The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been developing rapidly since the outbreak of Wuhan in December 2019. It has spread to many regions in the world in the short term, which has attracted wide attention at home and abroad. With the active intervention of traditional medicine, the epidemic situation has been effectively controlled, especially for the treatment of severe and critical patients, which shows its unique advantages. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, ethnic medical practitioners have made suggestions on the understanding and prevention measures of COVID-19 based on the theory of ethnic medicine. We should optimize the individual internal environment of patients with individualized traditional medicine prescription, combine the environmental factors such as the soil and space for the emergence and spread of the disease, and contribute our own strength to fighting against the epidemic as soon as possible and ensure the life and health of the minority people. It was suggested to set up a project to excavate, sort out, research and develop the preparations of medical institutions for the prevention and treatment of “pestilence” by national medicine, and make sufficient preparations for the prevention and treatment of “pestilence” caused by various viruses that may occur frequently, so as to protect human health.

OBJECTIVE: To establish a method for directional screening of the cytotoxic components from the medicinal herb of Achnatherum inebrians by a combination of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor and chromatographic isolation technology. METHODS: Under the guidance of bioactive assessment based on binding abilities between objects and the α-Mannosidase (α-Man) target, the active components from different solvents extracts, different polar extraction parts and fractions were screened orderly and directionally using SPR. Components with a high binding ability to α-Man can be precisely oriented in a narrower fractions range and are easy to isolate. Three human cancer cells were used to evaluate the cytotoxic activity of component with the highest affinity to α-Man. RESULTS: Eight compounds were isolated and identificated from A. inebrians for the first time. Deoxyvasicinone possessed the highest affinity to α-Man among them. Moreover, deoxyvasicinone showed good effects on inhibited proliferation of human hepatoma cells HepG2 (IC₅₀ = 5.7 μmol/L), human breast cancer cells MCF7 (IC₅₀ = 7.21 μmol/L) and human lung cancer cells HCC827 (IC₅₀ = 0.75 μmol/L), respectively. In particular, its inhibitory effect on HCC827 was stronger than the positive drug gefitinib (IC₅₀ = 1.65 μmol/L). CONCLUSION A comprehensive strategy of directional screening potential cytotoxic components from herb based on biomolecular interaction and chromatography was established. Deoxyvasicinone as an effective anti-cancer component was initially isolated from A. inebrians. It is expected that this screening strategy could provide new perspectives for rapid screening and identification of active components from natural plants with the complex matrix.

ObjectiveTo explore the underlying mechanism of bran-fried Atractylodis Rhizoma （AR） in improving gastrointestinal function by comparing the effects of raw AR and bran-fried AR on the small intestine tissue structure and transport-related protein carriers in rats with spleen deficiency syndrome. MethodSeventy male SD rats were randomly divided into a normal group， a model group， high- and low-dose raw AR groups （10， 2.5 g·kg^-1）， high- and low-dose bran-fried AR groups （10， 2.5 g·kg^-1）， and a compound glutamine group （9 mg·kg^-1）， with 10 rats in each group. Except for the normal group， the other six groups were subjected to the spleen deficiency model induced by the method of bitter and cold breaking stagnated Qi and abnormal hunger and fullness for 21 days. After modeling， each treatment group was given medication orally according to the corresponding doses every day for a total of 14 days， and the normal group and the model group were given an equal volume of normal saline orally. During the treatment period， the general survival status， macroscopic syndrome score， daily increase in body weight and food intake， and rectal temperature of the spleen deficiency rats were evaluated， and after the treatment， the rats were sacrificed. The pathological changes in the small intestine tissues of each group were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. The content of serum 5-hydroxytryptamine （5-HT） was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）， and the content of serum D-xylose， lactate， and amylase was detected by colorimetry. The levels of free fatty acid receptor 3 （FFA3） and peptide transporter 1 （PepT1） in small intestinal tissues were detected by the Bradford method， and the protein expression of sodium-dependent glucose transporter 1 （SGLT1） and glucose transporter 1 （GLUT1） in small intestinal tissue was detected by immunohistochemistry. Real-time fluorescence-based quantitative PCR was used to detect the mRNA expression of glucose transporter 2 （GLUT2）， sodium/hydrogen exchanger 3 （NHE3）， and 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 4 （5-HT4R）. ResultCompared with the normal group， the model group exhibited symptoms of spleen deficiency， such as sluggishness， squint， reduced food intake， and lethargy at the end of modelling， damaged basic structure of the small intestinal mucosal epithelium and lamina propria， increased serum lactate and 5-HT content， and decreased serum amylase and D-xylose （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， all treatment groups showed varying degrees of improvement， with the small intestinal microstructure repaired to different degrees. The daily weight gain， anal temperature， and macroscopic syndrome score of spleen deficiency improved to varying degrees （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The serum lactate and 5-HT content decreased to varying degrees， while the serum amylase and D-xylose content increased to varying degrees （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The PepT1 content in the small intestinal tissues increased， while the FFA3 content decreased to varying degrees. The protein expression of SGLT1 and GLUT1 increased， while the mRNA expression of GLUT2 and NHE3 increased to varying degrees. The mRNA expression of 5-HT4R decreased to varying degrees （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the high- and low-dose raw AR groups， the high- and low-dose bran-fried AR groups showed significant improvement in general conditions and histopathological improvement of the small intestinal tissues. The daily weight gain， anal temperature， and macroscopic syndrome score of spleen deficiency also improved （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The serum lactate and 5-HT content decreased， while the serum amylase and D-xylose content increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The PepT1 content in the small intestinal tissues increased， while the FFA3 content decreased. The protein expression of SGLT1 and GLUT1 increased， while the mRNA expression of GLUT2 and NHE3 increased. The mRNA expression of 5-HT4R decreased significantly （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionBran-fried AR can improve the spleen deficiency-related symptoms and histopathology of the small intestinal tissues in spleen deficiency model rats. Its mechanism may be related to the regulation of the expression of various transport-related protein carriers and the secretion of various digestive enzymes after stir-frying of AR， thus restoring the absorption and transport function of the small intestine.

The CRISPR/Cas system consists of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and CRISPR-associated genes (Cas). The system forms an adaptive immune system in archaea and bacteria. The inherent defense mechanism enables these microorganisms to protect themselves against the invasion of foreign genetic material. The system functions of immune response including three main stages: adaptation, expression/maturation, and interference, each stage needs specific Cas proteins encoded by Cas gene located near the CRISPR sequences, along with other auxiliary proteins. In 2015, Zhang et al. reportedCas12a (Cpf1) as a member of the Class II type V CRISPR/Cas12a system, which possesses endonuclease activity. This finding holds great promise for its application in the field of biotechnology. In 2018, Doudna’s team first applied the CRISPR/Cas12a system for detecting HPV nucleic acid. The system comprises the following essential components in vitro detection: Cas12a, the crRNA sequence complementary to the target DNA, the PAM sequence, and the ssDNA reporter. Cas12a possesses a typical RuvC domain, displaying a canonical bilobed architecture that consists of a recognition (REC) lobe and a nuclease (NUC) lobe. The REC lobe contains the REC1 and REC2 domains, and the NUC lobe includes RuvC, PAM-interacting (PI), Wedge (WED), and bridge helix (BH) domains. The mature crRNA for Cas12a has a length of 42-44 nt, consists of repeat sequence (19/20 nt) and spacer sequence (23-25 nt). The crRNA spacer sequence has been found to require a length of 18 nt to achieve complete cleavage activity in vitro. Additionally, mutation in the bases of crRNA can indeed affect the activity of Cas12a. The PAM sequence plays a critical role in the recognition and degradation of DNA by the CRISPR/Cas system, enabling the system to distinguish between self and non-self genomic materials. Cas12a can effectively target the spacer sequence downstream of a T-rich PAM sequence at the 5' end. LbCas12a and AsCas12a both recognize the PAM sequences of 5'-TTTN-3', while FnCas12a recognizes the PAM sequences of 5'-TTN-3'. All of these PAM sequences are located upstream on the non-template strand (NTS) at the 5' end. Cas12a (Cpf1), guided by the crRNA, binds to the target DNA by recognizing the PAM sequence. It exhibits the ability to induce arbitrary cleavage of ssDNA within the system while cleaving the target ssDNA or dsDNA. According to this feature, an array of nucleic acid detection methods has been developed for tumor detection and infection diagnostics, such as the DETECTR (RPA-CRISPR/Cas12a method) and HOLMES (PCR-CRISPR/Cas12a method) in 2018. Then, in 2019, Cas12aVDet (one-step detection method), where Cas12a protein was immobilized on the upper wall of the reaction tube. This not only prevented contamination from opening the tube but also reduced the detection reaction time. In 2021, the dWS-CRISPR (digital warm-start CRISPR) was developed as a one-pot detection method. It serves as an accurate approach for quantitatively detectingSARS-CoV-2 in clinical specimens. With the innovation of scientific technology, the high-sensitivity signal transduction technology has also been integrated with the CRISPR/Cas12a system, enabling direct detection of nucleic acids, and eliminating the need for nucleic acid amplification steps. Here, we elaborated the detection principles of CRISPR/Cas12a in in vitro detection. We discussed the different stages leading to the catalytic pathway of target DNA, and the practical applications of Cas12a in nucleic acid detection. These findings revealed a target interference mechanism that originates from the binding of Cas12a-guided RNA complex to complementary DNA sequences within PAM-dependent (dsDNA) regions. The crRNA-DNA binding activates Cas12a, enabling site-specific dsDNA cleavage and non-specific ssDNA trans-cleavage. The release of Cas12a ssDNase activity provides a novel approach to enhance the sensitivity and specificity of molecular diagnostic applications. Before these CRISPR/Cas12a-based nucleic acid detection methods can be introduced into clinical use, substantial work is still required to ensure the accuracy of diagnosis. Nevertheless, we believe that these innovative detection tools based on CRISPR/Cas will revolutionize future diagnostic technologies, particularly offering significant assistance in pathogen infection diagnosis for developing countries with relatively poor healthcare conditions and high prevalence of infectious diseases.

A chronic cholestasis model was induced in mice by feeding a diet containing 3,5-diethoxycarbonyl-1,4-dihydro-2,4,6-trimethylpyridine(DDC). The effects of Ershiwuwei Songshi Pills(ESP) on endogenous metabolites in mice with chronic cholestasis were investigated by metabolomics analysis based on liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry(LC-MS). The results showed that ESP was effective in improving pathological injury and reducing serum levels of alanine aminotransferase(ALT), aspartate aminotransferase(AST), alkaline phosphatase(ALP), and total bile acid in the model mice. Meanwhile, 13 common differential metabolites were revealed in metabolomic screening between the model/control group and the model/ESP group, including uric acid, glycolaldehyde, kynurenine, flavin adenine dinucleotide, L-3-phenyllactic acid, I-urobilin, leukotriene D4(LTD4), taurocholic acid, trioxilin A3, D-inositol-1,4-diphosphate, PC [16:0/20:2(11Z,14Z)], PC[14:0/22:2(13Z,16Z)], and PC[20:4(5Z,8Z,11Z,14Z)/20:4(5Z,8Z,11Z,14Z)]. After ESP intervention, the levels of all 13 differential metabolites were significantly retraced, and pathway analysis showed that ESP achieved its therapeutic effect mainly by affecting arachidonic acid metabolism, glycerophospholipid metabolism, tryptophan metabolism, and primary bile acid biosynthesis. This study elucidated the mechanism of action of ESP against chronic cholestasis based on metabolites.
Animals ; Bile Acids and Salts ; Cholestasis/drug therapy* ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Medicine, Tibetan Traditional ; Metabolomics ; Mice

Moslae Herba is a commonly used aromatic Chinese medicinal with volatile oil as the main effective component and exhibits broad-spectrum antibacterial and antiviral effects. However, the irritation and instability of Moslae Herba volatile oil necessitate the preparation into a specific dosage form. In this study, the steam distillation method was employed to extract the Moslae Herba volatile oil. The content of thymol and carvacrol in Moslae Herba volatile oil was determined by HPLC as(0.111 9±0.001 0) and(0.235 4±0.004 7) mg·mL~(-1), respectively. Pseudo-ternary phase diagrams and surfactants compounding were applied in the selection of the optimal excipients(surfactant and cosurfactant). On this basis, a nanoemulsion was prepared from the Moslae Herba volatile oil and then loaded into pressure vessels to get sprays, whose stability and antibacterial activity were evaluated afterward. With clarity, viscosity, smell and body feeling as comprehensive indexes, the optimal formulation of the Moslae Herba volatile oil nanoemulsion was determined as follows: Moslae Herba volatile oil∶peppermint oil∶cremophor EL∶absolute ethanol∶distilled water 7.78∶1.58∶19.26∶6.15∶65.23. The as-prepared nanoemulsion was a light yellow transparent liquid, with Tyndall effect shown under the irradiation of parallel light. It has the pH of 5.50, conductivity of 125.9 μS·cm~(-1), average particle size of 15.45 nm, polydispersity index(PDI) of 0.156, and Zeta potential of-17.9 mV. Under a transmission electron microscope, the Moslae Herba volatile oil nanoemulsion was presented as regular spheres without adhesion and agglomeration. Stability test revealed that the Moslae Herba volatile oil nanoemulsion was stable at 4-55 ℃, which was free from demulsification and stratification within 30 days. After the centrifugation at 12 000 r·min~(-1) for 30 min, there was no stratification either. The nanoemulsion had good inhibitory effects on Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and resistant S. aureus strains, with the minimum inhibitory concentrations of 0.39, 3.12 and 1.56 mg·mL~(-1), respectively. The above results demonstrated that the nanoemulsion was prepared feasibly and showed stable physical and chemical properties and good antibacterial effects. This study provides a practicable technical solution for the development of anti-epidemic and anti-infection products from Moslae Herba volatile oil.
Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology* ; Emulsions ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Oils, Volatile ; Particle Size

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) on the differentiation of intramuscular preadipocytes in goat, and to elucidate its possible action pathway at the molecular level. In this study, the recombinant plasmid of goat pEGFP-N1-ATF3 was constructed, and the intramuscular preadipocytes were transfected with liposomes. The relative expression levels of adipocyte differentiation marker genes were detected by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). After transfection of goat intramuscular preadipocytes with the goat pEGFP-N1-ATF3 overexpression vector, it was found that the accumulation of lipid droplets was inhibited, and the adipocyte differentiation markers PPARγ, C/EBPα and SREBP1 were extremely significantly down-regulated (P < 0.01), while C/EBPβ and AP2 were significantly down-regulated (P < 0.05). The ATF3 binding sites were predicted to exist in the promoter regions of PPARγ, C/EBPα and AP2 by the ALGGEN PROMO program. The overexpression of goat ATF3 inhibits the accumulation of lipid droplets in intramuscular preadipocytes, and this effect may be achieved by down-regulating PPARγ, C/EBPα and AP2. These results may facilitate elucidation of the regulatory mechanism of ATF3 in regulating the differentiation of goat intramuscular preadipocytes.
3T3-L1 Cells ; Activating Transcription Factor 3/pharmacology* ; Adipocytes ; Adipogenesis/genetics* ; Animals ; CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-alpha/pharmacology* ; Cell Differentiation ; Goats ; Mice ; PPAR gamma/metabolism*

This study aimed to explore the effect of miR-23b-3p on the differentiation of goat intramuscular preadipocytes, and to confirm whether miR-23b-3p plays its roles via targeting the PDE4B gene. Based on the pre-transcriptome sequencing data obtained previously, the miR-23b-3p, which was differentially expressed in goat intramuscular adipocytes before and after differentiation, was used as an entry point. real-time quantitative-polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used to detect the expression pattern of miR-23b-3p during the differentiation of goat intramuscular preadipocytes. The effects of miR-23b-3p on adipose differentiation and adipose differentiation marker genes were determined at the morphological and molecular levels. The downstream target genes of miR-23b-3p were determined using bioinformatics prediction as well as dual luciferase reporter assay to clarify the targeting relationship between miR-23b-3p and the predicted target genes. The results indicated that overexpression of miR-23b-3p reduced lipid droplet accumulation in goat intramuscular adipocytes, significantly down-regulated the expression levels of adipogenic marker genes AP2, C/EBPα, FASN, and LPL (P < 0.01). In addition, the expressions of C/EBPβ, DGAT2, GLUT4 and PPARγ were significantly downregulated (P < 0.05). After interfering with the expression of miR-23b-3p, lipid droplet accumulation was increased in goat intramuscular adipocytes. The expression levels of ACC, ATGL, AP2, DGAT2, GLUT4, FASN and SREBP1 were extremely significantly up-regulated (P < 0.01), and the expression levels of C/EBPβ, LPL and PPARγ were significantly up-regulated (P < 0.05). It was predicted that PDE4B might be a target gene of miR-23b-3p. The mRNA expression level of PDE4B was significantly decreased after overexpression of miR-23b-3p (P < 0.01), and the interference with miR-23b-3p significantly increased the mRNA level of PDE4B (P < 0.05). The dual luciferase reporter assay indicated that miR-23b-3p had a targeting relationship with PDE4B gene. MiR-23b-3p regulates the differentiation of goat intramuscular preadipocytes by targeting the PDE4B gene.
Animals ; MicroRNAs/metabolism* ; Goats/genetics* ; PPAR gamma/metabolism* ; Adipogenesis/genetics* ; Cell Differentiation/genetics* ; Luciferases ; RNA, Messenger

Objective： ：To investigatetheeffectofsalidroside(SAL)onthephenotype of dendritic cells (DCs) and the antitumor ability of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL). Methods： ：Lewis lung cancer cell line 3LL, wild type (WT) C57BL/6 mice and TLR4-/- C57BL/6 mice were chosen for this study. Mice bone marrow derived DC precursor cells were obtained to differentiate into immature DCs, which were harvested on the sixth day of culture. CD11c+ DCs were obtained by magnetic beads screening, and further divided into PBS group, SAL group and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) group.After being cultured for 48 h, the effects of SAL on surface molecules and phagocytosis of DCs as well as the efffect of TLR4 pathway on the killing effect of T cells were detected by Fow cytometry. Results： ： Compared with PBS group, expressions of DC surface molecules CD80, CD86 and MHC Ⅱ significantly increased (all P<0.05), phagocytosis significantly decreased (P<0.05), and TLR4 expression level significantly increased (P<0.01) in SAL group; Compared with WT group, after being treated with SAL or LPS, the expressions of DC surface molecules CD80, CD86 and MHC Ⅱ decreased significantly in TLR4-/- group (all P<0.05); ComparedwithPBSgroup,theactivatedCTLinSALgroupexhibited a significantly elevated killing effect against lung cancer 3LLcells (P<0.05). Conclusion：SAL can induce DC maturation by regulating TLR4, thus improving the killing ability of T cells.

The human telomeric i-motif (htel-iM) is a unique higher-order DNA structure formed by the cytosine-rich (C) sequences at the end of human telomeres. Studies have shown that htel-iM plays a significant role in the transcriptional regulation of telomeric repeat-containing RNA (TERRA) ‚ maintenance of telomere function and inhibition of telomerase activity. Thus‚ it is closely related to the development and progression of many cancers and is a promising new target for cancer treatment therapy. Compared to other nucleic acid higher-order structures such as G-quadruplexes‚ the stability of htel-iM is much weaker and affected by many factors like buffer pH‚ ionic conditions and molecular crowding environments. Therefore the existence of the iM structures in near neutral physiological conditions has been uncertain for a long time. Recently‚ using in-vitro screened small molecule ligands to selectively recognize and stabilize htel-iM provides a new strategy for the exploration of the biological relevance of htel-iM. Thus it has become a research hotspot to take telomere as a cancer treatment target. However‚ so far the reported small molecule ligands selectively targeting the htel-iM are far from sufficient compared with those targeting other higher-order nucleic acid structures. In this review‚ the discovery and the characteristic of the iM structures are briefly described‚ with an emphasis on the in-vitro affecting factors of the htel-iM structure‚ the reported htel-iM ligands and its biological relevance and regulation mechanisms‚ which will be helpful in further exploration of the htel-iM structure and ligand screening in near physiological conditions‚ and understanding the mechanism and developing novel therapeutic strategies for cancer treatment targeting the htel-iM structures.