian randomization (MR) to investigate genetic causal relationships between T2D, MCI, and their shared biomarkers. Transcriptomic analysis identified T2D-associated genes. Clinical trials evaluated the short-term effects of modified fasting therapy (MFT) on glucose regulation and cognitive function. Cellular assays and patient samples were used to validate the regulatory roles of key genes in biochemical markers and downstream signaling pathways. Among 6,356 T2D and 1,138 MCI subjects, vitamin D, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), globulin, and creatinine were associated with both conditions. MR analysis showed that higher HDL-C levels reduced T2D risk (0.9059, 95% CI: 0.8666-0.9470) but increased MCI risk (OR = 1.0482, 95% CI: 1.0216-1.0755). Nuclear factor I A ( HDL-C has divergent genetic effects on T2D and MCI. Show less
Limited identification of insulin resistance-associated loci hinders understanding of its role in cardiometabolic health, impeding therapeutic strategies. We apply three multivariate genome-wide assoc Show more
Limited identification of insulin resistance-associated loci hinders understanding of its role in cardiometabolic health, impeding therapeutic strategies. We apply three multivariate genome-wide association study approaches on homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance, insulin resistance index, fasting insulin, and ratio of triglycerides to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol from MAGIC and UK Biobank to develop a comprehensive phenotype ('mvIR'), and identify 217 independent loci, including 24 novel loci. The mvIR is causally associated with higher risks of 17 cardiometabolic diseases and five aging phenotypes, independent of adiposity and sarcopenia. We outline 21 of 2644 druggable genes for insulin resistance by Mendelian randomization and colocalization, where six genes (AKT1, ERBB3, FCGR1A, FGFR1, LPL, NR1H3) encode targets for approved drugs with consistent directions in alleviating insulin resistance, with no significant side effects revealed by phenome-wide association study. This study uncovers novel loci and therapeutic targets to inform strategies promoting insulin resistance-centered cardiometabolic health and longevity. Show less
Studying the molecular properties of drugs and their interactions with human targets aids in better understanding the clinical performance of drugs and guides drug development. In computer-aided drug Show more
Studying the molecular properties of drugs and their interactions with human targets aids in better understanding the clinical performance of drugs and guides drug development. In computer-aided drug discovery, it is crucial to utilize effective molecular feature representations for predicting molecular properties and designing ligands with high binding affinity to targets. However, designing an effective multi-task and self-supervised strategy remains a significant challenge for the pretraining framework. In this study, a multi-task self-supervised deep learning framework is proposed, MTSSMol, which utilizes ≈10 million unlabeled drug-like molecules for pretraining to identify potential inhibitors of fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1). During the pretraining of MTSSMol, molecular representations are learned through a graph neural networks (GNNs) encoder. A multi-task self-supervised pretraining strategy is proposed to fully capture the structural and chemical knowledge of molecules. Extensive computational tests on 27 datasets demonstrate that MTSSMol exhibits exceptional performance in predicting molecular properties across different domains. Moreover, MTSSMol's capability is validated to identify potential inhibitors of FGFR1 through molecular docking using RoseTTAFold All-Atom (RFAA) and molecular dynamics simulations. Overall, MTSSMol provides an effective algorithmic framework for enhancing molecular representation learning and identifying potential drug candidates, offering a valuable tool to accelerate drug discovery processes. All of the codes are freely available online at https:// github.com/zhaoqi106/MTSSMol. Show less
Liver X receptor α (LXRα) plays an important role in inflammatory immune response induced by hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) and acute rejection (AR). Macrophage M1-polarization play an impo Show more
Liver X receptor α (LXRα) plays an important role in inflammatory immune response induced by hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) and acute rejection (AR). Macrophage M1-polarization play an important role in the occurrence and development of AR. Although the activation of LXR has anti-inflammatory effects, the role of LXRα in AR after liver transplantation (LT) has not been elucidated. We aimed to investigate LXRα anti-inflammatory and macrophage polarization regulation effects and mechanisms in acute rejection rat models. LXRα anti-inflammatory and liver function protective effects was initially measured in primary Kupffer cells and LT rat models. Subsequently, a flow cytometry assay was used to detect the regulation effect of LXRα in macrophage polarization. HE staining, TUNEL and ELISA were used to evaluate the co-treatment effects of TO901317 and tacrolimus on hepatic apoptosis and liver acute rejection after LT. In this study, we found that LPS can inhibit the expression of LXRα and activate MAPK pathway and PI3K/AKT/mTOR. We also found that LXRα agonist (TO901317) could improve liver function and rat survival after LT by activating the level of ABCA1 and inhibiting MAPK. TO901317 could inhibit macrophage M1-polarization by activating PI3K/AKT/mTOR signal pathway to improve the liver lesion of AR rats after liver transplantation. Additionally, co-treatment with TO901317 and tacrolimus more effectively alleviated the damaging effects of AR following LT than either drug alone. Our results suggest that the activation of LXRα can improve liver function and rat survival after LT by regulate ABCA1/MAPK and PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling axis in macrophages. Show less
Heat stress (HS) severely significantly reduces milk yield and causes substantial economic losses of dairy cows. TMT-based proteomes and an untargeted metabolomics approach were used to conduct the pr Show more
Heat stress (HS) severely significantly reduces milk yield and causes substantial economic losses of dairy cows. TMT-based proteomes and an untargeted metabolomics approach were used to conduct the proteomics and metabolomics in heat-stressed (HS, Show less
ObjectivesThis study aimed to compare the effects of different exercise interventions on brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in patients with neurodegenerative diseases and to explore regu Show more
ObjectivesThis study aimed to compare the effects of different exercise interventions on brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in patients with neurodegenerative diseases and to explore regulatory factors.MethodsSearched PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science Core Collection, CNKI and Cochrane Library databases up to March 15, 2025. Bayesian network meta-analysis was conducted using R software, and meta-regression analyzed the moderating effects of training period and frequency.Results42 randomized controlled trials covering 1482 patients were included. The Surface Under the Cumulative Ranking (SUCRA) indicated that stretching training (SUCRA = 78.92) and high-intensity interval training (SUCRA = 69.73) were ranked higher than other exercise modalities and exhibited more favorable effect on BDNF enhancement, although neither demonstrated statistically significant superiority over the blank control. In contrast, combined training (SUCRA = 35.58), aerobic training (SUCRA = 35.17), and resistance training (SUCRA = 12.98) showed relatively lower potential for BDNF enhancement (blank control SUCRA = 67.62). Meta-regression analysis showed that the effect of combined training was significantly and positively correlated with intervention period ( Show less
Quinolinic acid (QA) is a metabolite of tryptophan catabolism involved in the biosynthesis of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). It has been extensively studied in the context of neuropsychiatri Show more
Quinolinic acid (QA) is a metabolite of tryptophan catabolism involved in the biosynthesis of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). It has been extensively studied in the context of neuropsychiatric disorders in the past decades. Recent studies have also linked high plasma QA levels to obesity, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and diabetes. In the present study, we have explored the impact of long-term oral QA administration on glucose and lipid metabolism in mice. We observed a protective role for QA in preventing hepatic lipid accumulation in high-fat-diet fed mice, whereas oral administration of NAD showed opposite effects. We further demonstrated that QA reduces hepatic lipid uptake by inhibiting the expression of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and fatty acid translocase (CD36) in liver, thereby mitigating liver lipid accumulation in the context of a high-fat diet. Our data suggest that QA is an important regulator of lipid homeostasis and has potential as a therapeutic target for MASLD. Show less
The present case report presents the diagnostic challenges of pediatric diffuse low-grade glioma (pDLGG) with oligodendroglioma-like features. The patient, an 11-year-old girl, presented with refracto Show more
The present case report presents the diagnostic challenges of pediatric diffuse low-grade glioma (pDLGG) with oligodendroglioma-like features. The patient, an 11-year-old girl, presented with refractory epilepsy and brain imaging did not provide a clear diagnosis. Intraoperatively, the tumor appeared gray-yellow to gray-red, with moderate texture and unclear borders, consistent with LGG. Postoperative pathology showed diffuse infiltrative growth of the tumor, with pleomorphic cell morphology and oligodendroglioma-like gliocyte proliferation. Staining was positive for markers such as glial fibrillary acidic protein and Olig-2. Genomic analysis revealed BRAF V600E, fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR)1 and FGFR4 mutations, but no IDH mutations or other related mutations. The final diagnosis was pDLGG with alterations in the MAPK pathway. The present case underscores the importance of molecular and histological features in the diagnosis of pDLGG, especially when clinical and imaging characteristics are atypical, as molecular diagnostics provide key insights for disease classification. Show less
The interplay between intracellular and intravascular lipolysis is crucial for maintaining circulating lipid levels and systemic energy homeostasis. Adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) and lipoprotein Show more
The interplay between intracellular and intravascular lipolysis is crucial for maintaining circulating lipid levels and systemic energy homeostasis. Adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) and lipoprotein lipase (LPL), the primary triglyceride (TG) lipases responsible for these two spatially separate processes, are highly expressed in adipose tissue. Yet the mechanisms underlying their coordinated regulation remain undetermined. Here, we demonstrate that genetic ablation of G0S2, a specific inhibitory protein of ATGL, completely abolished diet-induced hypertriglyceridemia and significantly attenuated atherogenesis in mice. These effects were attributable to enhanced whole-body TG clearance, not altered hepatic TG secretion. Specifically, G0S2 deletion increased circulating LPL concentration and activity, predominantly through LPL production from white adipose tissue (WAT). Strikingly, transplantation of G0S2-deficient WAT normalized plasma TG levels in mice with hypertriglyceridemia. In conjunction with improved insulin sensitivity and decreased ANGPTL4 expression, the absence of G0S2 enhanced the stability of LPL protein in adipocytes, a phenomenon that could be reversed upon ATGL inhibition. Collectively, these findings highlight the pivotal role of adipocyte G0S2 in regulating both intracellular and intravascular lipolysis, and the possibility of targeting G0S2 as a viable pharmacological approach to reducing levels of circulating TGs. Show less
The risk factors and clinical prediction of cardiovascular comorbidities in patients with breast cancer have not been fully clarified. This retrospective case-control study was designed to investigate Show more
The risk factors and clinical prediction of cardiovascular comorbidities in patients with breast cancer have not been fully clarified. This retrospective case-control study was designed to investigate the factors affecting myocardial ischemia occurrence in breast cancer patients. A total of 194 cases (144 breast cancer and 50 benign breast tumor patients) were included. Univariate and multivariable Cox regression found that ApoB, age, and HER2 were significant factors responsible for the myocardial ischemia occurrence in breast cancer patients. By comparing the significance of ApoB in breast cancer patients versus benign breast tumor patients, it was observed that ApoB and HER2 were crucial predictors of myocardial ischemia in breast cancer patients compared to those with benign breast tumors. These factors were utilized to construct the clinical prediction model, achieving a combined area under the curve (AUC) of 0.583. The decision curve analysis (DCA) indicated that the model-predicted population, within a threshold ranging from 0.35 to 0.70, would experience a therapeutically clinical net benefit. Kaplan-Meier plot indicated that ApoB We demonstrated that ApoB and HER2 were potential factors in predicting the myocardial ischemia occurrence in breast cancer patients. This study will help provide clinical evidence for the early prediction of cardiovascular comorbidities in breast cancer patients. Show less
Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a core environmental toxin that induces kidney injury by interfering with glomerular filtration, antioxidant defense, and tubular transport functions. Alginate oligosaccharides ( Show more
Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a core environmental toxin that induces kidney injury by interfering with glomerular filtration, antioxidant defense, and tubular transport functions. Alginate oligosaccharides (AOS), as active substances from marine, carry natural antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and other biological activities. The purpose of this study is to explore the molecular network of AOS against nephrotoxicity caused by OTA. A total of 36 5-week male mice were randomly divided into three groups: the CON group, the OTA group (250 μg/kg B.W. OTA) and the AOS + OTA group (400 mg/kg B.W. AOS +250 μg/kg B.W. OTA). The treatment was continued for 21 d. OTA induced renal injury in mice, manifested by glomerular capsule blurring, lymphocytic infiltration, and mitochondrial damage in tubular epithelial cells. Treatment with AOS significantly alleviated these pathological changes. Multi‑omics analysis revealed that AOS activated the PPAR signaling pathway, upregulating key genes (Aldehyde Dehydrogenase 1 Family Member A3 ( This study reveal that AOS antagonizes OTA-induced nephrotoxicity in mice through PPAR signaling axis, thus providing new insight into the renal protection mechanism of marine active substances. Show less
Cisplatin resistance in tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) correlates with poor prognosis, where natural killer (NK) cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME) play a crucial role. This study invest Show more
Cisplatin resistance in tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) correlates with poor prognosis, where natural killer (NK) cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME) play a crucial role. This study investigated the mechanism by which exosomes from cisplatin-resistant TSCC cells suppress NK cell function. We found that exosomal long non-coding RNA SNHG26, highly enriched in cisplatin-resistant TSCC cells and their exosomes, was transferred to NK cells. Within NK cells, SNHG26 acted as a scaffold promoting WWP2-mediated ubiquitination and degradation of the transcription factor SOX2, thereby inhibiting HLA-DRA transcription and subsequent IL-2/JAK-STAT5 signaling. Concurrently, SNHG26 competitively bound miR-515-5p, relieving its suppression of TGFB1 mRNA and activating the TGF-β1/Smad2 pathway. These dual mechanisms significantly impaired NK cell proliferation, activation, and cytotoxicity. SNHG26 depletion reversed NK cell suppression and cisplatin resistance in vitro and in vivo. Thus, our study identifies exosomal SNHG26 as a key mediator of cisplatin resistance and NK cell dysfunction in TSCC, suggesting its potential as a promising therapeutic target. Show less
This study aimed to investigate serum inflammatory factor levels of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in female patients with bipolar disorder (BD) to explore the related inflammatory molecular mechani Show more
This study aimed to investigate serum inflammatory factor levels of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in female patients with bipolar disorder (BD) to explore the related inflammatory molecular mechanisms preliminarily. The study recruited 72 female drug-naïve patients with BD and 98 female healthy controls (HCs). Demographic information, menstrual cycles, sex hormone levels, and ovarian ultrasound data were collected from them. Additionally, their serum inflammatory factor levels and the proteomics of peripheral blood mononuclear cells were analyzed. The levels of interleukin (IL)-8 and IL-13 were significantly higher in patients with BD than in HCs (p < 0.05), and the IL-8 level was higher in BD patients with PCOS than in those without (adjusted p = 0.07). Bioinformatics analysis revealed that downregulated genes with significant differences between the two groups were all involved in immune-inflammatory-related pathways, and the expression of downregulated genes BTN3A2, MAP2K5, JCHAIN-B, and DMAP1 showed substantial differences and consistent trends between the two groups. IL-8-related chronic inflammatory response is closely associated with PCOS in BD patients, and genes such as BTN3A2 may mediate this chronic inflammatory response by negatively regulating the abnormal differentiation of T helper 17 cells, serving as one of the mechanisms underlying its pathogenesis. Show less
Detecting early ischemic lesions (EIL) in computed tomography (CT) images is crucial for reducing diagnostic time and minimizing neuron loss due to oxygen deprivation. This paper introduces DCTP-Net, Show more
Detecting early ischemic lesions (EIL) in computed tomography (CT) images is crucial for reducing diagnostic time and minimizing neuron loss due to oxygen deprivation. This paper introduces DCTP-Net, a dual-branch network for segmenting acute ischemic stroke lesions in CT images, consisting of a segmentation branch and a prompt-aware branch. The segmentation branch uses an encoder-decoder network as the backbone to identify lesions, where the encoder fuses CT image features with prompt features from the prompt-aware branch. To enhance semantic feature extraction and reduce the impact of cerebral structural details, we introduce a cross-collaboration dynamic connection (CCDC) module to link the encoder and decoder. The prompt-aware branch includes a learnable prompt (LP) block to incorporate cerebral prior knowledge, and the prompt-aware encoder (PAE) combines the LP block with multi-level features from the segmentation branch for more precise representation. Additionally, we propose a CLIP-enhance textual prompt (CETP) module that utilizes the CLIP text encoder to generate specialized convolutional parameters for the segmentation head. These parameters are tailored to the unique characteristics of each input image, improving segmentation performance. Qualitative and quantitative studies reveal that DCTP-Net outperforms the current state-of-the-art, IS-Net, with Dice score increases of 3.9% on AISD and 3.8% on ISLES2018, demonstrating its superiority in EIL segmentation. Show less
BackgroundAlthough abnormalities in circulating lipids and lipoproteins are associated with increased cancer risk, their specific impact on lung cancer progression and prognosis is still unclear. This Show more
BackgroundAlthough abnormalities in circulating lipids and lipoproteins are associated with increased cancer risk, their specific impact on lung cancer progression and prognosis is still unclear. This study retrospectively assessed the influence of preoperative lipid and lipoprotein levels on non-small cell lung cancer progression and prognosis, stratified by age.MethodsIn this retrospective study, we analyzed 849 patients to investigate the association between lipid markers and lung cancer progression, and examined postoperative prognosis in a subset of 222 patients. Data was analyzed using restricted cubic spline curves, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, and Cox proportional hazards models.ResultsA significant nonlinear relationship was observed between total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), ApoB, ApoAI, ApoE, and baseline tumor diameter (BSLD) (PTC = 0.025; PHDL < 0.001; PApoB = 0.037; PApoAI =0.001; PApoE < 0.001). In contrast, Lp(a) showed a significant linear relationship with BSLD (P = 0.002). The Cox regression analysis revealed that triglyceride (TG) (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.50, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.28-0.92, P = 0.025) was significantly negatively associated with lung cancer mortality in patients under 58 years. For patients over 58 years, higher ApoB levels were linked to a reduced risk of lung cancer death (HR = 0.59, 95% CI: 0.36-0.97, P = 0.038).ConclusionThis study reveals a significant negative correlation between ApoAI and HDL levels with BSLD, while Lp(a) shows a positive correlation. In terms of long-term prognosis, high-serum ApoB are associated with a lower mortality risk in all lung cancer patients, and high-serum TG levels associated with reduced mortality risk in patients aged under 58 while high-serum TC levels associated with reduced mortality risk in patients over 58, with high Lp(a) levels indicating a greater risk of mortality in older patients. Show less
The poor prognosis of glioblastoma (GBM) patients is attributed mainly to abundant neovascularization and presence of glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs). GSCs are preferentially localized to the perivascu Show more
The poor prognosis of glioblastoma (GBM) patients is attributed mainly to abundant neovascularization and presence of glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs). GSCs are preferentially localized to the perivascular niche to maintain stemness. However, the effect of abnormal communication between endothelial cells (ECs) and GSCs on GBM progression remains unknown. Here, we reveal that ECs-derived SEMA3G, which is aberrantly expressed in GBM patients, impairs GSCs by inducing c-Myc degradation. SEMA3G activates NRP2/PLXNA1 in a paracrine manner, subsequently inducing the inactivation of Cdc42 and dissociation of Cdc42 and WWP2 in GSCs. Once released, WWP2 interacts with c-Myc and mediates c-Myc degradation via ubiquitination. Genetic deletion of Sema3G in ECs accelerates GBM growth, whereas SEMA3G overexpression or recombinant SEMA3G protein prolongs the survival of GBM bearing mice. These findings illustrate that ECs play an intrinsic inhibitory role in GSCs stemness via the SMEA3G-c-Myc distal regulation paradigm. Targeting SEMA3G signaling may have promising therapeutic benefits for GBM patients. Show less
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder and the leading cause of dementia, with current therapies offering only limited symptomatic relief and lacking disease-modifying ef Show more
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder and the leading cause of dementia, with current therapies offering only limited symptomatic relief and lacking disease-modifying efficacy. Addressing this critical therapeutic gap, natural multi-target compounds like mulberroside A (MsA)-a bioactive glycoside from Show less
Perioperative neurocognitive disorder (PND) is a common complication following thoracic surgery and often leading to poor outcomes. Despite ongoing research, effective treatments for late PND remain l Show more
Perioperative neurocognitive disorder (PND) is a common complication following thoracic surgery and often leading to poor outcomes. Despite ongoing research, effective treatments for late PND remain limited. Identifying reliable biomarkers for early diagnosis is, therefore, essential. A prospective cohort study was conducted with 60 elderly patients undergoing thoracic surgery. Serum samples were collected within 10 minutes prior to anesthesia and following extubation to measure adiponectin (APN), cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), protein kinase A (PKA), aquaporin-4 (AQP4) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Among PND patients, serum APN, PKA, AQP4, and BDNF levels were markedly decreased compared with the normal group. While serum cAMP (HR = 1.087, p = 0.695, 95% CI [0.284-4.166]) and PKA (HR = 0.996, p = 0.09, 95% CI [0.491-0.947]) were not significantly correlated with PND, serum APN (HR = 0.307, 95% CI [0.113-0.835], p = 0.021), AQP4 (HR = 0.204, 95% CI [0.060-0.697], p = 0.011), and BDNF (HR = 0.382, 95% CI [0.177-0.823], p = 0.014) were protective factors against PND. ROC analysis demonstrated that APN (AUC = 0.68, 95% CI [0.51-0.87]), AQP4 (AUC = 0.73, 95% CI [0.59-0.87]), BDNF (AUC = 0.73, 95% CI [0.59-0.87]), and the model of combining those biomarkers (AUC = 0.91, 95% CI [0.83-0.99]) could predict PND. PND patients exhibited a lower protective stress response to surgical trauma. High serum APN, AQP4, and BDNF levels were independent protective factors for PND, and a combined model of these biomarkers showed predictive potential for PND. Show less
Prenatal exposure to bisphenol analogs (BPs) may pose hazards to offspring's health; however, their underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated. DNA methylation, a major epigenetic mechanism, may be Show more
Prenatal exposure to bisphenol analogs (BPs) may pose hazards to offspring's health; however, their underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated. DNA methylation, a major epigenetic mechanism, may be involved in early programming following environmental disturbances. In this prospective study, we investigated associations between prenatal BPs exposure and the placental DNA methylation levels of 14 candidate genes in the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) signaling pathway among 205 mother-infant pairs and explored the potential mediating role of the DNA methylation in the association of prenatal BPs exposure with anthropometric measurements of infants aged 1 year. We observed a general pattern that prenatal BPs exposure was associated with the DNA hypomethylation of candidate genes, with associations consistently and notably observed for PPAR α (PPARA), retinoid X receptor α (RXRA), acetyl-CoA acyltransferase 1, and acyl-CoA dehydrogenase medium chain (ACADM) in linear regression and Bayesian kernel machine regression. Both models identified bisphenol F (BPF) as the predominant compound. We found inverse associations between the placental DNA methylation levels of most candidate genes, such as PPARA, RXRA, ACADM, and nuclear receptor subfamily 1 group H member 3 (NR1H3), and the length-for-age z-score, arm circumference-for-age z-score, subscapular skinfold-for-age z-score, and abdominal skinfold thickness of the infants. The DNA methylation levels of RXRA and NR1H3 could mediate the associations between prenatal BPF exposure and increased infant anthropometric measurements, with mediating portions ranging from 23.02% to 30.53%. Our findings shed light on the potential mechanisms underlying the effects of prenatal BPs exposure on infant growth and call for urgent actions for risk assessment and regulation of BPF. Future cohort studies with larger sample sizes are warranted to confirm our findings. Show less
Accelerated population aging and rising incidence of bone defects have intensified the need for advanced bone regeneration strategies. While tissue-engineered scaffolds fabricated via 3D printing offe Show more
Accelerated population aging and rising incidence of bone defects have intensified the need for advanced bone regeneration strategies. While tissue-engineered scaffolds fabricated via 3D printing offer promising alternatives to conventional grafts, most techniques fail to replicate the multi-scale fibrous architecture of native bone extracellular matrix, limiting their biofunctionality. To address this, we developed a hybrid manufacturing strategy integrating low-temperature thermally induced phase separation with extrusion-based 3D printing of polylactic acid (PLA) scaffolds. By optimizing solvent ratios (THF: DMF = 3:1) and freezing temperatures (-196 °C-4 °C), we produced scaffolds with tunable micro-nano fibrous surfaces and macroporous structures. Key findings revealed that scaffolds processed at -196 °C (PLA-196) exhibited the highest porosity (pore size: 6.01 ± 2.06 μm), superior hydrophilicity, and enhanced compressive modulus. These scaffolds significantly promoted BMSC adhesion, proliferation, and osteogenic differentiation via activation of Show less
To identify the various profiles of social isolation among 18-59-year-old patients with cancer in Western China and examine their demographic, clinical, and cultural predictors. This cross-sectional s Show more
To identify the various profiles of social isolation among 18-59-year-old patients with cancer in Western China and examine their demographic, clinical, and cultural predictors. This cross-sectional study included 300 patients from a tertiary hospital who completed standardized assessments of social isolation (Social Avoidance Scale, UCLA Loneliness Scale) and family functioning. Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) was used to identify the subgroups, and multinomial logistic regression was used to analyze predictors of the profiles. Three distinct latent profiles were identified: "avoidance-dominant" (52.3%), which was characterized by high levels of social avoidance (12.52 ± 1.38) and low loneliness (30.87 ± 6.89), "loneliness-dominant" (27.0%), which was characterized by high levels of loneliness (53.15 ± 6.24) and low social avoidance (2.07 ± 1.38), and "balanced" (20.7%), which was characterized by balanced scores on both the measures. Individuals with fatigue, employment status, personality traits, and family dynamics significantly predicted profile membership ( Social isolation was heterogeneous among young and middle-aged patients with cancer. Fatigue significantly predicted distinct patterns of social isolation. Furthermore, exploratory findings indicated a potential role of religious beliefs in the avoidance-dominant profile; however, replication with larger samples is required. Family dynamics may buffer the risk of isolation in patients prone to avoidance, whereas those dominated by loneliness may lack such safeguards. Health care providers can implement tailored interventions to mitigate social isolation based on these varying profiles. Show less
To clarify the possible mechanism of leptin and α-MSH on the onset of puberty in female offspring rats after prenatal androgen exposure. Sixteen 8-week-old specific pathogen free (SPF) healthy Sprague Show more
To clarify the possible mechanism of leptin and α-MSH on the onset of puberty in female offspring rats after prenatal androgen exposure. Sixteen 8-week-old specific pathogen free (SPF) healthy Sprague Dawley (SD) pregnant rats were randomly divided into the testosterone-treated group (TG, female offspring termed PNA group) or the olive oil control group (OOG, female offspring termed VEH group). The female offspring rats of two groups were raised to 21 days (PND21) and weaned. Six female offspring rats at PND21 (VEH:PNA = 3:3) were randomly selected for transcriptome sequencing. Twenty-seven offspring female rats were randomly divided into three groups (VEHI:VEHII:PNA = 9:9:9). VEHI group was observed until the onset of puberty, VEHII and PNA groups were observed until the 8th week. Compared with VEH group, onset of puberty was not observed in PNA group, and hypothalamic Pomc gene expression at PND21 was lower. Compared with the VEHI group, the body weight, abdominal fat, serum testosterone (T), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and leptin (LEP) levels were upregulated in the PNA group, while serum gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), mRNA of hypothalamic estrogen receptor α (ERα), α-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH), melanocortin receptor-4 (MC4R), GnRH and adipose AR, and the protein of androgen receptor (AR) and leptin receptor (LEPR) in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (ARC) were decreased. In the PNA group, there were positive correlations between serum DHEA and mRNA of hypothalamic ERα, MC4R and AR, negative correlations between mRNA of adipose AR and serum T and free testosterone (FT). Prenatal androgen exposure delayed the onset of puberty in female offspring, the possible mechanism of which is that prenatal androgen exposure may increase the levels of androgen and LEP, decreases their sensitivity and the expression of AR, LEPR, and MC4R, reducing GnRH secretion. Show less
The sea cucumber collagen contains a high content of hydrophobic amino acids, which play essential roles in various bioactivities. A total of 2647 unknown active peptide fragments (2-20 amino acids) w Show more
The sea cucumber collagen contains a high content of hydrophobic amino acids, which play essential roles in various bioactivities. A total of 2647 unknown active peptide fragments (2-20 amino acids) were obtained via virtual enzymolysis from 16 known collagen sequences in Apostichopus japonicus. Then, the novel bifunctional hexapeptide (DCDPRL, 717.788 Da) with hypoglycemic and antioxidant activities was identified via molecular docking and pharmacokinetics. DCDPRL revealed strong radical scavenging capacity in vitro with IC Show less
To describe the clinical characteristics, natural history, genetic landscape, and phenotypic spectrum of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL)-associated retinal disease. Multicenter retrospective coho Show more
To describe the clinical characteristics, natural history, genetic landscape, and phenotypic spectrum of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL)-associated retinal disease. Multicenter retrospective cohort study complemented by a cross-sectional examination. Twelve pediatric subjects with biallelic variants in 5 NCL-causing genes (CLN3 lysosomal/endosomal transmembrane protein [ Review of clinical notes, retinal imaging, electroretinography (ERG), and molecular genetic testing. Two subjects underwent a cross-sectional examination comprising adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscopy imaging of the retina and optoretinography (ORG). Clinical/demographic data, multimodal retinal imaging data, electrophysiology parameters, and molecular genetic testing. Our cohort included a diverse set of subjects with Our cohort data demonstrates that the underlying genetic variants drive the phenotypic diversity in different forms of NCL. Genetic testing can provide molecular diagnosis and ensure appropriate disease management and support for children and their families. With intravitreal enzyme replacement therapy on the horizon as a potential treatment option for NCL-associated retinal degeneration, precise structural and functional measures will be required to more accurately monitor disease progression. We show that adaptive optics imaging and ORG can be used as highly sensitive methods to track early retinal changes, which can be used to establish eligibility for future therapies and provide metrics for determining the efficacy of interventions on a cellular scale. Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article. Show less
The gut-derived peptide hormones glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) play important physiological roles including glucose homeostasis and appetite su Show more
The gut-derived peptide hormones glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) play important physiological roles including glucose homeostasis and appetite suppression. Stabilized agonists of the GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R) and dual agonists of GLP-1R and GIP receptor (GIPR) for the management of type 2 diabetes and obesity have generated widespread enthusiasm and have become blockbuster drugs. These therapeutics are refractory to the action of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4), that catalyzes rapid removal of the two N-terminal residues of the native peptides, in turn severely diminishing their activity profiles. Here we report that a single atom change from carbon to nitrogen in the backbone of the entire peptide makes them refractory to DPP4 action while still retaining full potency and efficacy at their respective receptors. This was accomplished by use of aza-amino acids, that are bioisosteric replacements for α-amino acids that perturb the structural backbone and local side chain conformations. Molecular dynamics simulations reveal that aza-amino acid can populate the same conformational space that GLP-1 adopts when bound to the GLP-1R. The insertion of an aza-amino acid at the second position from the N-terminus in semaglutide and in a dual agonist of GLP-1R and GIPR further demonstrates its capability as a viable alternative to current DPP4 resistance strategies while offering additional structural variation that may influence downstream signaling. Show less
Sesquiterpene lactones are secondary plant metabolites with a wide variety of biological activities. The process of lactone conjugation to other pharmacophores can increase the efficacy and specificit Show more
Sesquiterpene lactones are secondary plant metabolites with a wide variety of biological activities. The process of lactone conjugation to other pharmacophores can increase the efficacy and specificity of the conjugated agent effect on molecular targets in various diseases, including brain pathologies. Derivatives of biogenic indoles, including neurotransmitter serotonin, are of considerable interest as potential pharmacophores. Most of these compounds have neurotropic activity and, therefore, can be used in the synthesis of new drugs with neuroprotective properties. The aim of this experimental synthesis was to generate potential treatment agents for Alzheimer's disease using serotonin conjugated with natural sesquiterpene lactones. Three novel compounds were obtained via the Michael reaction and used for biological testing. The obtained conjugates demonstrated complex neuroprotective activities. Serotonin conjugated to isoalantolactone exhibited strong antioxidant and mitoprotective activities. The agent was also found to inhibit β-site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE-1), prevent the aggregation of β-amyloid peptide 1-42, and protect SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells from neurotoxins such as glutamate and H In conclusion, the obtained results indicate that serotonin conjugates to sesquiterpene lactones are promising agents for the treatment of symptoms associated with Alzheimer's disease. Show less