Esophageal cancer is one of the leading causes of death from cancer worldwide. Radiotherapy plays an important role in the treatment of esophageal cancer. Compared with photon radiotherapy, proton radiotherapy significantly reduces normal organ dose due to its unique biophysical properties, which makes this modality potential ideal for esophageal cancer treatment. Proton radiotherapy plays an important role in radical radiotherapy, neoadjuvant radiotherapy and re-radiotherapy for esophageal cancer. The efficacy is equivalent to or better than that of photon radiotherapy, and proton radiotherapy is superior than photon radiotherapy in security. The combination of proton radiotherapy and immunotherapy, the increase of radiotherapy dose, and large-scale randomized controlled studies based on intensity-modulated proton radiotherapy technology will be hot topics for further research.

Objective To explore the value of spectral CT multi-parameter imaging for diagnosing bronchial anthracofibrosis(BAF)complicated with active pulmonary tuberculosis.Methods Totally 77 patients with BAF complicated with atelectasis were retrospectively enrolled.According to undergoing anti-tuberculosis treatment or not during hospitalization,26 patients complicated with active pulmonarg tuberculosis were divided into group A(n=26),while 51 cases without active pulmonarg tuberculosis were divided into group B.Signs indicating active pulmonary tuberculosis(i.e.tree-in-bud sign or centrilobular nodules)on chest spectral CT images were analyzed.Non-enhanced CT(NECT)values,single-energy CT values at 40 keV(CT40 kev)and 70 keV(CT70 kev),as well as effective atomic number(Zeff),iodine concentration(IC),calcium concentration(CC)and hydroxyapatite concentration(HAP)in the arterial phase and venous phase of enhancement at the site of bronchial obstruction and in subcarinal lymph nodes were measured.the slope of spectral line(λ40-70keV)was calculated and compared between groups.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was plotted,and the area under the curve(AUC)was used to evaluate the efficacy of the above parameter alone and their combinations for diagnosing BAF complicated with active pulmonarg tuberculosis.Results The displaying rate of active pulmonary tuberculosis CT signs in group A was higher than that in group B(P=0.005).NECT values,enhanced venous phase CT40kev,λ40-70 kev,as well as Zeff,IC,CC and HAP at the site of bronchial obstruction in group A were all lower than those in group B(all P＜0.05).The AUC of active pulmonary tuberculosis CT signs for assessing BAF complicated with active pulmonary tuberculosis was 0.659,of the combination of CT quantitative parameters at the site of bronchial obstruction was 0.769,while of the combination of CT signs and CT quantitative parameters was 0.825,higher than of active pulmonary tuberculosis CT signs alone(P＜0.05).Conclusion Spectral CT multi-parameter imaging could be used to effectively diagnose BAF complicated with active pulmonary tuberculosis.

Objective To explore the value of spectral CT multi-parameter imaging for diagnosing bronchial anthracofibrosis(BAF)complicated with active pulmonary tuberculosis.Methods Totally 77 patients with BAF complicated with atelectasis were retrospectively enrolled.According to undergoing anti-tuberculosis treatment or not during hospitalization,26 patients complicated with active pulmonarg tuberculosis were divided into group A(n=26),while 51 cases without active pulmonarg tuberculosis were divided into group B.Signs indicating active pulmonary tuberculosis(i.e.tree-in-bud sign or centrilobular nodules)on chest spectral CT images were analyzed.Non-enhanced CT(NECT)values,single-energy CT values at 40 keV(CT40 kev)and 70 keV(CT70 kev),as well as effective atomic number(Zeff),iodine concentration(IC),calcium concentration(CC)and hydroxyapatite concentration(HAP)in the arterial phase and venous phase of enhancement at the site of bronchial obstruction and in subcarinal lymph nodes were measured.the slope of spectral line(λ40-70keV)was calculated and compared between groups.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was plotted,and the area under the curve(AUC)was used to evaluate the efficacy of the above parameter alone and their combinations for diagnosing BAF complicated with active pulmonarg tuberculosis.Results The displaying rate of active pulmonary tuberculosis CT signs in group A was higher than that in group B(P=0.005).NECT values,enhanced venous phase CT40kev,λ40-70 kev,as well as Zeff,IC,CC and HAP at the site of bronchial obstruction in group A were all lower than those in group B(all P＜0.05).The AUC of active pulmonary tuberculosis CT signs for assessing BAF complicated with active pulmonary tuberculosis was 0.659,of the combination of CT quantitative parameters at the site of bronchial obstruction was 0.769,while of the combination of CT signs and CT quantitative parameters was 0.825,higher than of active pulmonary tuberculosis CT signs alone(P＜0.05).Conclusion Spectral CT multi-parameter imaging could be used to effectively diagnose BAF complicated with active pulmonary tuberculosis.

As people's living standards improve， the development trend of diabetes has gradually become severe. Diabetes is a chronic inflammatory disease associated with abnormal expression of nuclear factor-kappa B （NF-κB） in patients. NF-κB exists in various tissue cells and participates in the regulation of a variety of genes related to immune function and inflammation. Varieties of factors can activate NF-κB when the body is stimulated by external factors， so as to produce inflammation and other reactions. Previous studies on NF-κB mainly focus on cancer， and the pathological mechanism of the treatment of diabetes by related signaling pathways and the progress of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） treatment have not been systematically elaborated on. By referring to the relevant literature in China and abroad， it was found that NF-κB is not isolated in the development and progression of diabetes but is associated with signal molecules related to inflammation， oxidative stress， and energy metabolism， and it is involved in mediating inflammation， pancreatic β cell apoptosis， insulin signal transduction， and other physiological functions. Therefore， blocking the transmission of NF-κB signaling pathway is beneficial to the treatment of diabetes. At present， Western medicine for the treatment of diabetes mainly includes oral hypoglycemic drugs and insulin injections， but the adverse reactions are obvious. TCM has been characterized by multi-target， extensive action， and excellent curative effects in the treatment of diabetes. TCM and its compounds with functions of tonifying Qi and promoting blood circulation， regulating qi and eliminating phlegm， clearing heat and detoxifying， and nourishing Yin and moistening dryness can effectively intervene in the abnormal expression of NF-κB signaling pathway in vivo through anti-inflammatory effects. In this paper， the association between NF-κB signaling pathway and diabetes was summarized， and the modern research progress of TCM intervention of NF-κB signaling pathway in the treatment of diabetes in the past five years was reviewed， so as to lay a laboratory foundation for the study of a new pathological mechanism of diabetes based on NF-κB signaling pathway and provide new targets and research direction for the prevention and treatment of diabetes and development of related TCM.

Objective To explore the neuroprotective effect of curcumin(Cur)on Parkinson's disease model and its mechanism.Methods Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into the control(CON)group,the model(PD)group,and the low-,medium-,and highdose curcumin(Cur)groups,with ten rats in each group.Lipopolysaccharide was injected into the substantia nigra to establish a Parkinson's disease model.Rats in the Cur groups were administered Cur intraperitoneally at doses of 20 mg/kg,40 mg/kg,and 60 mg/kg daily for 21 days.α-synuclein(α-syn),nuclear transcription factor κB proteins(NF-κB,IKBα,p-NF-κB,p-IKBα)and the activation levels of astrocytes were detected in rat brain tissues by immunohistochemistry(IHC).mRNA levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines(TNF-α,IL-β,IFN-γ,IL-6),inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS),cyclooxygenase-2(COX-2),NADPH oxidase complex(gp47phox,gp91phox,gp67phox),and apoptosis-related factors(Bax,Bcl-2,Caspase-3,and Caspase-9)were measured by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR).The rotarod and pole climbing tests were used to evaluate the motor coordination of the rats.Results Compared to the CON group,PD rats showed significantly increased levels of α-syn,p-NF-κB,p-IKBα proteins,activation of astrocytes,TNF-α,IL-β,IFN-γ,IL-6,iNOS,COX-2,Bax,Caspase-3,Caspase-9,gp47phox,gp91phox and gp67phox mRNA levels(P<0.05);while the Bcl-2 level was significantly decreased(P<0.05).Compared with the PD group,the medium-and high-dose Cur treatment groups inhibited the aggregation of α-syn protein,reduced the activation of the NF-κB pathway,and the expression of inflammatory and apoptosis-related factors(P<0.05).Moreover,medium and high doses of Cur significantly improved the motor coordination in rats,and compared with the PD group,the performance of rotarod and pole climbing tests was significantly improved(P<0.05).Conclusion cur may inhibit the aggregation of α-syn by suppressing neuroinflammation and oxidative stress responses,thereby improving motor coordination in Parkinson's disease rats and exerting neuroprotective effects.

ObjectiveTo observe the effect of water extract of Mori Folium （MLE） on oxidative stress in adipose tissue of type 2 diabetes mellitus （T2DM） mice and explore its mechanism. MethodTwenty-four male db/db mice were randomly divided into model group， metformin group， low-dose MLE （MLE-L） group， and high-dose MLE （MLE-H） group according to their body weight and blood glucose， with six mice in each group， and other six C57BLKS/JGpt wild littermate mice were selected as normal group. The mice in the metformin group were given 200 mg·kg^-1 metformin suspension， and the mice in the MLE-L and MLE-H groups were respectively given 2 g·kg^-1 and 4 g·kg^-1 MLE， while the mice in the normal group and model group were given the same dose of deionized water by daily gavage for eight weeks. Body weight， subcutaneous fat index， fasting blood glucose （FBG）， and oral glucose tolerance level （OGTT） of the mice were detected， and serum superoxide dismutase （SOD）， glutathione peroxidase （GSH-Px）， and malondialdehyde （MDA） were measured. The expression levels of silent information regulator 1 （SIRT1） and NADPH oxidase type 4 （NOX4） protein in subcutaneous adipose tissue of the mice were detected by Western blot. ResultThe FBG level， OGTT， and subcutaneous fat index of T2DM mice were significantly decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01） after administration of MLE compared with the blank group. The contents of serum SOD and GSH were significantly increased， while the level of oxidative stress damage marker MDA was significantly decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The expression of SIRT1 protein in adipose tissue was significantly increased， while the expression of NOX4 protein was significantly decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionMLE can ameliorate T2DM by alleviating oxidative stress in adipose tissue of T2DM mice and reducing blood glucose.

ObjectiveTo investigate the protective effects of Mori Folium extract （MLE） on the kidney of db/db diabetic mice and its mechanism. MethodTwenty-four male C57BLKS/JGpt-Leprdb/Leprdb （db/db） mice were randomly divided into model group， metformin group， low-dose group of MLE （MLE-L）， and high-dose group of MLE （MLE-H） according to their fasting blood glucose （FBG）， with six mice in each group， and other six C57BLKS/JGpt wild littermate （m/m） mice were selected as normal group. The mice in the drug administration groups were given corresponding drugs by gavage， and the mice in the normal group and model group were given the same dose of deionized water by gavage once a day for continuous eight weeks. Body weight， bilateral kidney weight， and FBG were measured， and an oral glucose tolerance test （OGTT） was performed. The pathological changes in the kidney tissue of mice were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） and periodic acid-silver （PAS） staining， and serum creatinine （SCr） and blood urea nitrogen （BUN） levels were detected. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to detect the levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha （TNF-α） and interleukin-6 （IL-6） in serum and urinary microalbumin （U-mAlb） of mice. The expression levels of toll-like receptor 4 （TLR4）， myeloid differentiation factor 88 （MyD88）， and nuclear factor-kappa B p65 （NF-κB p65） protein in kidney tissue of mice were tested by Western blot. ResultCompared with the normal group， the body weight， absolute renal weight， FBG， and the area under the curve （AUC） of OGTT of mice in the model group were significantly increased （P<0.01）， and the levels of SCr， BUN， and U-mAlb， as well as TNF-α and IL-6 in serum were significantly increased （P<0.01）. The glomerular basement membrane in the kidney tissue of mice was thicker， with obvious inflammatory cell infiltration. The protein expression levels of TLR4， MyD88， and NF-κB p65 in the kidney tissue of mice were increased significantly （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， there was no statistical difference in the body weight of mice in each drug administration group. The absolute renal weight of mice in the MLE-H and metformin groups was significantly reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The FBG levels of mice in the metformin， MLE-L， and MLE-H groups started to decrease after treatment for four to eight weeks （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The AUC of mice in the MLE-H and metformin groups was significantly decreased （P<0.01）. The levels of SCr， BUN， and U-mAlb of mice in the MLE-H and metformin groups were significantly decreased （P<0.01）， and those of SCr and U-mAlb of mice in the MLE-L group were significantly decreased （P<0.01）. The levels of TNF-α and IL-6 in the serum of mice in the MLE-H and metformin groups were significantly decreased （P<0.01）. The renal tissue pathology of mice in each drug administration group was improved to varying degrees， and the protein expression levels of TLR4， MyD88， and NF-κB p65 in the MLE-H group were decreased significantly （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionMLE can improve the renal structure and function of db/db diabetic mice， and its mechanism may be related to the inhibition of the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Mori Folium， the dried leaves of Morus alba， is widely used in clinical practice for dispersing wind and heat， clearing the lung and moistening dryness， soothing the liver and improving vision， and cooling blood and stopping bleeding. It has been used to regulate blood glucose since ancient times， and modern studies have shown that the active components of Mori Folium for lowering blood glucose mainly include flavonoids， alkaloids， polysaccharides， and phenols. These components are mainly extracted by solvents such as water and alcohols with the assistance of ultrasound and microwave. In addition， new extraction methods are emerging， such as CO₂ supercritical fluid extraction， enzymatic hydrolysis， and cloud point extraction. Mori Folium lowers blood glucose via multiple components， pathways， and targets. Specifically， it can improve glucose and lipid metabolism， protect pancreatic β cells， and alleviate insulin resistance to reduce the damage caused by hyperglycemia and restore normal physiological functions. Although a large number of studies have been carried out on diabetes， the causes and radical treatment methods remain to be explored， and diabetes is still a major disease that endangers human health and needs to be solved urgently. The articles about extraction process and mechanism of active components in Mori Folium for lowering blood glucose were retrieved from the China National Knowledge Infrastructure （CNKI）， Web of Science， and PubMed. We analyzed the applicable extraction methods for the blood glucose-lowering components such as flavonoids， polysaccharides， and alkaloids in Mori Folium， and compared the conventional and emerging methods. Furthermore， we summarized our research achievements in the extraction of active components from Mori Folium and the blood glucose-lowering effect and mechanisms. This review aims to provide theoretical support for the optimization of the extraction process， the research on the blood glucose-lowering components and mechanism， and the development of new drugs and clinical application of Mori Folium.

Mulberry (Morus alba L.) leaf is a well-established traditional Chinese botanical and culinary resource. It has found widespread application in the management of diabetes. The bioactive constituents of mulberry leaf, specifically mulberry leaf flavonoids (MLFs), exhibit pronounced potential in the amelioration of type 2 diabetes (T2D). This potential is attributed to their ability to safeguard pancreatic β cells, enhance insulin resistance, and inhibit α-glucosidase activity. Our antecedent research findings underscore the substantial therapeutic efficacy of MLFs in treating T2D. However, the precise mechanistic underpinnings of MLF's anti-T2D effects remain the subject of inquiry. Activation of brown/beige adipocytes is a novel and promising strategy for T2D treatment. In the present study, our primary objective was to elucidate the impact of MLFs on adipose tissue browning in db/db mice and 3T3-L1 cells and elucidate its underlying mechanism. The results manifested that MLFs reduced body weight and food intake, alleviated hepatic steatosis, improved insulin sensitivity, and increased lipolysis and thermogenesis in db/db mice. Moreover, MLFs activated brown adipose tissue (BAT) and induced the browning of inguinal white adipose tissue (IWAT) and 3T3-L1 adipocytes by increasing the expressions of brown adipocyte marker genes and proteins such as uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) and beige adipocyte marker genes such as transmembrane protein 26 (Tmem26), thereby promoting mitochondrial biogenesis. Mechanistically, MLFs facilitated the activation of BAT and the induction of WAT browning to ameliorate T2D primarily through the activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)/sirtuin 1 (SIRT1)/peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator 1α (PGC-1α) signaling pathway. These findings highlight the unique capacity of MLF to counteract T2D by enhancing BAT activation and inducing browning of IWAT, thereby ameliorating glucose and lipid metabolism disorders. As such, MLFs emerge as a prospective and innovative browning agent for the treatment of T2D.
Mice ; Animals ; Adipose Tissue, Brown ; Sirtuin 1/pharmacology* ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/metabolism* ; AMP-Activated Protein Kinases/metabolism* ; Morus/metabolism* ; Flavonoids/metabolism* ; Prospective Studies ; Signal Transduction ; Adipose Tissue, White ; Plant Leaves ; Uncoupling Protein 1/metabolism* ; Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma Coactivator 1-alpha/metabolism*

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of rutin on the browning of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes and the mechanism. MethodCell counting kit-8 （CCK-8） assay was used to detect the effect of different concentration of rutin （3.125， 6.25， 12.5， 25， 50， 100， 200 μmol·L^-1） on 3T3-L1 cell activity， and Western blot to examine the effect of rutin （12.5， 25， 50 μmol·L^-1） on the expression of thermogenesis-associated proteins uncoupling protein 1 （UCP1）， PR domain containing 16 （PRDM16） and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator-1α （PGC-1α） in adipocytes. After the optimal concentration of rutin was determined， the effect of rutin on lipid droplet formation in adipocytes was observed based on oil red O staining， and the expression of nuclear respiratory factor 1 （NRF1）， nuclear respiratory factor 2 （NRF2） and mitochondrial transcription factor A （TFAM）， which were the landmark proteins of mitochondrial biosynthesis， was detected by Western blot. ResultCompared with the blank group， 200 μmol·L^-1 rutin inhibited 3T3-L1 cell activity （P<0.01）. Compared with the blank group， at the concentration of 12.5， 25， 50 μmol·L^-1 rutin significantly promoted the expression of thermogenesis-associated proteins （UCP1， PRDM16， and PGC-1α） （P<0.01）， which was determined as the optimal concentration. Compared with the blank group， 50 μmol·L^-1 rutin significantly increased the immunofluorescence intensity of mitochondrial UCP1 protein in 3T3-L1 cells （P<0.01） and the expression of the markers of mitochondrial biosynthesis （NRF1， NRF2， and TFAM） （P<0.01）. In addition， 50 μmol·L^-1 rutin significantly inhibited lipid droplet formation of 3T3-L1 adipocytes （P<0.01）. ConclusionRutin inhibited lipid droplet deposition in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and increased the expression of thermogenesis-related proteins （UCP1， PRDM16， and PGC-1α） and markers of mitochondrial biosynthesis （NRF1， NRF2， and TFAM）， thereby inducing the browning of 3T3-L1 adipocytes. This lays a basis for the development of drugs that safely regulate the browning of white cells.