ObjectiveTo clarify the anti-inflammatory and lung-protective effects of Yantiao prescription on lipopolysaccharide （LPS）-induced acute lung injury （ALI）， and to explore the impact of Yantiao prescription on the metabolic pathways of arachidonic acid （AA） in vivo. MethodsThirty male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into the following groups based on body weight： normal group， model group， dexamethasone group （2 mg·kg^-1）， low-dose Yantiao prescription group （18 g·kg^-1）， and high-dose Yantiao prescription group （36 g·kg^-1）， with 6 mice in each group. The ALI mouse model was established by intraperitoneal injection of LPS. The treatment groups received oral gavage once a day for 7 consecutive days， and serum and lung tissue were collected at the end of the experiment. The content of pro-inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， and interleukin-6 （IL-6） in serum was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to assess lung tissue pathology. The wet/dry weight ratio （W/D） and myeloperoxidase （MPO） activity in lung tissue were measured. The content of AA metabolites in serum and lung tissue was measured by liquid chromatography triple quadrupole-mass spectrometry （LC-MS/MS）. ResultsCompared with the conditions in the normal group， the content of serum pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α， IL-1β， and IL-6 in the model group was significantly increased （P<0.01）. The alveolar structure in mice was severely damaged， with markedly thickened alveolar walls and extensive inflammatory cell infiltration. The W/D ratio and MPO activity in lung tissue were significantly increased （P<0.01）. The content of AA metabolites， including prostaglandin D₂ （PGD₂）， prostaglandin E₂ （PGE₂）， 11（S）-hydroxy-eicosatetraenoic acid ［11（S）-HETE］， and 5-hydroxy-eicosatetraenoic acid （5-HETE） in serum and lung tissue was significantly increased （P<0.05）， while the content of 11，12-epoxyeicosatrienoic acid （11，12-EET） and 14，15-epoxyeicosatrienoic acid （14，15-EET） in serum was significantly decreased （P<0.01）. Compared with the results in the model group， the content of serum pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α， IL-1β， and IL-6 in the dexamethasone group， low-dose Yantiao prescription group， and high-dose Yantiao prescription group was significantly reduced （P<0.05）. Mild thickening of alveolar walls， scattered inflammatory cell infiltration， and relatively intact tissue structure with improved alveolar architecture were observed. The W/D ratio and MPO activity in lung tissue were significantly reduced （P<0.01）. The content of AA metabolites PGD₂， PGE₂， 11（S）-HETE， and 5-HETE in serum from the dexamethasone group was significantly decreased （P<0.05）， while the content of 14，15-EET in serum significantly increased （P<0.01）， and the content of 5-HETE in lung tissue significantly decreased （P<0.01）. In the low-dose and high-dose Yantiao prescription groups， the content of AA metabolites PGD₂， PGE₂， 11（S）-HETE， and 5-HETE in serum and lung tissue was significantly decreased （P<0.05）， while the content of 11，12-EET in both serum and lung tissue was significantly increased （P<0.05）. ConclusionYantiao prescription has significant protective effects against LPS-induced ALI， which are related to its regulation of AA metabolic pathways in vivo.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of warfarin anticoagulation therapy guided by gene test in patients undergoing left ventricular assist device （LVAD） implantation， and to analyze the influencing factors of warfarin anticoagulation efficacy. METHODS Patients who underwent LVAD implantation at the Heart and Vascular Center of Northern Jiangsu People’s Hospital from January 2023 to October 2024 and required warfarin anticoagulant therapy were selected as the study subjects. They were divided into genetic testing group （n＝51） and empirical treatment group （n＝17） based on whether they underwent CYP2C9 and VKORC1 gene test. The gene test group was given warfarin based on the predicted dose calculated by gene test， while the empirical treatment group was given warfarin by clinical doctors based on international normalized ratio （INR） experience， all patients were given warfarin once a day. Follow-up observation was conducted for 6 months to compare the effectiveness [time in therapeutic range（TTR）， the time required to reach INR for the first time， the incidence of embolic events， the incidence of INR＜1.5 events] and safety （the incidence of major and minor bleeding events，the incidence of INR＞3.5 events） of warfarin treatment between two groups of patients. According to whether the patient’s TTR was ≥60%， they were divided into TTR≥60% group （n＝20） and TTR＜60% group （n＝48）. Univariate and multivariate binary Logistic regression analysis were used to determine the factors affecting the anticoagulant effect of warfarin in patients. RESULTS The TTR of patients in the gene test group was significantly higher than that in the empirical treatment group （P＜0.05）. The incidence of INR＜1.5 events in the gene test group was significantly lower than in the empirical treatment group （P＜0.05）. The incidence of minor bleeding events and INR＞3.5 events in the gene test group were lower than in the empirical treatment group， but the difference was not statistically significant （P＞0.05）. The results of multivariate binary Logistic regression analysis showed that gene test was an independent protective factor for warfarin anticoagulant therapy [odds ratio （OR）＝10.842， 95% confidence interval （CI）： 1.211-27.037， P＝0.033]， and the combination of statins was an independent risk factor for warfarin anticoagulant therapy [OR＝0.196， 95%CI： 0.045-0.861， P＝0.031]. CONCLUSIONS Under the guidance of gene test， warfarin anticoagulation therapy for LVAD patients after implantation can improve TTR， shorten the anticoagulation target time， and has good safety； meanwhile， it should be noted that the combination of statins may enhance the anticoagulant effect of warfarin， thereby increasing the risk of bleeding in patients.

Objective This study aimed to analyze the characteristics and clinical significance of peripheral lymphocytic subsets and cytokine levels, including interleukin 1β(IL-1β), IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12P70, IL-17A, tumor necrosis factor α(TNF-α), interferon γ(IFN-γ) and IFN-α, in patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), to provide some novel insights into the pathogenesis of PBC. Methods We retrospectively collected clinical features and laboratory data from hospitalized patients who were primarily diagnosed with PBC and from healthy physical examinees at the Third People's Hospital of Changzhou between January 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024. Results A total of 152 PBC patients and 96 healthy controls who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were enrolled. Significant differences were observed in baseline characteristics and laboratory data between the two groups. After the propensity score matching (PSM) analysis, 61 PBC patients and 61 healthy controls were successfully matched, ensuring that the general characteristics (age and gender) of the two groups were balanced and comparable. Compared to the control group, the proportion of peripheral lymphocytes was significantly higher in the PBC group (31.9% vs. 17.8%), primarily due to an increase in CD4⁺ T cells (46.77% vs. 41.19%), while CD8⁺T cells were significantly decreased (19.73% vs. 22.07%). Notably, the proportions of CD4⁺ programmed cell death 1 (PD-1)⁺ T and CD8⁺PD-1⁺ T cells were elevated, with CD8⁺PD-1⁺ T cells showing a significant positive correlation with the severity of liver inflammation (r=0.41). Furthermore, the mitochondrial mass (MM) of CD4⁺ T cells was significantly increased in PBC patients, whereas no significant changes were observed in the MM of CD8⁺ T cells or the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) of CD3⁺ T cells. Additionally, the plasma levels of cytokines, such as IL-4, IL-8, IL-10 and IFN-α, were abnormally elevated. The plasma levels of IL-5 and IL-1β were negatively correlated with the stage of liver fibrosis in patients with PBC (r=-0.52). Conclusion The overactivation and proliferation of CD4⁺ T cells, along with the suppression of CD8⁺ T cell function and increased PD-1 expression leads to T cell exhaustion, indicating significant immunological alterations in PBC patients. These changes are closely associated with the disease progression. Additionally, cytokines are likely involved in the immune regulation process of PBC and may influence the pathogenic mechanisms of the disease. Regular monitoring of lymphocyte subsets and cytokine levels can help assess the immune status and disease activity in patients with PBC, thereby guiding the individualized treatment strategies.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary/blood* ; Retrospective Studies ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets/immunology* ; Aged ; Cytokines/blood* ; Adult ; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/immunology*

This study investigated the role of the nuclear factor of activated T cells c3 (NFATc3) in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) during aortic aneurysm and dissection (AAD) progression and the underlying molecular mechanisms. Cytoplasmic and nuclear NFATc3 levels were elevated in human and mouse AAD. VSMC-NFATc3 deletion reduced thoracic AAD (TAAD) and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) progression in mice, contrary to VSMC-NFATc3 overexpression. VSMC-NFATc3 deletion reduced extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation and maintained the VSMC contractile phenotype. Nuclear NFATc3 targeted and transcriptionally upregulated matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) and MMP2, promoting ECM degradation and AAD development. NFATc3 promoted VSMC phenotypic switching by binding to eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (eEF2) and inhibiting its phosphorylation in the VSMC cytoplasm. Restoring eEF2 reversed the beneficial effects in VSMC-specific NFATc3-knockout mice. Cabamiquine-targets eEF2 and inhibits protein synthesis-inhibited AAD development and progression in VSMC-NFATc3-overexpressing mice. VSMC-NFATc3 promoted VSMC switch and ECM degradation while exacerbating AAD development, making it a novel potential therapeutic target for preventing and treating AAD.

Perimenopause raises the risk and incidence of depression, whereas the underlying molecular mechanism remains unclear. Disturbed glucose regulation has been widely documented in depressive disorders, which renders the brain susceptible to various stresses such as estrogen depletion. However, whether and how glucose dysfunction regulates depression-like behaviors and neuronal damage in perimenopausal transition remains unexplored. Here, a prominent depressive phenotype was found in perimenopausal mice induced by the ovarian toxin 4-vinylcyclohexene diepoxide (VCD). The VCD depression susceptible group (VCD^SS) and the VCD depression resilient group (VCD^RES) were determined using a ROC-based behavioral screening approach. We found that the hippocampus, a crucial region linked to depression, had hyperglycemia and mitochondrial abnormalities. Interestingly, oral administration of the SGLT2 inhibitor empagliflozin (EMPA) and intrahippocampal glucose infusion suggest a close relationship between hyperglycemia in the hippocampus and the susceptibility to depression. We verified that cytochrome c oxidase 7c (COX7C) downregulation is a potential cause of the high glucose-induced neuronal injury using proteomic screening and biochemical validations. High glucose causes COX7C to be ubiquitinated in a S-phase kinase associated protein 1 (SKP1)-dependent manner. According to these results, SKP1/COX7C represents a unique therapeutic target and a novel molecular route for treating perimenopausal depression.

OBJECTIVE: Benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BIAs) have pharmacological functions and clinical use. BIAs are mainly distributed in plant species across the order Ranunculales and the genus Phellodendron from Sapindales. The BIA biosynthesis has been intensively investigated in Ranunculales species. However, the accumulation mechanism of BIAs in Phellodendron is largely unknown. The aim of this study is to unravel the biosynthetic pathways of BIAs in Phellodendron amurens. METHODS: The transcriptome and metabolome data from 18 different tissues of P. amurense were meticulously sequenced and subsequently subjected to a thorough analysis. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), a powerful systems biology approach that facilitates the construction and subsequent analysis of co-expression networks, was utilized to identify candidate genes involved in BIAs biosynthesis. Following this, recombinant plasmids containing candidate genes were expressed in Escherichia coli, a widely used prokaryotic expression system. The purpose of this genetic engineering endeavor was to express the candidate genes within the bacteria, thereby enabling the assessment of the resultant enzyme activity. RESULTS: The synonymous substitutions per synonymous site for paralogs indicated that at least one whole genome duplication event has occurred. The potential BIA biosynthetic pathway of P. amurense was proposed, and two PR10/Bet v1 members, 14 CYP450s, and 33 methyltransferases were selected as related to BIA biosynthesis. One PR10/Bet v1 was identified as norcoclaurine synthase, which could catalyze dopamine and 4-hydroxyphenylacetaldehyde into (S)-norcoclaurine. CONCLUSION Our studies provide important insights into the biosynthesis and evolution of BIAs in non-Ranunculales species.

ObjectiveTo analyze the literature related to traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） pharmacology of Institute of Chinese Materia and Medica， China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences （hereinafter referred to as "Institute of Chinese Materia and Medica"）， and evaluate the research status， development trend， influence of discipline members， and patent technology of this field. MethodThe papers from 2002 to 2024 in the databases of CNKI and Web of Science （WOS） were searched， whose first authors or corresponding authors are from the Institute of Chinese Materia and Medica， and CiteSpace 6.3.R6 was adopted for visual analysis of the annual number of publications and keywords. Additionally， the total number of published papers， citation times， and other measurement parameters of discipline members of TCM pharmacology in the institute were counted. After obtaining the h index， the academic track was calculated， and the academic influence of discipline members was quantitatively evaluated from the aspects of the academic track T and highly cited papers. Meanwhile， patent data from 2005 to 2024 of TCM pharmacology in the studied institute were retrieved from the HimmPat patent database， and Excel 2022 and Origin 2021 were utilized to conduct visual analysis on the overall patent application trend and technology composition. ResultIn the past 20 years or more， the annual publication of academic papers has been on the rise generally， and the key words include "animal model"， "mechanism of action"， "network pharmacology" and so on. The studies focus on the innovative methods of TCM pharmacological mechanisms， basic research on TCM prevention and treatment of major non-infectious diseases， and the prevention and treatment of respiratory viral diseases. The academic track T of the discipline members of TCM pharmacology in the Institute of Chinese Materia and Medica is positive， with sound personal influence. In recent years， the patent application trend has increased significantly， mainly concentrating on A61K patents and G01N subcategories， and IPC large-group analysis shows that the main technical applications are mainly in A61K36， A61K31， and other fields. ConclusionTCM pharmacology in the institute develops steadily and the academic influence of the discipline members is still sound， with fruitful patent achievements. In the future， research on pharmacological discipline innovation and new drug research and development can be enhanced， and multidisciplinary integration studies should be carried out to promote TCM modernization.

Objective To investigate the expression of centromere protein U(CENPU)in the intestinal tissues of patients with colon cancer,and to analyze the effect of CENPU expression level on the prognosis of patients with colon cancer combined with bioinformatics.Methods Firstly,the expression of CENPU in cancer tissues and normal tissues of colon cancer patients was analyzed by the expression of CENPU in tissues was further verified by real-time quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR),Western blot(WB)and immunohistochemistry(IHC).Combined with clinical data,univariate and multivariate Cox regression are used to analyze the correlation between CENPU expression and clinical case parameters of colon cancer patients.Then,the predictive effect of CENPU expression on the prognosis of colon cancer patients are explored by drawing receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve and Kaplan-Meier survival curve.Finally,the possible molecular mechanism of the effect of CENPU expression on the progression of colon cancer are analyzed by bioinformatics.Results By qRT-PCR,WB and IHC experiments,we find that compared with normal tissues,the expression of CENPU in cancer tissues of colon cancer patients is significantly increased.Cox regression analysis show that the expression of CENPU is significantly correlated with the age and TNM stage of patients,and is a risk factor affecting the prognosis of patients.Kaplan-Meier survival curve analysis show that colon cancer patients with high CENPU expression has significantly lower survival rates.ROC curve show that the model based on CENPU expression has a high predictive power for the prognosis of colon cancer patients area under the curve(AUC=0.832).Bioinformatics analysis show that CENPI,CENPN,CENPD,CENPK,CENPP,CENPM,CENPQ,CENPH,NDC80 and ITGB3BP have significant interaction with CENPU gene.CENPU is involved in DNA repair,MYC/TARGETS/V1 and PI3K/AKT/MTOR signaling pathways.Conclusion High expression of CENPU in cancer tissues of patients with colon cancer is significantly associated with poor prognosis of patients,suggesting that CENPU is expected to be a potential target for early diagnosis and prognosis prediction of patients with colon cancer.

Objective:To explore the effect of neutrophil elastase(NE)on neutrophil inflammatory recruitment.Methods:Mice bone marrow-derived neutrophils were pretreated with an exogenous elastase inhibitor-sivelestat sodium.The effects of elastase inhibition on the in vivo inflammatory recruitment,chemotaxis,adhesion,cell polarization and spreading of NE were examined by peritonitis adoptive transfer assay,dunn chamber,flow chamber,immunofluorescence staining and spreading assay,respectively.The effects of elastase inhibition on NE phagocytosis and reactive oxygen species(ROS)release capacity were detected by flow cytom-etry and the luminol chemiluminescence system.Results:Sivelestat sodium pretreatment significantly attenuated neutrophil in vivo in-flammatory recruitment(P<0.001);impaired neutrophil perception of chemotaxis in vitro(P<0.05),slowed chemotactic velocity(P<0.05),and decreased the chemotactic distance(P<0.05);reduced the adhesion of neutrophils to inflamed endothelial cells(P<0.000 1)and inhibited the phagocytosis of bacteria by neutrophils(P<0.01);however,there was no significant effect on neutrophil spreading,polarization and ROS.Conclusion:NE inhibition significantly impaired the inflammatory recruitment cascade response and phagocyto-sis of neutrophils in vitro and in vivo but had no significant effect on the spreading,polarization and ROS release of neutrophils.

Objective We aimed to investigate(i)the preventive and therapeutic effects of Huogu Muli Prescription(HGMLP),a Chinese medical compound consisting of epimedii folium,drynariae rhizoma,and ostreae concha,on postmenopausal osteoporosis(PMOP)rats and(ii)whether it exerts its effects by regulating the osteoclast-osteogenesis balance.Methods Forty-eight female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into the following six groups:(i)the sham-operated group,(ii)the model group,(iii)the Qianggu Capsule group,(iv)the calcium carbonate group,and(v,vi)the HGMLP low-dose and high-dose groups(n = 8 rats per group).After adaptive feeding,rats in all groups except the sham-operated group were treated with bilateral ovarian castration to establish the PMOP model.Each day,rats in the Qianggu Capsule group received 0.054 g/kg Qianggu Capsule suspension intragastrically,rats in the calcium carbonate group received 1.670 g/kg calcium carbonate suspension intragastrically,and rats in the HGMLP low-dose and high-dose groups received 0.188 g/kg and 0.375 g/kg HGMLP intragastrically.Rats in the sham-operated group and the model group received an equal volume of normal saline intragastrically.After 90 consecutive days,serum estradiol(E2),estrogen receptor α(ERα),procollagen typeⅠN propeptide(PINP),and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5b(TRACP-5b)were detected by ELISA.Total antioxidant capacity(T-AOC),superoxide dismutase(SOD),catalase(CAT),and malondialdehyde(MDA)levels were measured by colorimetry.Bone mineral density(BMD),trabecular number(Tb.N),trabecular separation/spacing(Tb.Sp),trabecular thickness(Tb.Th),and structure model index(SMI)were measured by Micro-CT,and the microstructure of cancellous bone was observed.The expressions of osteoprotegerin(OPG),receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB(RANK),RANK ligand(RANKL),phosphorylation of forkhead box O3(FoxO3α),Wnt2,β-catenin,and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ(PPARγ)in rat femur tissue were detected by Western blotting.Results(i)The serum levels of E2 and ERα increased in the Qianggu Capsule group and HGMLP groups,compared with the model group(all P<0.05).(ii)Compared with the model group,the serum levels of PINP,TRACP-5b decreased and PINP/TRACP-5b increased in both the Qianggu Capsule group and HGMLP high-dose group(all P<0.05).(iii)The activities of T-AOC,AOD,and CAT in the Qianggu Capsule group and HGMLP groups were higher than those in the model group,while the content of MDA lower(all P<0.05).(iv)Compared with the model group,the femoral BMD,Tb.Th,and Tb.N increased in the Qianggu Capsule group and HGMLP groups,while the femoral Tb.Sp and SMI decreased(all P<0.05);the femoral BMD increased and the Tb.Sp decreased in the calcium carbonate group(all P<0.05).(v)The protein expressions of RANKL,RANK,FoxO3α,and PPARγ in the Qianggu Capsule group and HGMLP groups were lower than those in the model group,while the protein expressions of OPG,Wnt2,and β-catenin were higher(all P<0.05).Conclusion HGMLP can significantly increase estrogen levels,inhibit osteoclast differentiation,and inhibit bone resorption in the PMOP rats.It also alleviates oxidative stress,promotes osteogenic differentiation,inhibits lipogenic differentiation,improves bone formation,and recovers the balance between osteoclasts and osteoblasts,thus achieving prevention and treatment of PMOP.The potential mechanism of HGMLP may be related to regulation via the OPG/RANKL/RANK or FoxO3α/Wnt2/β-catenin/PPARγ pathways.