Objective To determine the pharmacokinetic parameters of P-methoxybenzyl alcohol from Gastrodiae Rhizoma in plasma of rats by HPLC. Methods Gavage and intravenous injection were employed for administration. HPLC was used to determine the concentrations of P-methoxybenzyl alcohol from Gastrodiae Rhizoma in plasma of rats in different time points. The pharmacokinetic parameters were computed by DAS3.0. Results The linear range of P-methoxybenzyl alcohol in plasma was 0.63-321.17 μg/mL, r 2=0.994 5. Intra-day accuracy, inter-day accuracy, absolute recovery and stability were in specified range. Conclusion The method is simple and accurate for the determination of the pharmacokinetic parameters of P-methoxybenzyl alcohol from Gastrodiae Rhizoma in plasma of rats.

Objective To observe the effect ofYinqiao Powder on the mouse models with upper respiratory trace mucosal immunity dysfunction infected with influenza virus A, and explore mechanism of action.Methods The mouse models of upper respiratory trace mucosal immunity dysfunction induced by cold stimulation with the influenza A/PR/8/34 (H1N1) virus through the nasal cavity were established. The mice were randomly divided into normal group, model group, positive medicine (Ribavirin) group, andYinqiao Powder group. All administration groups received gavage with relevant medicine, and then mortality, the life prolonging rate, average survival time and the lung index of each group were observed.Results Compared with the model group, the mortalities in positive medicine group andYinqiao Powder group decreased significantly (P<0.05,P<0.01), with longer survival time. The lung indexes in positive medicine group andYinqiao Powder group decreased significantly (P<0.05,P<0.01), and the inhibition ratios of lung index were 35.5% and 24.6%, respectively.ConclusionYinqiao Powder can realize the protective effects on upper respiratory infection through upregulating the mucosal immunity of the upper respiratory tract of mouse models.

Objective To study the characteristics of ? cell function change and to explore the predictive value of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD)-Ab and other factors for ? cell function in the patients with latent autoimmune diabetes of adults (LADA). Methods Sixteen LADA patients (positive GAD-Ab) and 24 type 2 diabetic patients (negative GAD-Ab) were followed-up at 0, 6th, 12th, 30th, 36th, 42th and 48th months respectively. Their fasting and postprandial 2h C-peptide and glycemic control were measured. GAD-Ab was determined by radioimmunoprecipitation assay and C-peptide by RIA. Results Decreased fasting C peptide (FCP) levels (Month 30, 36, 42, 48 compared with Month 0, P

OBJECTIVE：To obs erve the protective effect of protoca techuic aldehyde（PAL）on neurovascular unit （NVU） homeostasis damage in rats after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury （CIRI）. METHODS ：SD rats were randomly divided into sham operation group ，model group ，PAL high-dose and low-dose groups （10，20 mg/kg），with 11 rats in each group. Administration groups were given relevant medicine intragastrically. Sham operation group and model group were given the same volume of normal saline intragastrically ，10 mL/kg once a day ，for 5 days. After last administration ，CIRI model was induced by suture method ；the ultrastructural changes of NVU were observed by transmission electron microscope. Western blot assay was used to detect the expression of NUV related proteins （MAP-2，GFAP，AQP-4）in cerebral tissue. Immunofluorescence staining was used to observe the positive expression of above proteins in cerebral cortex. RESULTS ：Compared with sham operation group ， blood-brain barrier （BBB）structure of model group was destroyed severely ，the vascular lumen became narrower ，lateral edema of endothelial cells was severe ，and the thickness of basement membrane varied ；the nuclei of neurons were pyknosis and there was a large area of edema in the surrounding tissues ；the structure of glial cells was seriously damaged ，the cell body was shrunk and organelles were lost ；protein expression （or positive expression ）of MAP- 2 in brain tissue （or cerebral cortex ）were significantly decreased （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01），while protein expression （or positive expression ） of GFAP and AQP- 4 were increased significantly（P＜0.01）. After PAL intervention ，the rats had less BBB damage ，and the morphology of vascular lumen and basement membrane were not completely destroyed ；the damage of neurons was alleviated ，the pyknosis of neurons was decreased ， the chromatin was homogeneous and the heterochromatin was decreased；the damage of glial cell structure was alleviated protein expression of GFAP and AQP- 4（except for low-dose group） in cerebral tissue and positive expression of MAP- 2 and GFAP protein in cerebral cortex were reversed @qq.com significantly （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. CONCLUSIONS ：PAL can protect the stability of NVU from damage in CIRI model rats； the mechanism may be related to up-regulating the expression of MAP- 2 protein in cerebral cortex and down-regulating the expression of GFAP and AQP- 4 protein in brain tissue.

Objective To investigate the effect of fluoride exposure on expression of miRNA (miR)-200c and its target in human osteoblast Saos-2 cells.Methods Saos-2 cells were cultured in DMEM/F-12 medium and treated with fluoride (sodium fluoride,NaF).There were two groups including:control group (0 mg/L) and fluoride group (4 mg/L).Cells were harvested after 48 hours of culture with fluoride.The expression of miR-200c,the mRNA of alkaline phosphatase (ALP),osteocalcin (BGP),the target phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome ten (PTEN) and dual-specific phosphatase 1 (DUSP1) of miR-200c was detected by qRT-PCR.The protein expression of PTEN and DUSP1 was detected by Western blotting.Results The expressions of ALP,BGP mRNA and miR-200c in Saos-2 cells in the fluoride group (23.60 ± 1.87,9.41 ± 0.94,8.61 ± 0.26) were higher than those in the control group (1.00 ± 0.11,1.00 ± 0.07,1.00 ± 0.12).The differences were statistically significant (t =-24.084,-18.388,-8.687,P ＜ 0.05).The mRNA expressions of PTEN and DUSP1 in the fluoride group (0.63 ± 0.02,0.38 ± 0.02) were lower than those in the control group (1.02 ± 0.24,1.02 ± 0.24).The differences were statistically significant (t =3.327,5.454,P ＜ 0.05).The protein expressions of PTEN and DUSP1 in Saos-2 cells in the fluoride group (1.19 ± 0.10,0.83 ± 0.07) were lower than those in the control group (1.81 ± 0.14,1.44 ± 0.25).The differences were statistically significant (t =6.250,4.171,P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion Exposure to fluorine may increase the expression of miR-200c in Saos-2 cells,and fluorine may act on PTEN and DUSP1 through miR-200c,downregulates the mRNA and protein expression levels of PTEN and DUSP1.

Ferroptosis is a novel iron-dependent mode of programmed cell death characterized by iron deposition and accumulation of lipid peroxidation. More and more studies have found that ferroptosis is closely related to the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus （T2DM）. The yin-fire theory is an important part of LI Gao's spleen-stomach theory， and it is believed that qi-fire imblance and yin-fire internal generation is the main pathogenesis of T2DM. Abnormal iron metabolism may be an important prerequisite for T2DM yin-fire internal generation， while oxidative stress is the specific manifestation of T2DM qi-fire imbalance. Reactive oxygen species （ROS） is the end product of qi-fire imbalance， and lipid peroxide is the pathological products of T2DM yin-fire internal generation. This study intends to explore the pathological mechanism of qi-fire imbalance and yin-fire internal generation from the perspectives of iron metabolism， oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation， enriching the modern connotation of yin-fire theory， and benefiting traditional Chinese medicine to target against ferroptosis， and prevent and treat T2DM precisely.

Ferroptosis is a novel iron-dependent mode of programmed cell death characterized by iron deposition and accumulation of lipid peroxidation. More and more studies have found that ferroptosis is closely related to the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus （T2DM）. The yin-fire theory is an important part of LI Gao's spleen-stomach theory， and it is believed that qi-fire imblance and yin-fire internal generation is the main pathogenesis of T2DM. Abnormal iron metabolism may be an important prerequisite for T2DM yin-fire internal generation， while oxidative stress is the specific manifestation of T2DM qi-fire imbalance. Reactive oxygen species （ROS） is the end product of qi-fire imbalance， and lipid peroxide is the pathological products of T2DM yin-fire internal generation. This study intends to explore the pathological mechanism of qi-fire imbalance and yin-fire internal generation from the perspectives of iron metabolism， oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation， enriching the modern connotation of yin-fire theory， and benefiting traditional Chinese medicine to target against ferroptosis， and prevent and treat T2DM precisely.

ObjectiveTo explore the underlying mechanism by which the Chinese medicine compound Yitangkang granule（YTK） treats diabetic kidney disease （DKD） by observing its effects on podocyte autophagy through the regulation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt）/forkhead transcription factor O1 （FoxO1） signaling pathway mediated by silent information regulator 1 （SIRT1） via advanced glycation end products （AGE）/receptor for AGE （RAGE） axis. MethodNinety-six 8-week-old healthy male SPF-grade Wistar rats were selected and randomly divided into blank control group （B）， model control group， high-dose YTK （40 g·kg^-1）， medium-dose YTK （20 g·kg^-1）， low-dose YTK （10 g·kg^-1）， and Western medicine control （20 mg·kg^-1 losartan） groups. The DKD rat model was established by high-fat diet feeding combined with intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin. After successful modeling， the rats in each group received the corresponding treatments for eight weeks. The levels of superoxide dismutase （SOD）， malondialdehyde （MDA）， glutathione peroxidase （GSH-Px）， and catalase （CAT） were measured according to the instructions of the respective assay kits. Hematoxylin and eosin （HE） staining was used to observe pathological changes in kidney tissues. Immunohistochemistry was employed to detect the average optical density values of α-smooth muscle actin （α-SMA）， fibronectin （FN）， desmin， and nephrin. Western blot analysis was used to measure the expression levels of PI3K， phosphorylated PI3K （p-PI3K）， Akt， phosphorylated Akt （p-Akt）， RAGE， SIRT1， Caspase-3， and FoxO1 proteins in kidney tissues of DKD rats. ResultCompared with the blank control group， the model group showed significantly lower levels of SOD， GSH-Px， and CAT， and significantly higher levels of MDA （P<0.01）. The rats exhibited severe kidney damage. The positive expression of podocyte marker proteins α-SMA， FN， and desmin increased significantly， while nephrin and podocin significantly decreased （P<0.01）. The expression levels of PI3K， p-PI3K， Akt， p-Akt， RAGE， and Caspase-3 proteins were significantly elevated， while SIRT1 and FoxO1 protein levels were significantly reduced （P<0.01）. Compared with the model control group， rats in the YTK treatment groups showed significantly higher levels of SOD， GSH-Px， and CAT， and significantly lower levels of MDA in serum （P<0.01）. The degree of kidney damage was reduced to varying extents. The average optical density values of podocyte marker proteins α-SMA， FN， and desmin were significantly decreased， while nephrin and podocin significantly increased （P<0.01）. The expression levels of PI3K， p-PI3K， Akt， p-Akt， RAGE， and Caspase-3 in kidney tissues were significantly reduced， while SIRT1 and FoxO1 expression levels significantly increased （P<0.01）. The Chinese medicine groups demonstrated a clear dose-response trend. ConclusionYTK may alleviate kidney pathological damage， reduce proteinuria， and protect kidney function in DKD rats， thereby delaying the progression of DKD by improving podocyte autophagy through the AGE-RAGE axis-mediated SIRT1 regulation of the PI3K/Akt/FoxO1 signaling pathway. Additionally， a dose-response relationship was observed in the Chinese medicine groups.

Objective To study the effect of T-2 toxin on proliferation and cell cycle of rat chondrocytes,in order to provide a new idea in molecular mechanism of T-2 toxin-induced chondrocyte damage.Methods Primary chondrocytes of neonatal Wistar rats were isolated and stained by toluidine blue staining and type Ⅱ collagen immunofluorescence staining.The effects of different concentrations of T-2 toxin [0 (control),1,5,10,20,50,100 μg/L)] on proliferation of chondrocytes for 24 h were detected by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) method,and control,1 (low dose),5 (medium dose),and 10 μg/L (high dose) T-2 toxin were selected for subsequent experiment;cell cycle changes were detected by flow cytometry;Real-time PCR and Western blotting were used to detect the effects of T-2 toxin on mRNA and protein expressions of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and Cyclin D1 in chondrocytes.Results With increase of T-2 toxin concentration (control,1,5,10,20,50,100 μg/L),the cell survival rates [(100.00 ± 0.00)％,(93.12 ± 1.66)％,(77.12 ± 1.11)％,(59.44 ± 4.09)％,(46.64 ± 3.86)％,(38.15 ± 3.37)％,(33.79 ± 0.99)％] were decreased,and the differences were statistically significant (F =139.21,P ＜0.05).The percentages of quiescent phase/pre-DNA synthesis phase (G0/G1 phase) ceils in 1,5,10 μg/L T-2 toxin groups [(22.03 ± 0.42)％,(30.54 ± 2.61)％,(36.01 ± 1.51)％] were significantly higher than that in control group [(13.79 ± 1.65)％,P ＜ 0.05];the percentages of DNA synthesis phase (S phase) cells [(60.27 ± 3.53)％,(53.88 ±4.38)％,(49.55 ± 2.49)％] were significantly lower than that in control group [(76.72 ± 4.24)％,P ＜ 0.05].The differences of mRNA levels of PCNA and Cyclin D1 between groups were statistically significant (F =46.80,17.97,P ＜ 0.05),and 5,10 μg/L T-2 toxin groups (0.77 ± 0.13,0.79 ± 0.08,0.60 ± 0.07,0.56 ± 0.05) were lower than the control group (0.99 ± 0.02,1.01 ± 0.01,P ＜ 0.05).The expressions of PCNA protein in 5,10 μg/L T-2 toxin groups (0.69 ± 0.03,0.49 ± 0.03) were lower than that in control group (0.92 ± 0.05,P ＜ 0.05);the expressions of Cyclin D1 protein in 1,5,10 μg/L T-2 toxin groups (0.80 ± 0.06,0.60 ± 0.07,0.33 ± 0.13) were lower than that in control group (0.95 ± 0.07,P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion T-2 toxin can inhibit the proliferation of chondrocytes,which may be worked through influencing the expression of cell cycle protein,causing cell cycle arrest,thereby inhibiting DNA synthesis.

ObjectiveTo determine the mechanism of Yitangkang in correcting excessive apoptosis of skeletal muscle cells to improve insulin resistance （IR） by inhibiting the advanced glycation end product （AGE）/receptor for the advanced glycation end product （RAGE） signaling pathway. Method① In vitro experiments. Yitangkang-medicated serum was prepared. C2C12 cells were divided into a blank group， a model group， high-， medium-， and low-dose Yitangkang-medicated serum groups （40， 20， and 10 g·kg^-1）， and a RAGE inhibitor group. The IR model was induced by palmitic acid in C2C12 cells except for those in the blank group. After the corresponding intervention methods were conducted，the cell viability and glucose consumption level of each group were determined. In addition，the apoptosis rate was determined using flow cytometry. The mRNA and protein expression levels of the important apoptotic proteins ［B-cell lymphoma 2 （Bcl-2）， Bcl-2-associated X protein （Bax）， p53， cysteinyl aspartate-specific protease-3 （Caspase-3）， and cysteinyl aspartate-specific protease-9 （Caspase-9）］ were determined using Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） and Western blot. ② In vivo experiments. Ninety-six eligible Wistar rats were divided into a blank group， a model group， high-，medium-，and low-dose Yitangkang groups （40， 20， and 10 g·kg^-1）， and a western medicine group （pioglitazone hydrochloride，1.35 mg·kg^-1）. The IR model was induced using high-glucose and high-fat feed for diabetes combined with intraperitoneal injection of low-dose streptozotocin （STZ） in animals and verified by the hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp （HEC） test. After the model was determined successfully， the rats in each group were given intragastric administration of drugs as required. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling （TUNEL） assay was performed to determine the number of positive apoptotic cells in the skeletal muscle tissues of rats in each group，while Real-time polymerase chain reaction（Real-time PCR） and Western blot were performed to determine the mRNA and protein expression levels of the important apoptotic proteins Bcl-2， Bax， p53， Caspase-3， and Caspase-9. Result① In vitro experiments. compared with the blank group， the model groups showed increased apoptosis rate of C2C12 cells and decreased cell viability and glucose consumption （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the Yitangkang-medicated serum groups and the RAGE inhibitor group showed decreased apoptosis rate of C2C12 cells and increased cell viability and glucose consumption （P<0.01）. Compared with the blank group， the model group showed decreased expression levels of Bcl-2 mRNA and protein in C2C12 cells and increased mRNA and protein expression levels of Bax， p53， Caspase-3， and Caspase-9 （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the Yitangkang-medicated serum groups and the RAGE inhibitor group showed increased expression levels of Bcl-2 mRNA and protein in C2C12 cells （P<0.01） and decreased mRNA and protein expression levels of Bax， p53， Caspase-3， and Caspase-9 （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ② In vivo experiments. The number of positive apoptotic cells in the skeletal muscle tissues of rats in the model group significantly increased as compared with that in the blank group （P<0.01）. The number of positive apoptotic cells in the skeletal muscle tissues of rats in the Yitangkang groups and the western medicine group decreased as compared with that in the model group （P<0.01）. Compared with the blank group， the model group showed decreased expression levels of Bcl-2 mRNA and protein in skeletal muscle tissues of rats and increased mRNA and protein expression levels of Bax， p53， Caspase-3， and Caspase-9 （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the Yitangkang groups and the western medicine group showed increased expression levels of Bcl-2 mRNA and protein in skeletal muscle tissues of rats （P<0.01） and decreased mRNA and protein expression levels of Bax， p53， Caspase-3， and Caspase-9 （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The medium-dose Yitangkang showed a similar effect as RAGE inhibitor， and the effect was equivalent to that of pioglitazone hydrochloride. ConclusionYitangkang can inhibit skeletal muscle cell apoptosis by inhibiting the AGE/RAGE signaling pathway.