Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a critical clinical condition characterized by rapid renal function decline, with high morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has shown potential effects on mitigating oxidative stress and programmed cell death in AKI models. Scutellaria barbata D. Don (SB) and Scleromitrion diffusum (Willd.) R. J. Wang (SD), a classic TCM herbal pair exhibited anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. Using advanced chromatographic separation technology, we enriched the effective fractions of water extracts from SB-SD, obtaining self-assembled herbal nanoparticles (SB and SD nanoparticles, SSNPs) rich in flavonoids and terpenoids. These SSNPs demonstrated robust antioxidant properties in vitro and mitigated AKI progression in vivo by activating the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) signaling pathway. Oral administration of SSNPs in mice resulted in absorption into the bloodstream, formation of a protein corona, reduced macrophage phagocytosis, and enhanced bioavailability and renal targeting. Furthermore, we investigated the self-assembly principle of SSNPs using representative flavonoids and terpenoids. Kinetic studies and in situ transmission electron microscopy (in situ TEM) revealed that these compounds self-assemble via supramolecular forces like hydrogen bonding and π-π interactions, forming stable nanostructures. This study elucidates the renoprotective effects and mechanisms of SB and SD, and provides a novel approach for the development of TCM-based nanomedicines, highlighting the potential of nano-TCM in AKI treatment.

Objective:To investigate the molecular characteristics of obacunone, and to screen and identify potential targets of obacunone against sepsis.Methods:The pharmacological parameters and molecular characteristics of obacunone were analyzed with the aid of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database Analysis Platform (TCMSP). The potential targets of obacunone against sepsis were screened using SwissTargetPrediction and Drug Repositioning and Adverse Drug Reaction Chemical-Protein Interactome (DRAR-CPI) software, with a Z'-score < -0.5. The anti-sepsis targets of obacunone were selected by Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM), Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD) and Therapeutic Target Database (TTD). The anti-sepsis potential target was identified by molecular docking software.Results:The oral bioavailability of obacunone was 81.58% and the drug-likeness was 0.57 indicating that obacunone showed good drug formation. A total of 242 potential targets were screened through SwissTargetPrediction and DRAR-CPI software, 13 targets were directly related to sepsis. Cathepsin G (CTSG), caspase-1 (CASP1), S100 calcium binding protein A9 (S100A9), protein C (inactivator of coagulation factors Ⅴa and Ⅷa, PROC), mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (MAPK1), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), interleukin-10 (IL-10), migration inhibitory factor (MIF), complement C5a receptor 1 (C5AR1), caspase-3 (CASP3), CXC chemokine receptor 2 (CXCR2), thrombin receptor (F2R), nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) were identified as the potential targets for anti-sepsis of obacunone by molecular docking software, the free binding energies were -32.55, 1.26, -30.00, 300.08, -31.88, -30.29, -21.38, -30.79, 16 777.84, -21.80, 6 443.36, -20.38, -23.47 kJ/mol, respectively.Conclusions:Obacunone can inhibit blood coagulation and improve inflammatory response by regulating PROC and F2R. It regulates MIF, S100A9, G6PD and IL-10 to play a role in immune response. It regulates CTSG, CASP1, MAPK1, C5AR1 and CASP3 to protect sepsis-damaged organs. By regulating CXCR2, it can reduce the excessive migration of neutrophils to the site of inflammation, alleviate tissue damage. By regulating NAMPT, it improves cellular energy status, reduces oxidative stress, and protects cells from damage.

Isolation rearing (IR) enhances aggressive behavior, and the central serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) system has been linked to IR-induced aggression. However, whether the alteration of central serotonin is the cause or consequence of enhanced aggression is still unknown. In the present study, using mice deficient in central serotonin Tph2 and Lmx1b, we examined the association between central serotonin and aggression with or without social isolation. We demonstrated that central serotonergic neurons are critical for the enhanced aggression after IR. 5-HT depletion in wild-type mice increased aggression. On the other hand, application of 5-HT in Lmx1b mice inhibited the enhancement of aggression under social isolation conditions. Dopamine was downregulated in Lmx1b mice. Similar to 5-HT, L-DOPA decreased aggression in Lmx1b mice. Our results link the serotoninergic system directly to aggression and this may have clinical implications for aggression-related human conditions.