OBJECTIVE: To determine the role of Tripterygium wilfordii multiglycoside (TGW) in the treatment of psoriatic dermatitis from a cellular immunological perspective. METHODS: Mouse models of psoriatic dermatitis were established by imiquimod (IMQ). Twelve male BALB/c mice were assigned to IMQ or IMQ₊TGW groups according to a random number table. Histopathological changes in vivo were assessed by hematoxylin and eosin staining. Ratios of immune cells and cytokines in mice, as well as PAM212 cell proliferation in vitro were assessed by flow cytometry. Pro-inflammatory cytokine expression was determined using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: TGW significantly ameliorated the severity of IMQ-induced psoriasis-like mouse skin lesions and restrained the activation of CD45⁺ cells, neutrophils and T lymphocytes (all P<0.01). Moreover, TGW significantly attenuated keratinocytes (KCs) proliferation and downregulated the mRNA levels of inflammatory cytokines including interleukin (IL)-17A, IL-23, tumor necrosis factor α, and chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 1 (P<0.01 or P<0.05). Furthermore, it reduced the number of γ δ T17 cells in skin lesion of mice and draining lymph nodes (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS TGW improved psoriasis-like inflammation by inhibiting KCs proliferation, as well as the associated immune cells and cytokine expression. It inhibited IL-17 secretion from γ δ T cells, which improved the immune-inflammatory microenvironment of psoriasis.
Male ; Animals ; Mice ; Tripterygium ; Psoriasis/drug therapy* ; Keratinocytes ; Skin Diseases/metabolism* ; Cytokines/metabolism* ; Imiquimod/metabolism* ; Dermatitis/pathology* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Skin/metabolism*

Aim To investigate the effects of Ginkgo biloba extract(GBE)on vascular endothelial dysfunc-tion induced by chronic intermittent hypoxia(CIH)in rats and its related mechanisms.Methods The CIH rat model was established,and 50 and 100 mg·kg-1 GBE was administered by intragastric administration.The systolic blood pressure(SBP)of the tail artery was detected in each group.HE staining was used to detect the morphology of aorta tissue.DAF-FM DA staining and nitric reductase assay were used to detect NO levels.ELISA was used to detect serum ET-1,TNF-α and IL-6 levels.DHE staining was used to de-tect reactive oxygen species(ROS)levels of aortic tis-sue.Kits were used to detect the serum levels of MDA,SOD and GSH-Px.Western blot was used to detect the levels of VCAM-1,ICAM-1,nucleus Nrf2,HO-1 and NQO1 of aortic tissue.Results GBE sig-nificantly decreased the levels of SBP,ET-1,ROS,MDA,VCAM-1,ICAM-1,TNF-α and IL-6,and sig-nificantly increased the levels of NO,SOD,GSH-Px,nuclear Nrf2,HO-1 and NQO1 in CIH rats.GBE sig-nificantly improved the histomorphology of aorta in CIH rats.Conclusions GBE can improve vascular endo-thelial dysfunction and reduce blood pressure in CIH model rats.The mechanism may be related to the acti-vation of Nrf2/ARE pathway and the inhibition of oxi-dative stress and inflammation by GBE.

ObjectiveTo establish a quantitative analysis multi-components by single marker method （QAMS） for five main components （aucubin， geniposidic acid， chlorogenic acid， asperuloside and rutin） in Eucommiae Folium， to verify its feasibility and applicability in the determination of Eucommiae Folium， so as to provide a scientific basis for the development of quality standard of this herb. MethodHigh performance liquid chromatography was performed on a Welch Boltmatetm™ C₁₈ column （4.6 mm×100 mm， 2.7 μm） with methanol （A）-0.2% phosphoric acid aqueous solution （B） as the mobile phase for gradient elution （0-8 min， 3%A； 8-10 min， 3%-11%A； 10-26 min， 11%A； 26-27 min， 11%-25%A； 27-60 min， 25%-32%A）， the column temperature was set at 30 ℃， the flow rate was 0.6 mL·min^-1， the detection wavelengths were at 210 nm and 254 nm. Chlorogenic acid was used as an internal reference to establish the relative correction factors （f） between it and the other four components， and the contents of the five components in 14 batches of Eucommiae Folium were determined by QAMS and external standard method （ESM）， respectively. ResultThe f values of chlorogenic acid to aucubin， geniposidic acid， asperuloside and rutin were 3.13， 1.45， 2.64 and 0.56， respectively. Repeatability was good under different experimental conditions， relative standard deviation （RSD） was <5.0%. The contents of aucubin， geniposidic acid， chlorogenic acid， asperuloside and rutin in 14 batches of Eucommiae Folium were 1.340-28.975， 0.252-36.086， 10.016-27.443， 1.396-8.646， 0.533-1.766 mg·g^-1， respectively. There were no significant difference between content results of QAMS and that of ESM （RSD<5.0%）. ConclusionQAMS established with chlorogenic acid as the internal reference can be used to determine the contents of five components in Eucommiae Folium， and this method is simple and accurate. After comprehensive evaluation， the quality standard of Eucommiae Folium in subsequent editions of Chinese Pharmacopoeia is suggested that three main active components， chlorogenic acid， aucubin and geniposidic acid， are selected as quality markers， and their content limits are recommended not less than 1.5%， 1.0% and 1.0%， respectively. This quality standard draft can avoid the potential quality risk due to poor specificity and low content limit of the index component （chlorogenic acid） in the previous editions of Chinese Pharmacopoeia.

The patents of acupuncture and moxibustion in China and abroad was analyzed, aiming to provide support for the innovative development of acupuncture industry. With the China Think Tank of Patent of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the PatSnap database as data sources, based on the mathematical statistics method, the application trend, legal status, patent types, transformation and distribution of major technical fields of acupuncture patents in China and abroad were analyzed. As a result, a total of 53,422 acupuncture patents were screened, involving 49 countries and 4 organizations. The patent types were mainly utility model patents. Although the application number of acupuncture patent had increased rapidly, the average patent conversion rate was generally low, approximately 4%. In the context of global economic integration, the acupuncture industry is developing at a high speed. It is suggested to take advantage of the "Belt and Road Initiative" to improve the international acceptance of acupuncture and moxibustion, adhere to the principle of attaching equal importance to the number and quality of patents, promote the in-depth cooperation of industry-university-research, and promote high-quality development of acupuncture and moxibustion.
Humans ; Moxibustion ; Acupuncture Therapy ; China ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Databases, Factual

SARS-CoV-2 infection causes complicated clinical manifestations with variable multi-organ injuries, however, the underlying mechanism, in particular immune responses in different organs, remains elusive. In this study, comprehensive transcriptomic alterations of 14 tissues from rhesus macaque infected with SARS-CoV-2 were analyzed. Compared to normal controls, SARS-CoV-2 infection resulted in dysregulation of genes involving diverse functions in various examined tissues/organs, with drastic transcriptomic changes in cerebral cortex and right ventricle. Intriguingly, cerebral cortex exhibited a hyperinflammatory state evidenced by significant upregulation of inflammation response-related genes. Meanwhile, expressions of coagulation, angiogenesis and fibrosis factors were also up-regulated in cerebral cortex. Based on our findings, neuropilin 1 (NRP1), a receptor of SARS-CoV-2, was significantly elevated in cerebral cortex post infection, accompanied by active immune response releasing inflammatory factors and signal transmission among tissues, which enhanced infection of the central nervous system (CNS) in a positive feedback way, leading to viral encephalitis. Overall, our study depicts a multi-tissue/organ transcriptomic landscapes of rhesus macaque with early infection of SARS-CoV-2, and provides important insights into the mechanistic basis for COVID-19-associated clinical complications.
Animals ; COVID-19/genetics* ; Macaca mulatta ; SARS-CoV-2/genetics* ; Transcriptome

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of ROBO3 in pediatric AML patients and explore its function on cell proliferation and apoptosis. METHODS: The expression of ROBO3 in pediatric AML patients at different treatment stage was detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The relationship between the expression of ROBO3 and clinic pathological characteristics in newly diagnosed pediatric AML patients was analyzed. Moreover, the effects of ROBO3 on the proliferation and apoptosis of AML cell lines HL-60 and THP-1 were estimated by using CCK-8 and flow cytometry after transfection with ROBO3 siRNA. RESULTS: It was found that ROBO3 expression was significantly increased in most of newly diagnosed pediatric AML patients, especially in non-M3 subtype, younger patients (<10 years old), and high risk group, compared to corresponding controls. Furthermore, the expression level of ROBO3 was sharply decreased in patients who achieved complete remission. Targeting ROBO3 significantly inhibited AML cell proliferation, as well as increased apoptosis by ROBO3 siRNA transfection in vitro. CONCLUSION ROBO3 is differentially expressed within distinct subtypes of the pediatric AML patients, which suggested that ROBO3 may be a potential biomarker and a new therapeutic target for pediatric AML.
Apoptosis ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; Child ; Humans ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/genetics* ; MicroRNAs/genetics* ; RNA, Small Interfering ; Receptors, Cell Surface ; Sincalide

Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip ; Female ; Hip Joint/surgery* ; Hip Prosthesis ; Humans ; Male ; Sex Characteristics ; Spondylitis, Ankylosing/surgery* ; Treatment Outcome

Objective:To investigate the protective effect and molecular mechanism of Angelicae Sinensis Radix-Chuanxiong Rhizoma medicated serum （ASRCRS） against oxidative damage of PC12 cells induced by H₂O₂. Method:Oxidative damage of PC12 cells was induced by H₂O₂ in vitro， and intervention was performed in the low-， medium-， and high-dose ASRCRS groups with a final volume fraction of 15%. The cell viability was determined by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium （MTT） assay. Cell morphology was observed by an inverted fluorescence microscope. The content of lactate dehydrogenase （LDH） and malondialdehyde （MDA）， the activity of superoxide dismutase （SOD）， and the distribution of reactive oxygen species （ROS） in the cell supernatant were detected by the kits. Cell apoptosis was detected by Annexin V-FITC/PI double staining. The protein expression levels of nuclear factor E₂-related factor 2 （Nrf2）， Kelch-like epichlorohydrin associated protein-1 （Keap1）， heme oxygenase-1 （HO-1）， and SOD1 were detected by Western blot. Result:Oxidative damage was induced by 300 μmol·L^-1 H₂O₂ for 24 hours. Compared with the normal group， the model group showed abnormal cell morphology， reduced cell viability （P<0.01）， increased LDH and MDA （P<0.01）， blunted SOD activity， elevated intracellular distribution of ROS， down-regulated protein expression of Nrf2， HO-1， and SOD1 （P<0.05， P<0.05）， and up-regulated protein expression of Keap1 （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， ASRCRS groups displayed improved cell morphology， increased cell viability， inhibited cell apoptosis， potentiated SOD activity （P<0.01）， suppressed release of LDH （P<0.01） and generation of ROS， decreased content of MDA （P<0.01）， up-regulated protein expression of Nrf2， HO-1 and SOD1 （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and down-regulated protein expression of Keap1 （P<0.01）. Conclusion:ASRCRS could protect PC12 cells from oxidative damage induced by H₂O₂ by up-regulating the expression of Nrf2 to activate the Nrf2/antioxidant response element （ARE） signaling pathway， enhancing the ability to resist oxidative damage， and inhibiting cell apoptosis.

Background:Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) offers a new approach for adult patients with major depressive disorder (MDD).The study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of tACS treating MDD.Methods:This is an 8-week,double-blind,randomized,placebo-controlled study.Ninety-two drug-naive patients with MDD aged 18 to 65 years will receive 20 daily 40-min,77.5-Hz,15-mA sessions of active or sham tACS targeting the forehead and both mastoid areas on weekdays for 4 consecutive weeks (week 4),following a 4-week observation period (week 8).The primary outcome is the remission rate defined as the 17-item Hamilton depression rating scale (HDRS-17) score ≤7 at week 8.Secondary outcomes are the rates of response at weeks 4 and 8 and rate of remission at week 4 based on HDRS-17,the proportion of participants having improvement in the clinical global impression-improvement,the change in HDRS-17 score (range,0-52,with higher scores indicating more depression) over the study,and variations of brain imaging and neurocognition from baseline to week 4.Safety will be assessed by vital signs at weeks 4 and 8,and adverse events will be collected during the entire study.Discussion:The tACS applied in this trial may have treatment effects on MDD with minimal side effects.

Objective:To investigate the protective effect of ferulic acid on PC12 cells injured by H₂O₂ and the molecular mechanisms. Method:The oxidative stress model was established by treating PC12 cells with H₂O₂, and then different dosages of ferulic acid (1, 10, 100 μmol·L^-1) were used for intervention. Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay was used to evaluate the cell viability,lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and malondialdelyde (MDA) in cell supernatant, and superoxidedismutase (SOD) in cells was tested by biochemical method respectively. Insulin-like growth factors-1 (IGF-1) mRNA and protein expressions were detected by Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction(Real-time PCR) and Western blot. Result:The 24 h intervention with different dosages of ferulic acid (1, 10, 100 μmol·L^-1) could significantly improve the oxidative damage of PC12 cells induced by H₂O₂, compared with the model group, ferulic acid at 1,10,100 μmol·L^-1 significantly increased PC12 cells viability,significantly decreased LDH and MDA content in cell supernatant (P<0.05, P<0.01), and enhanced SOD activity(P<0.01). Real-time PCR and Western blot showed that compared with control group,IGF-1 mRNA and protein expressions in model group decreased significantly (P<0.01), compared with model group, IGF-1 mRNA and protein expressions in ferulic acid group increased significantly (P<0.01). Conclusion:Ferulic acid exerts a protective effect on H₂O₂-inducing PC12 cells injury,which might be related to insulin signaling pathways.