This study explored the potential therapeutic targets and mechanisms of Danggui Shaoyao San(DSS) in the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease(AD) through transcriptomics and metabolomics, combined with animal experiments. Fifty male C57BL/6J mice, aged seven weeks, were randomly divided into the following five groups: control, model, positive drug, low-dose DSS, and high-dose DSS groups. After the intervention, the Morris water maze was used to assess learning and memory abilities of mice, and Nissl staining and hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining were performed to observe pathological changes in the hippocampal tissue. Transcriptomics and metabolomics were employed to sequence brain tissue and identify differential metabolites, analyzing key genes and metabolites related to disease progression. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR) was employed to validate the expression of key genes. The Morris water maze results indicated that DSS significantly improved learning and cognitive function in scopolamine(SCOP)-induced model mice, with the high-dose DSS group showing the best results. Pathological staining showed that DSS effectively reduced hippocampal neuronal damage, increased Nissl body numbers, and reduced nuclear pyknosis and neuronal loss. Transcriptomics identified seven key genes, including neurexin 1(Nrxn1) and sodium voltage-gated channel α subunit 1(Scn1a), and metabolomics revealed 113 differential metabolites, all of which were closely associated with synaptic function, oxidative stress, and metabolic regulation. RT-qPCR experiments confirmed that the expression of these seven key genes was consistent with the transcriptomics results. This study suggests that DSS significantly improves learning and memory in SCOP model mice and alleviates hippocampal neuronal pathological damage. The mechanisms likely involve the modulation of synaptic function, reduction of oxidative stress, and metabolic balance, with these seven key genes serving as important targets for DSS in the treatment of AD.
Animals ; Alzheimer Disease/genetics* ; Male ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Metabolomics ; Transcriptome/drug effects* ; Maze Learning/drug effects* ; Hippocampus/metabolism* ; Humans ; Disease Models, Animal ; Memory/drug effects*

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a genetically heterogeneous disorder characterized by impaired motility of cilia and flagella. Mutations in cilia- and flagella-associated protein 300 ( CFAP300 ) are associated with human PCD and male infertility; however, the underlying pathogenic mechanisms remain poorly understood. In a consanguineous Chinese family, we identified a homozygous CFAP300 loss-of-function variant (c.304delC) in a proband presenting with classical PCD symptoms and severe sperm abnormalities, including dynein arm deficiency and acrosomal malformation, as confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Histological analysis revealed multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagella in CFAP300 -mutant individual, whereas immunofluorescence demonstrated markedly reduced CFAP300 expression in the spermatozoa of the proband. Furthermore, tandem mass tag (TMT)-based quantitative proteomics showed that the CFAP300 mutation reduced key spermatogenesis proteins (e.g., sperm flagellar 2 [SPEF2], solute carrier family 25 member 31 [SLC25A31], and A-kinase anchoring protein 3 [AKAP3]) and mitochondrial ATP synthesis factors (e.g., SLC25A31, cation channel sperm-associated 3 [CATSPER3]). It also triggered abnormal increases in autophagy-related proteins and signaling mediator phosphorylation. These molecular alterations are likely to contribute to progressive deterioration of sperm ultrastructure and function. Notably, successful pregnancy was achieved via intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) using the proband's sperm. Overall, this study expands the known CFAP300 mutational spectrum and offers novel mechanistic insights into its role in spermatogenesis.
Humans ; Male ; Infertility, Male/pathology* ; Acrosome/pathology* ; Sperm Tail/pathology* ; Pedigree ; Spermatozoa ; Adult ; Loss of Function Mutation ; Ciliary Motility Disorders/genetics* ; Spermatogenesis/genetics* ; Female

OBJECTIVE: To explore the key target molecules and potential mechanisms of oridonin against non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: The target molecules of oridonin were retrieved from SEA, STITCH, SuperPred and TargetPred databases; target genes associated with the treatment of NSCLC were retrieved from GeneCards, DisGeNET and TTD databases. Then, the overlapping target molecules between the drug and the disease were identified. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) was constructed using the STRING database according to overlapping targets, and Cytoscape was used to screen for key targets. Molecular docking verification were performed using AutoDockTools and PyMOL software. Using the DAVID database, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis were conducted. The impact of oridonin on the proliferation and apoptosis of NSCLC cells was assessed using cell counting kit-8, cell proliferation EdU image kit, and Annexin V-FITC/PI apoptosis kit respectively. Moreover, real-time quantitative PCR and Western blot were used to verify the potential mechanisms. RESULTS: Fifty-six target molecules and 12 key target molecules of oridonin involved in NSCLC treatment were identified, including tumor protein 53 (TP53), Caspase-3, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 8 (MAPK8), and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). Molecular docking showed that oridonin and its key target molecules bind spontaneously. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses revealed cancer, apoptosis, phosphoinositide-3 kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt), and other signaling pathways. In vitro experiments showed that oridonin inhibited the proliferation, induced apoptosis, downregulated the expression of Bcl-2 and Akt, and upregulated the expression of Caspase-3. CONCLUSION Oridonin can act on multiple targets and pathways to exert its inhibitory effects on NSCLC, and its mechanism may be related to upregulating the expression of Caspase-3 and downregulating the expressions of Akt and Bcl-2.
Diterpenes, Kaurane/chemistry* ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/pathology* ; Humans ; Network Pharmacology ; Lung Neoplasms/pathology* ; Cell Proliferation/drug effects* ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; Protein Interaction Maps/drug effects* ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic/drug effects* ; Reproducibility of Results ; Gene Ontology

Objective:To analyze the efficiency of human resource allocation and its spatial distribution characteristics of district-level Center for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC)in city N of Jiangsu Province in 2020,in order to provide a strong decision-making reference for optimizing and strengthening the CDC talent team.Methods:The efficiency of human resources of district-level CDC of City N in2020 was measured using the Super-Efficiency SBM model,and the spatial association pattern was analyzed using the natural break point classification method and Moran's index,with the visualization presented through LISA maps.Results:The overall level of human resource efficiency in district-level CDC of City N is relatively high.However,spatially,there are significant differences among the regions,showing a trend of high efficiency in the central areas and low efficiency at the ends.Moran's index and LISA maps indicate a negative spatial correlation in efficiency,with a low-high(L-H)cluster centered on Area L and a high-low(H-L)cluster centered on Area J.The high-high(H-H)cluster pattern has not yet formed,exhibiting a characteristic of interspersed high and low efficiency.Conclusions:There are regional differences in the human resource efficiency of the Disease Control Center in City N,and the spatial cluster pattern needs to be optimized.It is recommended to focus on efficiency improvement in Areas P and L,formulate appropriate policies,and promote coordinated regional development.

Aim To investigate the effect of paeonol(PAE)on cardiac hypertrophy induced by Angio-tensinogen Ⅱ(Ang Ⅱ)in rats and its mechanism.Methods Forty Sprague-Dawley rats were divided in-to five groups:control group,Ang Ⅱ model group,low concentration paeonol group,middle concentration pae-onol group,high concentration paeonol group.PAE was administered intragastrically(25,50 and 100 mg·kg-1·d-1)for 28 days.The hypertrophic model was established by adding 1 μmol·L-1 Ang Ⅱ to H9c2 cells for 48 hours.Results In Ang Ⅱ-induced rats,PAE improved echocardiography parameters,the cardi-ac hypertrophy index,the mRNA and protein expres-sion levels of ANP and BNP were decreased,and the cardiac fibrosis was alleviated.In vitro,PAE reduced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and decreased the mRNA and protein expression levels of ANP and BNP in H9c2 cells induced by Ang Ⅱ,at the same time,the expres-sion of endoplasmic reticulum stress marker proteins p-PERK,GRP78,ATF4 and CHOP were decreased and reversed after treatment with the endoplasmic reticulum stress agonist tunicamycin(TN).Conclusion This study suggests that PAE can improve cardiac hypertro-phy by inhibiting endoplasmic reticulum stress,which may be a new drug to delay the development of cardiac hypertrophy.

Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy of oral administration of Guizhi Decoction combined with acupoint application of Banxia Fuling Decoction in the treatment of hyperemesis gravidarum(nausea and vomiting during pregnancy)of taiyin syndrome.Methods Sixty patients with hyperemesis gravidarum of taiyin syndrome were randomly divided into the treatment group and thecontrol group at the ratio of 1∶1,with 30 cases in each group.The control group was given acupoint application of Banxia Fuling Decoction on the acupoints of Zhongwan(CV12),bilateral Neiguan(PC6),bilateral Zusanli(ST36),and bilateral Yinlingquan(SP9).The treatment group was treated with Guizhi Decoction orally on the basis of treatment for the control group.Both groups were treated for 2 weeks.The changes of Pregnancy-Unique Quantification of Emesis(PUQE)score,Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire(NVPPQOL)score and traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome score in the two groups were observed before and after treatment.Multiple linear regression analysis was performed for the exploration of the influencing factors of PUQE score in the two groups before treatment.After treatment,the cured and markedly effective rate,negative conversion rate of pregnancy anxiety and negative conversion rate of urinary ketone bodies were compared between the two groups.Results(1)After 2 weeks of treatment,the cured and markedly effective rate of the treatment group was 86.67%(26/30),and that of the control group was 56.67%(17/30).The intergroup comparison showed that the cured and markedly effective rate of the treatment group was significantly superior to that of the control group(P＜0.05).(2)After treatment,the PUQE score,NVPPQOL score and TCM syndrome score of the two groups were significantly decreased compared with those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the decrease of PUQE score,NVPPQOL score and TCM syndrome score in the treatment group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P＜0.05).(3)Pearson correlation analysis showed that PUQE score was negatively correlated with gestational age(P＜0.05),but had no correlation with gestational weeks and anxiety score(P＞0.05).(4)After treatment,the negative conversion rate of pregnancy anxiety in the treatment group was 16.67%(5/30),and that in the control group was 6.67%(2/30).There was no significant difference between the two groups(P＞0.05).(5)After treatment,the negative conversion rate of urinary ketone bodies in the treatment group was 53.33%(16/30),and that in the control group was 13.33%(4/30).The intergroup comparison showed that the negative conversion rate of urinary ketone bodies in the treatment group was significantly higher than that in the control group(P＜0.01).(6)There were no obvious adverse reactions or adverse events in the two groups during the treatment,and there were no abnormal changes in the blood and urine routine test,liver and kidney function indicators and other safety indexes of the patients,with high safety.Conclusion Oral administration of Guizhi Decoction combined with acupoint application of Banxia Fuling Decoction can effectively alleviate the symptoms of nausea and vomiting,improve the quality of life of patients,and increase the negative conversion rate of urinary ketone bodies in the patients with hyperemesis gravidarum of taiyin syndrome.Moreover,there is a certain correlation of the nausea and vomiting PUQE score with the age of the patients.

Objective To investigate the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs)in the eNOS gene and genetic susceptibility to systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE)in Hainan.Methods Blood samples were collected from SLE patients(SLE group,n=214)and healthy controls(control group,n=214)from January 2020 to December 2022 at the First Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical College and Hainan Provincial People's Hospital.The bases of eNOS gene rs3918188,rs1799983 and rs1007311 loci in each group were detected by SNaPshot sequencing technology.Logistic regression was used to analyze the correlation between genotypes,alleles and gene models(dominant model,recessive model,and overdominant model)of the above 3 target loci of the eNOS gene and genetic susceptibility to SLE.Haplotype analysis was conducted using HaploView 4.2 software to investigate the relationship between haploid and genetic susceptibility to SLE at each site.Results The results of logistic regression analysis revealed that the CC genotype and the C allele at rs3918188 locus were risk factors for genetic susceptibility to SLE(CC vs.AA:OR=2.449,P<0.05;C vs.A:OR=2.133,P<0.001).In recessive model at rs3918188 locus,CC genotype carriers had an increased risk of SLE development compared with AA+AC genotype carriers(OR=2.774,P<0.001).In contrast,in overdominant model at this locus,AC genotype carriers had a decreased risk of SLE occurrence compared with AA+CC genotype carriers(OR=0.385,P<0.001).In addition,polymorphisms of rs1799983 and rs1007311 were not associated with susceptibility to SLE in genotype,allele type and the 3 genetic models(P>0.05).Haplotype analysis revealed a strong linkage disequilibrium between the rs1007311 and rs1799983 loci of the eNOS gene,but no significant correlation was found between haplotype and genetic susceptibility to SLE(P>0.05).Conclusion The CC genotype and C allele at rs3918188 locus of eNOS gene may be risk factors for SLE in Hainan,while the risk of SLE occurrence is reduced in carriers of AC genotype under the overdominant model.

Objective To investigate the risk factors for the failure of ibuprofen treatment in preterm infants with hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus(hsPDA).Methods A retrospective collection of clinical data was conducted on preterm infants with a gestational age of＜34 weeks who were diagnosed with hsPDA and treated at the Department of Neonatology,Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Hubei Province,Tongji Medical College,Huazhong University of Science and Technology,from January 2018 to June 2023.The subjects were divided into two groups based on the treatment approach:the ibuprofen group(95 cases)and the ibuprofen plus surgery group(44 cases).The risk factors for the failure of ibuprofen treatment in preterm infants with hsPDA were identified by binary logistic regression analysis.Results The binary logistic regression analysis revealed that an increased diameter of the ductus arteriosus,a resistance index(RI)value of the middle cerebral artery ≥0.80,and prolonged total invasive mechanical ventilation time were risk factors for the failure of ibuprofen treatment in preterm infants with hsPDA(P＜0.05).Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that a ductus arteriosus diameter＞2.85 mm,a middle cerebral artery RI value ≥0.80,and a total invasive mechanical ventilation time＞16 days had significant predictive value for the failure of ibuprofen treatment in preterm infants with hsPDA(P＜0.05).The combined predictive value of these three factors was the highest,with an area under the curve of 0.843,a sensitivity of 86.5％,and a specificity of 75.0％(P＜0.05).Conclusions A ductus arteriosus diameter＞2.85 mm,a middle cerebral artery RI value ≥0.80,and a total invasive mechanical ventilation time＞16 days are risk factors for the failure of ibuprofen treatment in preterm infants with hsPDA,and they are of significant predictive value for the necessity of surgical treatment following the failure of ibuprofen treatment.[Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics,2024,26(4):343-349]

In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) technology has advanced rapidly and has been widely applied in various fields such as medicine and pharmacy, accelerating the drug development process. Focusing on the application of AI in the discovery and optimization of lead compounds, this review provides a detailed introduction to AI-assisted virtual screening and molecular generation methods for discovering lead compounds, while particularly highlighting the cases of AI-drived drugs into clinical trials. Additionally, we briefly outline the application of AI basic algorithm models in quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) and drug repurposing, offering insights for AI-based drug discovery.

The study explored the pathological mechanism of doxorubicin chemotherapy-induced neurotoxicity and the intervention methods of traditional Chinese medicine. BALB/c mice were selected to establish tumor-bearing mouse models by orthotopic injection of 4T1 triple-negative breast cancer cells. After randomization, the mice were treated with doxorubicin chemotherapy or doxorubicin chemotherapy + Kaixin San(KXS). The lesions in the prefrontal cortex of mice were observed by pathological examination, and the lesion information was obtained by long non-coding RNA sequencing. The occurrence of lesions was determined by Western blot and biochemical indicators. In addition, neuroblastoma cells and microglia cells were used to construct in vitro models, and drug-containing serum and p-AMPK dephosphorylation inhibitors were used to further verify the accuracy of animal experiments. Pathological results showed that KXS could alleviate doxorubicin-induced neuronal degeneration in the prefrontal cortex. The long non-coding RNA sequencing suggested that neuronal degeneration and the intervention process of KXS were related to ferroptosis, immune diseases, AMPK signaling pathway, etc. Western blot and biochemical indicators confirmed that this process was directly related to the activation of the AMPK/HIF-1α/ACSL4 signaling pathway to alleviate ferroptosis of neurons and immune response of glial cells. In conclusion, KXS could alleviate doxorubicin-induced neurotoxicity by activating the AMPK signaling pathway and reducing the ferroptosis of neurons and immune response of glial cells.
Animals ; Doxorubicin/toxicity* ; Mice ; AMP-Activated Protein Kinases/genetics* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Female ; Humans ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Neurotoxicity Syndromes/genetics*