ChuanWu (CW), the dried mother root of Aconitum carmichaelii Debx., is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) recognized for its potent efficacy but inherent toxicity, primarily due to its alkaloid content. Traditional and modern detoxification methods for CW include proper processing, rational compatibility, and specialized decoction techniques, among which honey-boiled CW is particularly distinctive. However, research on the detoxification mechanism of honey-boiled CW remains limited. This study investigated this mechanism by analyzing alkaloid transformation and supramolecular aggregation. Honey-boiled and water-boiled CW preparations were compared. Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was used to analyze CW alkaloids, specifically diester alkaloids (DDAs), monoester alkaloids (MDAs), and non-esterified diterpenoid alkaloids (NDAs). Transmission electron microscopy was employed to observe and identify supramolecular aggregates in the honey-boiled CW decoction. In vivo absorption of water-boiled, honey-boiled, and NADES-boiled CW was compared. Median lethal dose (LD₅₀) tests assessed toxicity, including hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity. In vitro experiments evaluated the safety, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic effects of CW-medicated serum on RAW264.7 cells, with in vivo validation in mice. Results showed that honey promoted the conversion of highly toxic DDAs to less toxic MDAs and prevented MDAs from hydrolyzing into NDAs. Honey-boiled CW formed approximately 250 nm supramolecular aggregates that encapsulated MDAs, inhibiting their conversion to NDAs. These encapsulated MDAs acted as a stable delivery system with higher bioavailability than free benzoylmesaconine. Subsequent mouse experiments confirmed that honey-boiled CW significantly increased the LD₅₀ of CW while reducing hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity. Additionally, honey-boiled CW significantly improved cell safety and enhanced anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. Our findings reveal that honey-boiled CW exhibits a potent detoxification mechanism by influencing alkaloid transformation and facilitating the formation of supramolecular aggregates. This study lays the groundwork for developing detoxification or synergistic strategies within honey-boiled TCM.

Objective:To investigate the clinicopathological features and differential diagnosis of eosinophilic vacuolated tumor (EVT).Methods:Seven cases of EVT with characteristic morphology and unequivocal diagnosis from the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University (6 cases), Qingdao, China and the 971 Hospital of PLA Navy (1 case), Qingdao, China between January 2010 and December 2021 were subject to morphological and immunohistochemical analyses. Additionally, whole exome sequencing (WES) was performed in two cases. Twenty-two cases of renal oncocytoma (RO) and 17 cases of eosinophilic chromophobe renal cell carcinoma (eChRCC) diagnosed at the same time were used as controls.Results:Four males and three females with a mean age of 42 years (range: 29-61 years) were included in the study. The tumors were nodular and well-circumscribed, with sizes ranging from 1.5 to 4.5 cm. On cross-section, they appeared gray-red or gray-white, solid, and soft. Tumor cells were arranged in nests, solid sheets, and acinar or small vesicular structures. These cells exhibited eosinophilic cytoplasm with large, prominent clear vacuoles and round nuclei with prominent nucleoli. Perinuclear halos were focally present in four cases, while small tumor cells with sparse cytoplasm and hyperchromatic nuclei were seen in one case. No necrosis or mitosis was noted. Edematous stroma was detected in three cases. All tumors were positive for CD117 and Cathepsin K, but negative for vimentin and CK7. CK20 was positive in scattered individual cells, and Ki-67 positivity ranged from 1% to 4%. Point mutations in MTOR were identified in both patients who were subject to the molecular analysis. Statistical differences in the expression of Cathepsin K, CD10, S-100A1, and Cyclin D1 between EVT and RO ( P<0.05) were significant, so were the differences in the expression of Cathepsin K, CD10, CK7 and claudin 7 between EVT and eChRCC ( P<0.001). Seven patients were followed up for 4 to 96 months (mean, 50 months), with no recurrences or metastases. Conclusions:EVT is a rare renal tumor that shares morphological and immunophenotypic features with RO and eChRCC, and it is closely linked to the TSC/MTOR pathway. The presence of large prominent transparent vacuoles in eosinophilic cytoplasm along with conspicuous nucleoli is its key morphological characteristics. The use of combined immunohistochemical stains greatly aids in its diagnosis. Typically, the tumor exhibits indolent biological behaviors with a favorable prognosis.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the improvement mechanism of caudatin on liver injury of rats. METHODS SD rats were randomly divided into blank group， model group， caudatin low-dose and high-dose groups （25， 50 mg/kg）， with 6 rats in each group. Diethylnitrosamine （DEN） was injected intraperitoneally three times per week for eight weeks to establish liver injury model of rats. At 5th week of modeling， the rats received relevant medicine or 0.5% sodium carboxymethylcellulose intragastrically for 4 weeks. The levels of liver function indexes [alanine transaminase （ALT）， aspartate transaminase （AST）， total protein （TP） and total bilirubin （TBI）] and inflammatory factors [interleukin （IL-6）， tumor necrosis factor α （TNF-α）， IL-1β] in serum were detected； the histopathological morphological changes of rat liver were observed； the positive protein expressions of nuclear factor κB （NF-κB） and 78 kDa glucose regulatory protein （Grp78） in liver tissue were also determined； the expressions of endoplasmic reticulum stress-related protein Grp78， C/EBP homologous protein （CHOP）， activating transcription factor 6 （ATF6） and inositol requiring enzyme 1α （IRE1α） and the level of protein kinase R-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase robertluoyi@126.com （PERK） in liver tissue were detected. RESULTS Compared with blank group， serum levels of ALT， AST， TBI， IL-6， TNF-α and IL-1β and positive expressions of NF-κB and Grp78 in liver tissue as well as protein expressions of Grp78， CHOP， ATF6 and IRE1α， PERK protein phosphorylation level were all increased significantly in model group （P＜0.05）， while the serum level of TP was decreased significantly （P＜0.05）. The disordered structure of liver lobule， swollen liver cells， unclear intercellular boundary were observed and accompanied by inflammatory cell infiltration. Compared with model group， most of the above indexes were significantly reversed in caudatin groups （P＜0.05）； the structure of hepatic lobule was relatively complete and clear， the cells were arranged orderly， and the infiltration of inflammatory cells was also reduced. CONCLUSIONS Caudatin has a significant improvement effect against DEN-induced liver injury in rats， the mechanism of which may be associated with inhibiting endoplasmic reticulum stress and inflammatory reaction.

Objective:To identify and characterize two Balneatrix alpica strains isolated from a patient′s blood sample (strain X117) and the natural hot spring water in the patient′s residential district (strain GN-1), and to provide experimental evidence for the pathogenic diagnosis of clinical infection caused by this rare pathogen. Methods:Biochemical phenotypic identification, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), 16S rRNA gene sequencing, phylogenetic analysis, single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis, and genome-wide analysis were performed to accurately determine the taxonomic status of the isolates X117 and GN-1 by using Balneatrix alpica DSM 16621 T as a reference. Microdilution broth method was used to test their antimicrobial susceptibility. The virulence genes carried by them were annotated and analyzed using the virulence factor database (VFDB). Results:Strains X117 and GN-1 formed light yellow or tan colonies with mottled surfaces on Columbia blood agar and chocolate agar plates after 4 d of culture. They were Gram-negative rods and positive for oxidase and indole tests, which were consistent with the characteristics of Balneatrix alpica DSM 16621 T. The phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene showed that the isolates X117 and GN-1 were both Balneatrix alpaca. The average nucleotide identity (ANI) values between the two isolates and Balneatrix alpica DSM 16621 T were 98.44% and 98.41%, respectively, and the digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) values were both 87.1%. The SNP distance between the two strains was 13, indicating that X117 and GN-1 might belong to the same clone. The antibiotic susceptibility testing showed that all of the three Balneatrix alpica strains were sensitive to the commonly used antibiotics against Gram-negative rods. The virulence genes carried by the three Balneatrix alpica strains were mainly involved in adhesion, invasion, flagella and biofilm formation. Conclusions:This study identified a case of bloodstream infection caused by Balneatrix alpica which was closely related to natural hot spring water. Natural hot spring water migh be an important source of clinical infections caused by this species.

Fear memory contextualization is critical for selecting adaptive behavior to survive. Contextual fear conditioning (CFC) is a classical model for elucidating related underlying neuronal circuits. The primary visual cortex (V1) is the primary cortical region for contextual visual inputs, but its role in CFC is poorly understood. Here, our experiments demonstrated that bilateral inactivation of V1 in mice impaired CFC retrieval, and both CFC learning and extinction increased the turnover rate of axonal boutons in V1. The frequency of neuronal Ca²⁺ activity decreased after CFC learning, while CFC extinction reversed the decrease and raised it to the naïve level. Contrary to control mice, the frequency of neuronal Ca²⁺ activity increased after CFC learning in microglia-depleted mice and was maintained after CFC extinction, indicating that microglial depletion alters CFC learning and the frequency response pattern of extinction-induced Ca²⁺ activity. These findings reveal a critical role of microglia in neocortical information processing in V1, and suggest potential approaches for cellular-based manipulation of acquired fear memory.
Mice ; Animals ; Primary Visual Cortex ; Extinction, Psychological/physiology* ; Learning/physiology* ; Fear/physiology* ; Hippocampus/physiology*

Objective:To investigate the relationship between systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) and the prognosis of esophageal cancer patients treated with radical radiotherapy and to predict the prognosis of the patients using the SII combined with clinical staging.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted for 248 patients with esophageal cancer who were admitted to the Department of Radiotherapy in the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University between 2014 and 2016. These patients included 146 males and 102 females, with a median age of 67 years. Among them, 134 patients received concurrent chemotherapy and 114 patients received radiotherapy alone. The SII before radiotherapy was defined as platelet count × neutrophil count/lymphocyte count. The patients were divided into a low-SII group and a high-SII group according to the optimal cutoff value of pretreatment SII determined by the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve. Survival analysis was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and the Cox proportional hazards model was used for multivariate analysis. For these patients, the prognosis effects and the predictive value for survival of different SII levels combined with TNM staging were compared.Results:According to the ROC curves, the optimal cutoff value of SII before radiotherapy was 740.80. Based on this number, the patients were divided into a low-SII group (< 740.80, 150 cases) and a high-SII group (≥ 740.80, 98 cases). The objective response rate of the low-SII group was significantly higher than that of the high-SII group (86.0% vs 75.5%, χ2=4.39, P=0.036). The 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival (OS) rates of the low-SII group were 78.6%, 45.6%, and 32.3%, respectively. These rates were significantly higher than the corresponding rates of the high-SII group, which were 71.0%, 28.3%, and 16.4% ( χ2=11.22, P=0.001), respectively. Moreover, the 1-, 3- and 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) rates of the low-SII group were 67.0%, 36.9%, and 32.0%, respectively. Again, these rates were significantly higher than those of the high-SII group, which were 45.5%, 17.5%, and 12.5% ( χ2=15.38, P < 0.001), respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that TNM staging, treatment method, and SII were independent prognostic factors for OS and PFS ( HR=1.39-1.60, P<0.05). Patients with low SII and early clinical staging had a better prognosis than other subgroups ( χ2=13.68, 13.43, P=0.001). The area under curve (AUC) of SII combined with TNM staging (0.70) was higher than that of SII (0.63) and TNM staging (0.62) ( Z=2.48, 2.57, P < 0.05). Conclusions:Pretreatment SII has a high predictive value for the prognosis of esophageal cancer after radiotherapy, and higher SII indicates a worse prognosis. Thus, combining SII with TNM staging can improve the prediction accuracy of the prognosis of esophageal cancer patients.

Enzalutamide (ENZ) is a second-generation androgen receptor (AR) antagonist used for the treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) and reportedly prolongs survival time within a year of starting therapy. However, CRPC patients can develop ENZ resistance (ENZR), mainly driven by abnormal reactivation of AR signaling, involving increased expression of the full-length AR (ARfl) or dominantly active androgen receptor splice variant 7 (ARv7) and ARfl/ARv7 heterodimers. There is currently no efficient treatment for ENZR in CRPC. Herein, a small molecule LLU-206 was rationally designed based on the ENZ structure and exhibited potent inhibition of both ARfl and constitutively active ARv7 to inhibit PCa proliferation and suppress ENZR in CRPC. Mechanically, LLU-206 promoted ARfl/ARv7 protein degradation and decreased ARfl/ARv7 heterodimers through mouse double minute 2-mediated ubiquitination. Finally, LLU-206 exhibited favorable pharmacokinetic properties with poor permeability across the blood-brain barrier, leading to a lower prevalence of adverse effects, including seizure and neurotoxicity, than ENZ-based therapies. In a nutshell, our findings demonstrated that LLU-206 could effectively inhibit ARfl/ARv7-driven CRPC by dual-targeting of ARfl/ARv7 heterodimers and protein degradation, providing new insights for the design of new-generation AR inhibitors to overcome ARfl/ARv7-driven CRPC.

Objective:To explore the application of Balint group activities in the doctor-patient communication skills training for standardized residency training of internal medicine.Methods:The students from Batch 2018 and some from Batch 2019 participating in the standardized residency training in Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University were selected as the research subjects. SPSS 22.0 was used to perform paired t test for comparison before and after training, and the SEGUE scale was used to evaluate the doctor-patient communication ability of the physicians before and after the training of the Balint group. A questionnaire survey was performed to collect their understanding of doctor-patient communication status and evaluate the training activities. Results:All the residents recognized the importance of doctor-patient communication and clarified the main reasons for the communication of doctors and patients. After receiving the training of doctor-patient communication focusing on group activities, the total score of SEGUE scale increased from (15.40±5.65) to (19.84±1.92), and the residents significantly improved their ability in such five dimensions as stopping inquiry, understanding patients, passing information, collecting information and ready to start ( P<0.001), with a satisfaction rate of 92.00% (69/75) for training methods and contents. Conclusion:The doctor-patient communication ability of the residents needs to be further improved. Balint group activities have enriched the form of doctor-patient communication training, which is helpful for doctors to strengthen their professional confidence and build a harmonious doctor-patient relationship.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is considered the primary causes of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and is related to abnormal glycolipid metabolism, hemodynamic abnormalities, oxidative stress and chronic inflammation. Antagonism of vascular endothelial growth factor B (VEGF-B) could efficiently ameliorate DN by reducing renal lipotoxicity. However, this pharmacological strategy is far from satisfactory, as it ignores numerous pathogenic factors, including anomalous reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and inflammatory responses. We found that the upregulation of VEGF-B and downregulation of interleukin-22 (IL-22) among DN patients were significantly associated with the progression of DN. Thus, we hypothesized that a combination of a VEGF-B antibody and IL-22 could protect against DN not only by regulating glycolipid metabolism but also by reducing the accumulation of inflammation and ROS. To meet these challenges, a novel anti-VEGFB/IL22 fusion protein was developed, and its therapeutic effects on DN were further studied. We found that the anti-VEGFB/IL22 fusion protein reduced renal lipid accumulation by inhibiting the expression of fatty acid transport proteins and ameliorated inflammatory responses

【Objective】 To study the effect of regular blood donation on the serum iron (SI) and serum ferritin (SF) of regular blood donors. 【Methods】 A total of 240 blood samples (4~5 mL per person, with EDTA-2K anticoagulant) from regular voluntary blood donors in our center from January to June 2019 were randomly selected as the study group. Another 200 healthy subjects without blood donation history were randomly selected as the control group. SI was measured by Ferene method, SF by chemiluminescence method, and blood routine indexes by automatic hematology analyzer. 【Results】 The Hb, RBC count, HCT and other blood routine indexes of the study group and the control group were all in the normal range. SI (mol/L) in the study gourp and the control group was 17.13±4.36 vs 17.82±5.78(P>0.05), and SF (ng/mL) was 98.34±52.74 vs 147.52±91.52 (P<0.05). 【Conclusion】 SI and SF may decrease due to regular blood donation, which deserve close follow-up to ensure the safety of regular blood donors.