Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma is the dried rhizome of Acorus tatarinowii in the family of Tennantiaceae, which has the efficacy of opening up the orifices and expelling phlegm, awakening the mind and wisdom, and resolving dampness and opening up the stomach. Modern studies have shown that volatile oil is the main active ingredient of Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma, and α-asarone and β-asarone have been proved to be the active ingredients in the volatile oil of Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma, with pharmacological effects such as anti-Alzheimer's disease, antiepileptic, anti-Parkinson's disease, antidepressant, anticerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury, anti-thrombosis, lipid-lowering, and antitumor. By summarising and outlining the pharmacological effects of α-asarone and β-asarone and elucidating the possible mechanisms of their pharmacological effects, we can provide theoretical basis for the further research and clinical application of Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma.
Allylbenzene Derivatives ; Acorus/chemistry* ; Anisoles/chemistry* ; Rhizome/chemistry* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Humans ; Animals

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the clinical sub-phenotype (SP) of pediatric acute kidney injury (AKI) and their association with clinical outcomes. METHODS: General status and initial values of laboratory markers within 24 hours after admission to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) were recorded for children with AKI in the derivation cohort (n=650) and the validation cohort (n=177). In the derivation cohort, a least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analysis was used to identify death-related indicators, and a two-step cluster analysis was employed to obtain the clinical SP of AKI. A logistic regression analysis was used to develop a parsimonious classifier model with simplified metrics, and the area under the curve (AUC) was used to assess the value of this model. This model was then applied to the validation cohort and the combined derivation and validation cohort. The association between SPs and clinical outcomes was analyzed with all children with AKI as subjects. RESULTS: In the derivation cohort, two clinical SPs of AKI (SP1 and SP2) were identified by the two-step cluster analysis using the 20 variables screened by LASSO regression, namely SP_d1 group (n=536) and SP_d2 group (n=114). The simplified classifier model containing eight variables (P<0.05) had an AUC of 0.965 in identifying the two clinical SPs of AKI (P<0.001). The validation cohort was clustered into SP_v1 group (n=156) and SP_v2 group (n=21), and the combined derivation and validation cohort was clustered into SP1 group (n=694) and SP2 group (n=133). After adjustment for confounding factors, compared with the SP1 group, the SP2 group had significantly higher incidence rates of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome and death during the PICU stay (P<0.001), and SP2 was significantly associated with the risk of death within 28 days after admission to the PICU (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS This study establishes a parsimonious classifier model and identifies two clinical SPs of AKI with different clinical features and outcomes.The SP2 group has more severe disease and worse clinical prognosis.
Humans ; Acute Kidney Injury/diagnosis* ; Prognosis ; Male ; Female ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Phenotype ; Infant ; Logistic Models ; Adolescent

Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is a naturally occurring, low-toxicity, and hydrophilic bile acid (BA) in the human body that is converted by intestinal flora using primary BA. Solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11) functions to uptake extracellular cystine in exchange for glutamate, and is highly expressed in a variety of human cancers. Retroperitoneal liposarcoma (RLPS) refers to liposarcoma originating from the retroperitoneal area. Lipidomics analysis revealed that UDCA was one of the most significantly downregulated metabolites in sera of RLPS patients compared with healthy subjects. The augmentation of UDCA concentration (≥25 μg/mL) demonstrated a suppressive effect on the proliferation of liposarcoma cells. [¹⁵N₂]-cystine and [¹³C₅]-glutamine isotope tracing revealed that UDCA impairs cystine uptake and glutathione (GSH) synthesis. Mechanistically, UDCA binds to the cystine transporter SLC7A11 to inhibit cystine uptake and impair GSH de novo synthesis, leading to reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and mitochondrial oxidative damage. Furthermore, UDCA can promote the anti-cancer effects of ferroptosis inducers (Erastin, RSL3), the murine double minute 2 (MDM2) inhibitors (Nutlin 3a, RG7112), cyclin dependent kinase 4 (CDK4) inhibitor (Abemaciclib), and glutaminase inhibitor (CB839). Together, UDCA functions as a cystine exchange factor that binds to SLC7A11 for antitumor activity, and SLC7A11 is not only a new transporter for BA but also a clinically applicable target for UDCA. More importantly, in combination with other antitumor chemotherapy or physiotherapy treatments, UDCA may provide effective and promising treatment strategies for RLPS or other types of tumors in a ROS-dependent manner.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the association between susceptibility genes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in children with obesity. METHODS: We conducted a two-step case-control study. Ninety-three participants were subjected to whole-exome sequencing (exploratory set). Differential genes identified in the small sample were validated in 1,022 participants using multiplex polymerase chain reaction and high-throughput sequencing (validation set). RESULTS: In the exploratory set, 14 genes from the NAFLD-associated pathways were identified. In the validation set, after adjusting for sex, age, and body mass index, ECI2 rs2326408 (dominant model: OR = 1.33, 95% CI: 1.02-1.72; additive model: OR = 1.22, 95% CI: 1.01-1.47), C6orf201 rs659305 (dominant model: OR = 1.30, 95% CI: 1.01-1.69; additive model: OR = 1.21, 95% CI: 1.00-1.45), CALML5 rs10904516 (pre-ad dominant model: OR = 1.36, 95% CI: 1.01-1.83; adjusted dominant model: OR = 1.40, 95% CI: 1.03-1.91; and pre-ad additive model: OR = 1.26, 95% CI: 1.04-1.66) polymorphisms were significantly associated with NAFLD in children with obesity ( P < 0.05). Interaction analysis revealed that the gene-gene interaction model of CALML5 rs10904516, COX11 rs17209882, and SCD5 rs3733228 was optional ( P < 0.05), demonstrating a negative interaction between the three genes. CONCLUSION In the Chinese population, the CALML5 rs10904516, C6orf201 rs659305, and ECI2 rs2326408 variants could be genetic markers for NAFLD susceptibility.
Humans ; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease/genetics* ; Child ; Male ; Female ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Case-Control Studies ; Exome Sequencing ; Adolescent ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Obesity/complications* ; Pediatric Obesity/complications* ; China

Objective To investigate the effects of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy(LSG)on the cardiac structure and function in obese patients with heart failure(HF)and compare the efficacy of LSG across obese patients with different HF types.Methods This study included 33 obese patients with HF who underwent LSG.The clinical indicators were compared between before operation and 12 months after operation.Repeated measures analysis of variance was employed to evaluate the changes in echocardiographic parameters before operation and 3,6,and 12 months after operation.Patients were allocated into a HF with preserved ejection fraction group(n=17),a HF with mildly reduced ejection fraction group(n=5)and a HF with reduced ejection fraction(HFrEF)group(n=11)based on left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF)before operation for subgroup analyses of the effects of LSG on the cardiac structure and function of obese patients with HF.The paired samples t-test was conducted to assess the degree of cardiac structural and functional alterations after LSG.Results The 33 patients included 69.7% males,with an average age of(35.3±9.9)years,and a body mass index(BMI)of(51.2±9.8)kg/m².The median follow-up was 9.0(5.0,13.3)months.Compared with the preoperative values,the postoperative BMI(P=0.002),body surface area(BSA)(P=0.009),waist circumference(P=0.010),hip circumference(P=0.031),body fat content(P=0.007),and percentage of patients with cardiac function grades Ⅲ-IV(P<0.001)decreased.At the 12-month follow-up left atrial diameter(P=0.006),right atrial long-axis inner diameter(RAD1)(P<0.001),right atrial short-axis inner diameter(RAD2)(P<0.001),right ventricular inner diameter(P=0.002),interventricular septal thickness at end-diastolic(P=0.002),and left ventricular end-diastolic volumes(P=0.004)and left ventricular end-systolic volumes(P=0.003) all significantly reduced compared with preoperative values.Additionally,left ventricular fractional shortening and LVEF improved(both P<0.001).Subgroup analyses revealed that cardiac structural parameters significantly decreased in the HF with preserved ejection fraction,HF with mildly reduced ejection fraction,and HFrEF subgroups compared with preoperative values.Notably,the HFrEF group demonstrated the best performance in terms of left atrial diameter(P=0.003),left ventricular inner diameter at end-diastole(P=0.008),RAD1(P<0.001),RAD2(P=0.004),right ventricular inner diameter(P=0.019),left ventricular end-diastolic volume(P=0.004)and left ventricular end-systolic volume(P=0.001),cardiac output(P=0.006),tricuspid regurgitation velocity(P=0.002),and pulmonary artery systolic pressure(P=0.001) compared to preoperatively.Postoperative left ventricular fractional shortening(P<0.001,P=0.003,P<0.001)and LVEF(P<0.001,P=0.011,P=0.001)became higher in all the three subgroups than the preoperative values.Conclusions LSG decreased the body weight,BMI,and BSA,improved the cardiac function grade,reversed the enlargement of the left atrium and left ventricle,reduced the right atrium and right ventricle,and enhanced the left ventricular systolic function.It was effective across obese patients with different HF types.Particularly,LSG demonstrates the best performance in improving the structures of both atria and ventricles in obese patients with HFrEF.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Gastrectomy/methods* ; Heart Failure/complications* ; Adult ; Obesity/physiopathology* ; Laparoscopy ; Middle Aged ; Heart/physiopathology* ; Stroke Volume

Objective To explore the value of electrocardiogram in predicting culprit vessels in acute inferior myocardial infarction.Methods The clinical data of 129 patients with acute inferior myocardial infarction admitted to First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University from January 2015 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed.Patients were received coronary intervention treatment,and the culprit vessels were identified by coronary angiography.The culprit vessels during surgery were recorded.The preoperative electrocardio-gram of patients were analyzed,a new method for predicting culprit vessels in acute inferior myocardial infarction was established based on the previous researches,and the accuracies of the Fiol method,Tiala method,Huang's algorithm and new method in predicting the culprit vessels in acute inferior myocardial infarction were also counted.The predictive abilities of various methods on culprit vessels were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve and the area under the curve(AUC)was calculated.Results The culprit vessels of 109 patients were the right coronary artery,16 cases were the left circumflex artery,and 4 cases were the anterior descending artery.A total of 52 patients developed clinical complications,of which the culprit vessels of 47 cases were right coronary artery and 5 cases were circumflex artery.The accuracies of the Fiol method,Tierala method,Huang's algorithm,and new method in predicting culprit vessels were 83.7%,81.4%,82.9%,and 85.3%,respectively.The ROC curve analysis showed that the Fiol method(AUC=0.941),Tierrala method(AUC= 0.945),Huang's algorithm(AUC=0.945),and new method(AUC=0.964)all had strong predictive ability for culprit vessels.Conclusion For patients with acute inferior myocardial infarction,the Fiol method,Tierala method,Huang's algorithm,and new method all have high predictive value for culprit vessels in analyzing the preoperative electrocardiogram,and the new method has a higher predictive value.

Aim To study the mechanism of action of licorice in alleviating cisplatin liver injury.Methods Forty-eight SD rats were randomly divided into a blank group,a model group,a positive control group and lico-rice administration groups(450,900 and 1 800 mg·kg-1).After 5 days of prophylactic administration,8 mg·kg-1 of cisplatin was injected intraperitoneally in-to the model,positive control,and licorice administra-tion groups to establish an acute liver injury model.LC-MS/MS untargeted metabolomics was used to ana-lyze the differential metabolites and metabolic pathways of licorice to alleviate cisplatin acute liver injury.Re-sults PLS-DA score plots showed significant separa-tion of metabolomics samples.The analysis yielded 119 differential metabolites associated with cisplatin liver injury,of which 31 differential metabolites were signifi-cantly regressed after licorice intervention and were mainly involved in D-arginine and D-ornithine metabo-lism;parathyroid hormone synthesis,secretion,and ac-tion;tyrosine metabolism;biosynthesis of phenylala-nine,tyrosine,and tryptophan;β-alanine metabolism;and amino acid and nucleotide sugar metabolism.Con-clusions Metabolomics analysis indicates that licorice can alter the metabolic profile of cisplatin-induced he-patic injury rats,and its mechanism of action may be related to its improvement of the levels of differential metabolites and its involvement in the regulation of a-mino acid metabolism and other related pathways.

This study explored the growth-promoting effect and mechanism of the endophytic bacterium Kocuria rosea on Rehmannia glutinosa, aiming to provide a scientific basis for the development of green bacterial fertilizer. R. glutinosa 'Jinjiu' was treated with K. rosea, and the shoot parameters including leaf length, leaf width, plant width, and stem diameter were measured every 15 days. After 120 days, the shoots and roots were harvested. The root indicators(root number, root length, root diameter, root fresh weight, root dry weight, root volume, and root vitality) and secondary metabolites(catalpol, rehmannioside A, rehmannioside D, verbascoside, and leonuride) were determined. The R. glutinosa growth-promoting mechanism of K. rosea was discussed from the effect of K. rosea on the nutrient element content in R. glutinosa and rhizosphere soil and the genome information of this plant. After application of K. rosea, the maximum increases in leaf length, leaf width, plant width, and stem diameter were 35.67%(60 d), 25.39%(45 d), 40.17%(60 d), and 113.85%(45 d), respectively. The root number, root length, root diameter, root volume, root fresh weight, root dry weight, and root viability increased by 41.71%, 45.10%, 48.61%, 94.34%, 101.55%, 147.61%, and 42.08%, respectively. In addition, the content of rehmannioside A and verbascoside in the root of R. glutinosa increased by 76.67% and 69.54%, respectively. K. rosea promoted the transformation of nitrogen(N), phosphorus(P), and potassium(K) in the rhizosphere soil into the available state. Compared with that in the control, the content of available N(54.60 mg·kg~(-1)), available P(1.83 μmol·g~(-1)), and available K(83.75 mg·kg~(-1)) in the treatment with K. rosea increased by 138.78%, 44.89%, and 14.34%, respectively. The content of N, P, and K in the treatment group increased by 293.22%, 202.63%, and 23.80% in the roots and by 23.60%, 107.23%, and 134.53% in the leaves of R. glutinosa, respectively. K. rosea carried the genes related to colonization(rbsB, efp, bcsA, and gmhC), N, P, and K metabolism(narG, narH, narI, nasA, nasB, GDH2, pyk, aceB, ackA, CS, ppa, ppk, ppk2, pstS, pstA, pstB, and pstC), and indole-3-acetic acid and zeatin synthesis(iaaH and miaA). Further studies showed that K. rosea could colonize the roots of R. glutinosa and secrete indole-3-acetic acid(3.85 μg·mL~(-1)) and zeatin(0.10 μg·mL~(-1)). In summary, K. rosea promotes the growth of R.ehmannia glutinosa by enhancing the nutrient uptake, which provides a theoretical basis for the development of plant growth-promoting microbial products.
Rehmannia/metabolism* ; Endophytes/metabolism* ; Plant Roots/growth & development* ; Micrococcaceae/genetics* ; Data Mining ; Plant Leaves/metabolism* ; Genomics ; Rhizosphere

The modernization and development of traditional Chinese medicine has led to higher standards for the quality of traditional Chinese medicine products. The extraction process is a crucial component of traditional Chinese medicine production, and it directly impacts the final quality of the product. However, the currently relied upon methods for quality assurance of the extraction process, such as simple wet chemical analysis, have several limitations, including time consumption and labor intensity, and do not offer precise control of the extraction process. As a result, there is significant value in incorporating near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) in the production process of traditional Chinese medicine to improve the quality control of the final products. In this study, we focused on the extraction process of Xiao'er Xiaoji Zhike oral liquid (XXZOL), using near-infrared spectra collected by both a Fourier transform near-infrared spectrometer and a portable near-infrared spectrometer. We used the concentration of synephrine, a quality control index component specified by the pharmacopoeia, to achieve rapid and accurate detection in the extraction process. Moreover, we developed a model transfer method to facilitate the transfer of models between the two types of near-infrared spectrometers (analytical grade and portable), thus resolving the low resolution, poor performance, and insufficient prediction accuracy issues of portable instruments. Our findings enable the rapid screening and quality analysis of XXZOL onsite, which is significant for quality monitoring during the traditional Chinese medicine production process.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the effects of mangiferin combined with bortezomib on the proliferation, invasion, apoptosis and autophagy of human Burkitt lymphoma Raji cells, as well as the expression of CXC chemokine receptors (CXCRs) family, and explore the molecular mechanism between them to provide scientific basis for basic research and clinical work of Burkitt lymphoma. METHODS: Raji cells were intervened with different concentrations of mangiferin and bortezomib alone or in combination, then cell proliferation was detected by CCK-8 assay, cell invasion ability was detected by Transwell chamber method, cell apoptosis was detected by Annexin V/PI double-staining flow cytometry, apoptosis, autophagy and Akt/mTOR pathway protein expression were detected by Western blot, and the expression changes of CXCR family was detected by real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). RESULTS: Different concentrations of mangiferin intervened Raji cells for different time could inhibit cell viability in a concentration- and time-dependent manner (r =-0.682, r =-0.836). When Raji cells were intervened by combination of mangiferin and bortezomib, compared with single drug group, the proliferation and invasion abilities were significantly decreased, while the apoptosis level was significantly increased (P <0.01). Mangiferin combined with bortezomib could significantly up-regulate the expression of pro-apoptotic protein Bax and down-regulate the expression of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 after intervention in Raji cells. Caspase-3 was also hydrolyzed and activated, and then induced the apoptosis of Raji cells. Mangiferin combined with bortezomib could up-regulate the expression of LC3Ⅱ protein in Raji cells, and the ratio of LC3Ⅱ/LC3Ⅰ in cells was significantly up-regulated compared with single drug or control group (P <0.01). Mangiferin combined with bortezomib could significantly inhibit the phosphorylation levels of Akt and mTOR, inhibit the proliferation and invasion of Raji cells by inhibiting Akt/mTOR pathway, and induce cell autophagy and apoptosis. Mangiferin and bortezomib could down-regulate the expressions of CXCR4 and CXCR7 mRNA after single-agent intervention in Raji cells, and the down-regulations of CXCR4 and CXCR7 mRNA expression were more significant when the two drugs were combined (P <0.01). Mangiferin alone or combined with bortezomib had no significant effect on CXCR5 mRNA expression in Raji cells (P >0.05), while the combination of the two drugs could down-regulate the expression of CXCR3 (P <0.05). CONCLUSION Mangiferin combined with bortezomib can synergistically inhibit the proliferation and invasion of Raji cells, and induce autophagy and apoptosis. The mechanism may be related to the inhibition of Akt/mTOR signaling pathway, down-regulation of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 and up-regulation of pro-apoptotic protein Bax, and the inhibition of the expression of CXCR family.
Humans ; Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use* ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins/immunology* ; Autophagy/immunology* ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein/immunology* ; Bortezomib/therapeutic use* ; Burkitt Lymphoma/immunology* ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation/drug effects* ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; Receptors, CXCR/immunology* ; RNA, Messenger ; TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases ; Xanthones/therapeutic use*