Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive cognitive decline, functional impairment, and neuropsychiatric symptoms. It represents the most prevalent form of dementia among the elderly population. Accumulating evidence indicates that oxidative stress plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of AD. Notably, elevated levels of oxidative stress have been observed in the brains of AD patients, where excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) can cause extensive damage to lipids, proteins, and DNA, ultimately compromising neuronal structure and function. Amyloid β‑protein (Aβ) has been shown to induce mitochondrial dysfunction and calcium overload, thereby promoting the generation of ROS. This, in turn, exacerbates Aβ aggregation and enhances tau phosphorylation, leading to the formation of two pathological features of AD: extracellular Aβ plaque deposition and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). These events ultimately culminate in neuronal death, forming a vicious cycle. The interplay between oxidative stress and these pathological processes constitutes a core link in the pathogenesis of AD. The signaling pathways mediating oxidative stress in AD include Nrf2, RCAN1, PP2A, CREB, Notch1, NF‑κB, ApoE, and ferroptosis. Nrf2 signaling pathway serves as a key regulator of cellular redox homeostasis, exerts important antioxidant capacity and protective effects in AD. RCAN1 signaling pathway, as a calcineurin inhibitor, and modulates AD progression through multiple mechanisms. PP2A signaling pathway is involved in regulating tau phosphorylation and neuroinflammation processes. CREB signaling pathway contributes to neuroplasticity and memory formation; activation of CREB improves cognitive function and reduce oxidative stress. Notch1 signaling pathway regulates neuronal development and memory, participates in modulation of Aβ production, and interacts with Nrf2 toco-regulate antioxidant activity. NF‑κB signaling pathway governs immune and inflammatory responses; sustained activation of this pathway forms “inflammatory memory”, thereby exacerbating AD pathology. ApoE signaling pathway is associated with lipid metabolism; among its isoforms, ApoE-ε4 significantly increases the risk of AD, leading to elevated oxidative stress, abnormal lipid metabolism, and neuroinflammation. The ferroptosis signaling pathway is driven by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation, and the subsequent release of lipid peroxidation products and ROS exacerbate oxidative stress and neuronal damage. These interconnected pathways form a complex regulatory network that regulates the progression of AD through oxidative stress and related pathological cascades. In terms of therapeutic strategies targeting oxidative stress, among the drugs currently used in clinical practice for AD treatment, memantine and donepezil demonstrate significant therapeutic efficacy and can improve the level of oxidative stress in AD patients. Some compounds with antioxidant effects (such asα-lipoic acid and melatonin) have shown certain potential in AD treatment research and can be used as dietary supplements to ameliorate AD symptoms. In addition, non-drug interventions such as calorie restriction and exercise have been proven to exerted neuroprotective effects and have a positive effect on the treatment of AD. By comprehensively utilizing the therapeutic characteristics of different signaling pathways, it is expected that more comprehensive multi-target combination therapy regimens and combined nanomolecular delivery systems will be developed in the future to bypass the blood-brain barrier, providing more effective therapeutic strategies for AD.

This paper investigated the inhibitory effect of carbonized Scutellariae Radix(Cb-SR) on pyroptosis in endometrial epithelial cells of mice with endometritis and its correlation with the IKBKE/NLRP3 signaling axis. Mice model of endometritis was established by using an intrauterine injection of 10 μL polysaccharides(LPS, 5 mg·mL~(-1)), and the mice were randomly divided into model group(LPS), low-dose group of Cb-SR(L-Cb-SR, 0.55 g·kg~(-1)), medium-dose group of Cb-SR(M-Cb-SR, 1.10 g·kg~(-1)), high-dose group of Cb-SR(H-Cb-SR, 2.20 g·kg~(-1)), crude Scutellariae Radix group(Cr-SR, 1.63 g·kg~(-1)), and Fuke Qianjin Capsule group(FQC, 0.30 g·kg~(-1)), with 10 mice in each group. Ten healthy female mice were selected and injected with PBS of equal volume into the bilateral uterus, and they were set as the sham group. The mice in the drug treatment groups were given the corresponding doses of Cb-SR, Cr-SR, FQC, or physiological saline of equal volume by gavage twice a day for seven days. Thirty minutes after the last administration, each mouse was euthanized by cervical dislocation. Hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining and transmission electron microscopy were applied to observe the histopathological morphology of the uterine tissue. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of CD38 and CD138. Myeloperoxidase(MPO) values in neutrophils were measured by the kit; Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was used to measure the secretion of interleukin-18(IL-18), interleukin-1β(IL-1β), and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α). Immunofluorescence and Western blot were used to analyze the expression of the proteins related to the IKBKE/NLRP3 signaling axis. Mouse endometrial epithelial cells(MEECs) were separated and purified from the uterine tissue of pregnant female mice through in vitro experiments and injured by LPS for 24 h, and then they were cultured with Cb-SR-containing serum. The anti-endometritis effect of Cb-SR was investigated by CCK-8 assay, scanning electron microscopy, and Western blot. The results showed that Cb-SR significantly reduced MPO values, attenuated uterine tissue damage, inhibited the expression of CD38 and CD138, decreased the levels of IL-1β, IL-18, and TNF-α, and inhibited the expression of proteins associated with IKBKE/NLRP3 signaling axis in mice with endometritis. In addition, Cb-SR-containing serum reduced swelling of MEECs organelles induced by LPS, decreased the expression of inflammatory factors, and suppressed the expression of IKBKE/NLRP3 signaling axis-related proteins. These results suggest that Cb-SR can inhibit endometrial epithelial cell pyroptosis in endometritis by suppressing the IKBKE/NLRP3 signaling axis.
Animals ; Female ; Mice ; Pyroptosis/drug effects* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein/genetics* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Endometritis/chemically induced* ; Lipopolysaccharides/adverse effects* ; Scutellaria baicalensis/chemistry* ; Humans ; Epithelial Cells/drug effects*

Osteoporosis is a prevalent skeletal condition characterized by reduced bone mass and strength, leading to increased fragility. Buqi-Tongluo (BQTL) decoction, a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription, has yet to be fully evaluated for its potential in treating bone diseases such as osteoporosis. To investigate the mechanism by which BQTL decoction inhibits osteoclast differentiation in vitro and validate these findings through in vivo experiments. We employed MTS assays to assess the potential proliferative or toxic effects of BQTL on bone marrow macrophages (BMMs) at various concentrations. TRAcP experiments were conducted to examine BQTL's impact on osteoclast differentiation. RT-PCR and Western blot analyses were utilized to evaluate the relative expression levels of osteoclast-specific genes and proteins under BQTL stimulation. Finally, in vivo experiments were performed using an osteoporosis model to further validate the in vitro findings. This study revealed that BQTL suppressed receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclastogenesis and osteoclast resorption activity in vitro in a dose-dependent manner without observable cytotoxicity. The inhibitory effects of BQTL on osteoclast formation and function were attributed to the downregulation of NFATc1 and c-fos activity, primarily through attenuation of the MAPK, NF-κB, and Calcineurin signaling pathways. BQTL's inhibitory capacity was further examined in vivo using an ovariectomized (OVX) rat model, demonstrating a strong protective effect against bone loss. BQTL may serve as an effective therapeutic TCM for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis and the alleviation of bone loss induced by estrogen deficiency and related conditions.
Animals ; NFATC Transcription Factors/genetics* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Ovariectomy ; Osteoclasts/metabolism* ; Female ; Osteogenesis/drug effects* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rats ; NF-kappa B/genetics* ; Osteoporosis/genetics* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Bone Resorption/genetics* ; Cell Differentiation/drug effects* ; Humans ; RANK Ligand/metabolism* ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases/genetics* ; Transcription Factors

Nucleic acid-based molecular diagnostic methods are considered the gold standard for detecting infectious pathogens.However,when applied to portable or on-site rapid diagnostics,they still face various limitations and challenges,such as poor specificity,cumbersome operation,and portability difficulties.The CRISPR(Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats)/CRISPR-associated protein(Cas)-fluorescence detection method holds the potential to significantly enhance the specificity and signal-to-noise ratio of nucleic acid detection.In this study,we developed a portable grayscale reader detection system based on loop-mediated isothermal amplification(LAMP)-CRISPR/Cas.On one hand,in the presence of CRISPR RNA(crRNA),the CRISPR/Cas12a system was employed to achieve precise fluorescent detection of self-designed LAMP amplification reactions for influenza A and influenza B viruses.This further validated the high selectivity and versatility of the CRISPR/Cas system.On the other hand,the accompanying independently developed portable grayscale reader allowed for low-cost collection of fluorescence signals and high-reliability visual interpretation.At the end of the detection process,it directly provided positive or negative results.Practical sample analyses using this detection system have verified its reliability and utility,demonstrating that this system can achieve highly sensitive and highly specific portable analysis of influenza viruses.

Objective To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of three-dimensional visualization technology in assisting ablation therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma.Methods This study was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines,with a PROSPERO registration number of CRD42023488398.PubMed,Embase,Web of Science,the Cochrane Library,CNKI,Wanfang Data,VIP,and CBM were searched for Chinese and English articles on three-dimensional visualization technology in assisting ablation therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma published up to March 2023.After quality assessment and data extraction of the studies included,RevMan 5.4 software was used to perform the meta-analysis.Results A total of 11 studies were included,with 972 patients in total,among whom 447 underwent ablation assisted by three-dimensional visualization technology(3D group)and 525 underwent ablation assisted by traditional two-dimensional imaging technology(2D group).The meta-analysis showed that compared with the 2D group,the 3D group had significantly higher success rate of first-time ablation treatment(odds ratio[OR]=5.43,95%confidence interval[CI]:2.64—11.18,P<0.001),technical efficiency(OR=6.15,95%CI:3.23—11.70,P<0.001),and complete ablation rate(OR=2.50,95%CI:1.08—5.78,P=0.03),as well as significantly lower incidence rate of major complications(OR=0.45,95%CI:0.24—0.87,P=0.02),local recurrence rate(OR=0.35,95%CI:0.17—0.72,P=0.004),and local tumor progression rate(OR=0.29,95%CI:0.16—0.50,P<0.001),while there was no significant difference in the incidence rate of mild complications between the two groups(P>0.05).Conclusion Three-dimensional visualization technology is safe and feasible in assisting ablation therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma and can improve ablation rate and reduce the incidence rate of serious complications,local recurrence rate,and local tumor progression rate,thereby showing an important application value in clinical practice.

Objective To explore the medication rules of Professor HUANG Li for the treatment of recurrent angina pectoris after percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI)for coronary heart disease by data mining method.Methods The prescriptions for effective cases of recurrent angina pectoris after PCI for coronary heart disease treated by Professor HUANG Li in the outpatient department of China-Japan Friendship Hospital were collected.SPSS Statistics 26.0 software and SPSS Modeler 18.0 software were used for frequency statistics,analysis of the therapeutic actions,properties,flavors and meridian tropism of the prescribed herbs as well as association rule analysis,cluster analysis and factor analysis of the herbs.Results A total of 344 Chinese medicine prescriptions were obtained,involving 209 herbs,with a cumulative frequency of 5 874 times.The top 30 Chinese medicinals were named as the high-frequency Chinese medicines,and the herbs with the frequency over 100 times in descending order were Astragali Radix,Chuanxiong Rhizoma,Puerariae Lobatae Radix,Rhodiolae Crenulatae Radix et Rhizoma,Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma,Poria,Dalbergiae Odoriferae Lignum,Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma,Curcumae Rhizoma,Sparganii Rhizoma,Dioscoreae Rhizoma,Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium,Pinelliae Rhizoma Praeparatum,Codonopsis Radix,and Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma.The high-frequency Chinese medicinals were mostly classified as blood-activating and stasis-resolving drugs and qi-replenishing drugs.The medicinal properties of the drugs were characterized by being warm,mild,or cold,the flavors were predominated by being sweet,pungent or bitter,and the medicinals usually had the meridian tropism of the spleen,lung and liver meridians.A total of 30 association rules were mined out,cluster analysis yielded 5 herbal groups,and factor analysis yielded 11 groups of common factors.Conclusion For the treatment of cardiovascular diseases,Professor HUANG Li follows the theory of qi,blood and water,and especially pays more attention to the ascending and descending of qi movement.For qi deficiency and blood stasis contribute to the basic pathogenesis of recurrent angina pectoris after PCI,the therapy of benefiting qi,activating blood and removing stasis is recommended.Moreover,the simultaneous regulation of five zang-organs and simultaneous use of the cold and warm herbs are performed,and the herbs of benefiting qi and invigorating spleen,resolving phlegm and inducing diuresis,tranquilizing mind,promoting qi and dissipating masses,and activating blood to eliminate stasis are used for adjuvant therapy.

Objective To explore the medication rules in the patented Chinese medicine(CM)compound formulas for the prevention and treatment of respiratory infectious diseases,and to provide reference for the prevention and treatment of respiratory infectious diseases.Methods CM compound formulas for the prevention and treatment of respiratory infectious diseases were collected from the national patent database.After data screening and standardization,R language was used for data mining.Results A total of 429 patented CM compound formulas were included,involving 846 Chinese medicinals.There were 26 kinds of high-frequency Chinese medicinals,and the top 10 frequently-used drugs were Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma,Lonicerae Japonicae Flos,Scutellariae Radix,Forsythiae Fructus,Platycodonis Radix,Stemonae Radix,Armeniacae Semen Amarum,Astragali Radix,Bupleuri Radix,and Menthae Haplocalycis Herba.Most of the high-frequency Chinese medicinals were heat-clearing and toxin-removing drugs and qi-replenishing drugs.The medicinal properties of the patented CM compound formulas were usually cold,the medicinal flavors were usually bitter,sweet and pungent,and mostly had the meridian tropism of lung meridian.The association rule analysis yieled 19 core association rules and multiple drug combinations.Three drug clusters were obtained after cluster analysis.Conclusion For the prevention and treatment of respiratory infectious diseases,patented CM compound formulas are commonly formulated following the principles of compatibility of cold and warm drugs,compatibility of drugs for dispersing and descending,usually have the actions of dispersing pathogens in the lung,clearing heat and removing toxins,and also have the actions of replenishing qi and harmonizing the middle energizer,and nourishing yin and moistening dryness.The formulas have the efficiency of eliminating pathogens while not hurting the healthy qi,and strengthening the healthy qi while not maintaining pathogens.

The multiple systemic symptoms appearing during the convalescence of novel coronavirus infection(COVID-19)are called long-term symptoms after COVID-19,also named as long COVID.Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)has unique advantages in the treatment of long COVID.In the view of Professor ZHANG Zhong-De,the novel coronavirus infection belongs to the category of damp-toxin pestilence in TCM.During the convalescence of novel coronavirus infection,the damp-toxin pathogen causes the dysfunction of qi,blood,yin and yang of zang-fu organs,and then results in the consumption of yang qi or the depletion of fluid and blood.Damp-turbidity obstructing qi movement and entering collaterals and then developing into blood stasis is the key pathogenesis of long COVID.Therefore,the therapeutic principle of harmonizing yin,yang,qi and blood of the five zang-organs is proposed,and the methods for transporting and transforming damp-toxin and phlegm-turbidity,regulating qi,activating blood and removing stasis should be adopted.According to the exuberance or decline of qi,blood and body fluid,and yin and yang of the five zang-organs,the Fuzheng Series Formulas(series formulas for supporting healthy qi)were recommended for the specific syndrome types:Fuzheng Shengbai Formula can be used for the syndrome of deficiency of original qi;Fuzheng Yifei Formula can be used for lung-spleen-kidney deficiency syndrome;Fuzheng Anshen Formula can be used for the syndrome of liver qi stagnation and heart-spleen deficiency.During the treatment,Professor ZHANG Zhong-De makes the modification of drugs indicated for the retention sites of damp-toxin and turbid qi,and addresses the importance of spleen and stomach in the whole treatment process by protecting spleen and stomach,so as to promote the rehabilitation of patients after novel coronavirus infection and improve their quality of life.

The UK screening and treatment of retinopathy of prematurity(ROP)updated 2022 guidelines were developed by a multidisciplinary guideline development group from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and the Royal College of Ophthalmologists,following the standards of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.They were published on the websites of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and the Royal College of Ophthalmologists in March 2022,and formally published in Early Human Development in March 2023.The guidelines provide evidence-based recommendations for the screening and treatment of ROP.The most significant change in the 2022 updated version compared to the previous guidelines is the lowering of the gestational age screening criterion to below 31 weeks.The treatment section covers treatment indications,timing,methods,and follow-up visits of ROP.This article interprets the guidelines and compares them with ROP guidelines/consensus in China,providing a reference for domestic peers.

Objective To construct and validate a nomogram prediction model for the high-risk human papilloma-virus(HPV)infection and its natural clearance in professional women.Methods Women with regular professions,who underwent professional medical examination and were confirmed with high-risk HPV infection without cervical cancer and cervical epithelial neoplasia in a hospital from March 2020 to March 2021 were studied.Patients were di-vided into the model group and the validation group in a 7:3 ratio.The model group were subdivided into the natural clearance group and the persistent infection group based on follow-up results.The general information,reproduc-tive-related treatment,sexual partner-related information,and examination results of the two groups of patients were compared.Potential factors for natural clearance of high-risk HPV infection in professional women were screened out by LASSO regression.Independent influencing factors were screened out with multivariate logistic re-gression.Based on multivariate logistic regression results,a nomogram prediction model was constructed and valida-ted using R programming language.Results A total of 329 cases were included,230 in the model group and 99 in the validation group.There was no statistically significant difference in general information between the two groups of patients(all P＞0.05).Among the 230 high-risk HPV infection patients in the model group,165 turned negative at the end of follow-up,with a natural clearance rate of 71.74％.Based on LASSO regression analysis,multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age,contraceptive method,number of sexual partners,excessive foreskin of sexual partners,initial viral load,HPV infection type,and reproductive tract inflammation were independent influ-encing factors for the natural clearance of high-risk HPV infection in professional women(all P＜0.05).The re-ceiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis showed that the areas under the curve(AUC)of natural clea-rance of high-risk HPV infection in professional women in the model group and validation group were 0.834(95％CI:0.776-0.893)and 0.817(95％CI:0.755-0.879),respectively.H-L goodness-of-fit test result showed that the difference between the nomogram model and the ideal model was not statistically significant(P＞0.05).The cali-bration curve results showed that the predicted curves of the model group and validation group were basically fit with the standard curve,indicating a high predictive accuracy of the model.The decision curve analysis results of the model group showed that when the probability threshold of natural clearance of high-risk HPV infection in profes-sional women predicted by the nomogram model was 0.15-0.95,the net benefit rate of patients was＞0.Conclusion The natural clearance rate of high-risk HPV infection in professional women is high,mainly influenced by factors such as age,contraceptive method,and number of sexual partners.The nomogram model constructed in this study has high accuracy and discrimination in predicting the natural clearance rate of high-risk HPV infection in profes-sional women.