ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of quercetin on acute gouty arthritis （GA） in rats by inhibiting the reactive oxygen species （ROS）/NOD-like receptor protein 3 （NLRP3）/interleukin-1β （IL-1β） signaling pathway. MethodsSixty SPF-grade male SD rats were randomized into normal， model， colchicine （0.3 mg·kg^-1）， and low-， medium-， and high-dose （25， 50， 100 mg·kg^-1， respectively） quercetin groups （n=10）. The rats in the dosing groups were administrated with the corresponding drugs （10 mL·kg^-1） by gavage once a day for one week. An equal volume of normal saline was given by gavage to rats in normal and model groups. One hour after drug administration on day 5， an acute GA model was established in other groups except the control group via intra-articular injection of monosodium urate （MSU） suspension into the right posterior ankle joint cavity. The joint swelling and gait were scored at the time points of 6， 12， 24， 48 h after modeling. Histopathological alterations in the ankle joint tissue from each group were assessed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. Malondialdehyde （MDA）， xanthine oxidase （XOD）， and total superoxide dismutase （T-SOD） assay kits were used to assess the levels of MDA， XOD， and T-SOD in the serum. The levels of tumor interleukin-6 （IL-6）， necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， and IL-1β in the rat serum， as well as ROS in the ankle joint tissue， were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Western blot was performed to determine the protein levels of NLRP3， thioredoxin-interacting protein （TXNIP）， apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD domain （ASC）， precursor cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteinase-1 （pro-Caspase-1）， cleaved Caspase-1 （Caspase-1 p20）， and IL-1β in the ankle joint tissue. Real-time PCR was employed to assess the mRNA levels of TXNIP， NLRP3， ASC， IL-1β， and TNF-α in the ankle joint tissue. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group exhibited decreased spontaneous activity， mental fatigue， increased ankle joint swelling and gait scores （P<0.01）， aggravated synovial tissue edema and inflammatory cell infiltration （P<0.01）， elevated levels of XOD， MDA， TNF-α， IL-1β， and IL-6 in the serum and ROS in the joint tissue （P<0.01）， a declined level of T-SOD （P<0.01）， up-regulated protein levels of NLRP3， TXNIP， ASC， pro-Caspase-1， Caspase-1 p20， and IL-1β in the ankle joint tissue （P<0.01）， and up-regulated mRNA levels of NLRP3， TXNIP， ASC， IL-1β， and TNF-α in the ankle joint tissue （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the medium- and high-dose quercetin groups showed improved general conditions， decreased gait scores （P<0.05， P<0.01）， reduced joint swelling （P<0.01）， alleviated synovial tissue edema and inflammatory cell infiltration （P<0.05， P<0.01）， lowered levels of XOD， MDA， TNF-α， IL-1β， and IL-6 in the serum and ROS in the joint tissue （P<0.01）， increased levels of T-SOD （P<0.01）， down-regulated protein levels of TXNIP， NLRP3， ASC， pro-Caspase-1， Caspase-1 p20， and IL-1β in the ankle joint tissue （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and down-regulated mRNA levels of TXNIP， NLRP3， ASC， IL-1β， and TNF-α in the ankle joint tissue （P<0.01）. Low-dose quercetin also ameliorated some of the above parameters （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionQuercetin exerts anti-GA effects by blocking the ROS/NLRP3/IL-1β signaling pathway， downregulating NLRP3 inflammasome activation， and inhibiting the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines including TNF-α， IL-1β， and IL-6.

Objective To explore the feasibility and reference value of allogeneic lung transplantation and postoperative monitoring in miniature pigs for lung transplantation research. Methods Two miniature pigs (R1 and R2) underwent left lung allogeneic transplantation. Complement-dependent cytotoxicity tests and blood cross-matching were performed before surgery. The main operative times and partial pressure of arterial oxygen (PaO₂) after opening the pulmonary artery were recorded during surgery. Postoperatively, routine blood tests, biochemical blood indicators and inflammatory factors were detected, and pathological examinations of multiple organs were conducted. Results The complement-dependent cytotoxicity test showed that the survival rate of lymphocytes between donors and recipients was 42.5%-47.3%, and no agglutination reaction occurred in the cross-matching. The first warm ischemia times of D1 and D2 were 17 min and 10 min, respectively, and the cold ischemia times were 246 min and 216 min, respectively. Ultimately, R1 and R2 survived for 1.5 h and 104 h, respectively. Postoperatively, in R1, albumin (ALB) and globulin (GLB) decreased, and alanine aminotransferase increased; in R2, ALB, GLB and aspartate aminotransferase all increased. Urea nitrogen and serum creatinine increased in both recipients. Pathological results showed that in R1, the transplanted lung had partial consolidation with inflammatory cell infiltration, and multiple organs were congested and damaged. In R2, the transplanted lung had severe necrosis with fibrosis, and multiple organs had mild to moderate damage. The expression levels of interleukin-1β and interleukin-6 increased in the transplanted lungs. Conclusions The allogeneic lung transplantation model in miniature pigs may systematically evaluate immunological compatibility, intraoperative function and postoperative organ damage. The data obtained may provide technical references for subsequent lung transplantation research.

OBJECTIVE To identify tortoiseshell glue and antler glue in Qichong zuogui granules， and determine the contents of 12 chemical components. METHODS Identification and content determination were performed by using liquid chromatography- tandem mass spectrometry （LC-MS/MS） method. The identification was performed on Hypersil GOLD column with a mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile-0.1% formic acid solution （gradient elution）； the electrospray ion source was used to scan in the positive ion multi-reaction detection mode. The mass charge ratio （m/z） 631.3→546.4， 631.3→921.4 was the detection ion pair for tortoiseshell glue， and the m/z 765.4→554.0， 765.4→733.0 was the detection ion pair for antler glue. The determination method for 12 chemical components was as follows： Accucore C18 column， methanol-0.1% formic acid as mobile phase （gradient elution）； scanning range of positive and negative ions was m/z 100→1 000 with the electric spray ion source and single ion detection scanning mode. RESULTS Average retention times of the molecular ion peaks for characteristic peptide segments of tortoiseshell glue and antler glue were 6.28 and 6.77 min， respectively； the linear relationship of 12 chemical components was good within their respective concentration ranges， such as astragaloside Ⅳ， calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucoside， calycosin， chlorogenic acid， ferulic acid， betaine， amygdalin， rutin， hydroxysafflor yellow A， hyperoside， loganin， cyasterone （r＞0.999）； RSDs for precision， stability （24 h） and reproducibility tests were all less than 5%. The average sample recovery rates ranged from 98.04% to 101.08%. The average contents of 12 components were 1.83， 25.73， 13.76，56.71， 23.80， 49.82， 807.49， 15.01， 317.02， 60.21， 202.71 and 17.70 μg/g， respectively. CONCLUSIONS In this study， tortoiseshell glue and antler glue in Qixiong zuogui granules are identified， and the contents of 12 chemical components therein are determined. This provides a reference for the quality control of this granule.

BACKGROUND:Psoralen has a strong anti-osteoporotic activity and may have a restorative effect on chemotherapy-induced osteoporosis. OBJECTIVE:To explore the restorative effect of psoralen on the osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in mice inhibited by cyclophosphamide and its mechanism. METHODS:C57BL/6 mouse bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were isolated and cultured.Effect of psoralen on viability of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells was detected by MTT assay.Osteogenic induction combined with alkaline phosphatase staining was used to determine the optimal dose of psoralen to restore the osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells inhibited by cyclophosphamide.The mRNA expression levels of Runx2,alkaline phosphatase,Osteocalcin,osteoprotegerin,and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway-related genes Wnt1,Wnt4,Wnt10b,β-catenin,and c-MYC were measured by RT-qPCR at different time points under the intervention with psoralen.The protein expression of osteogenic specific transcription factor Runx2 and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway related genes Active β-catenin,DKK1,c-MYC,and Cyclin D1 was determined by western blot assay at different time points under the intervention with psoralen. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)There was no significant effect of different concentrations of psoralen on the viability of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.The best recovery of the inhibition of osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells caused by cyclophosphamide was under the intervention of psoralen at a concentration of 200 μmol/L.(2)Psoralen reversed the reduction in osteogenic differentiation marker genes Runx2,alkaline phosphatase,Osteocalcin and osteoprotegerin mRNA expression and Runx2 protein expression in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells caused by cyclophosphamide conditioned medium.(3)Psoralen reversed the decrease in Wnt/β-catenin pathway-related genes Wnt4,β-catenin,c-MYC mRNA and Active β-catenin,c-MYC,and Cyclin D1 protein expression and the increase in DKK1 protein expression in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells caused by cyclophosphamide conditioned medium.(4)The results showed that cyclophosphamide inhibited osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in mice,and psoralen had a restorative effect on it.The best intervention effect was achieved at a concentration of 200 μmol/L psoralen,and this protective effect might be related to the activation of Wnt4/β-catenin signaling pathway by psoralen.

Diabetic cardiomyopathy （DCM） is a myocardium-specific microvascular disease caused by diabetes mellitus that impairs the structure and function of the heart. It is the major cause of morbidity and mortality in diabetic individuals. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has extensive clinical experience and precise efficacy in treating DCM， and its multi-target， multi-pathway， multi-component， and low side effect approach can slow the progression of DCM and improve the symptoms while effectively dealing with the complexity and long-term nature of its pathological process. Many recent studies have demonstrated that pyroptosis accompanied by inflammatory response is one of the main types of myocardial injury in DCM， which promotes the development of DCM and is closely related to pathological changes such as oxidative stress， myocardial fibrosis， myocardial hypertrophy， and decreased cardiac function in the course of DCM. These findings also provide a theoretical foundation for future research into potential therapy techniques and intervention mechanisms for DCM. By searching and analyzing relevant literature from several databases， including CNKI， PubMed， Web of Science， Excerpt Medica， Science Direct， and Springer， this study aimed to comprehensively analyze the characteristics of the effects of TCM and compounds in intervening in cardiomyocyte pyroptosis in DCM in recent years and explore the potential mechanisms. It also reveals the potential of effective components of TCM and compounds in preventing and controlling DCM from the standpoint of cardiomyocyte pyroptosis and provides a new way of thinking and more experimental evidence for the clinical application of TCM in treating DCM.

The number of patients with reduced blood volume due to haemorrhage, fractures, severe infections, extensive burns and tumours is increasing, and traditional blood products are no longer able to meet the increasing clinical demand. Therefore, plasma substitutes have become particularly important in fluid resuscitation, especially artificial colloidal solutions, which have a sustained volume expansion time and a good volume expansion effect, and can significantly improve the circulatory status of patients. This article aims to review the classification of artificial colloidal plasma substitutes and their research progress in clinical practice, in order provide a more rigorous, professional and standardized reference for medicine.

ObjectiveTo investigate the influencing factors for hepatic hydrothorax （HH） before intervention for primary hepatic carcinoma （PHC）， and to construct and assess the nomogram risk prediction model. MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 353 hospitalized patients who attended the Third People’s Hospital of Kunming for the first time from October 2012 to October 2021 and there diagnosed with PHC， and according to the presence or absence of HH， they were divided into HH group with 153 patients and non-HH group with 200 patients. General data and the data of initial clinical testing after admission were collected from all PHC patients. The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups， and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups； the chi-square test or the Fisher’s exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups. After the multicollinearity test was performed for the variables with statistical significance determined by the univariate analysis， the multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent influencing factors. The “rms” software package was used to construct a nomogram risk prediction model， and the Hosmer-Lemeshow test and the receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve were used to assess the risk prediction model； the “Calibration Curves” software package was used to plot the calibration curve， and the “rmda” software package was used to plot the clinical decision curve and the clinical impact curve. ResultsAmong the 353 patients with PHC， there were 153 patients with HH， with a prevalence rate of 43.34%. Child-Pugh class B （odds ratio ［OR］=2.652， 95% confidence interval ［CI］： 1.050 — 6.698， P=0.039）， Child-Pugh class C （OR=7.963， 95%CI： 1.046‍ ‍—‍ ‍60.632， P=0.045）， total protein （OR=0.947， 95%CI： 0.914‍ ‍—‍ ‍0.981， P=0.003）， high-sensitivity C-reactive protein （OR=1.007， 95%CI： 1.001‍ ‍—‍ ‍1.014， P=0.025）， and interleukin-2 （OR=0.801， 95%CI： 0.653‍ ‍—‍ ‍0.981， P=0.032） were independent influencing factors for HH before PHC intervention， and a nomogram risk prediction model was established based on these factors. The Hosmer-Lemeshow test showed that the model had a good degree of fitting （χ²=5.006， P=0.757）， with an area under the ROC curve of 0.752 （95%CI： 0.701‍ ‍—‍ ‍0.803）， a sensitivity of 78.40%， and a specificity of 63.50%. The calibration curve showed that the model had good consistency in predicting HH before PHC intervention， and the clinical decision curve and the clinical impact curve showed that the model had good clinical practicability within a certain threshold range. ConclusionChild-Pugh class， total protein， interleukin-2， and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein are independent influencing factors for developing HH before PHC intervention， and the nomogram model established based on these factors can effectively predict the risk of developing HH.

ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism of ferroptosis mediated by long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase 4 （ACSL4） signalling pathway in rats with coronary heart disease with blood stasis syndrome and the intervention effect of Xuefu Zhuyutang. MethodsSPF male SD rats were randomly divided into normal group， sham-operation group， model group， trimetazidine group （5.4 mg·kg^-1）， low-， medium-， and high-dose group （3.51， 7.02，14.04 g·kg^-1） of Xuefu Zhuyutang. The coronary artery left anterior descending ligation method was used to prepare a model of coronary heart disease with blood stasis syndrome， and continuous treatment for 7 d was conducted， while the sham-operation group was only threaded and not ligated. The general macroscopic symptoms of the rats were observed， and indicators such as electrocardiogram， echocardiography， and blood rheology were detected. The pathological morphology of myocardial tissue was observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining， and the changes in mitochondria in myocardial tissue were observed by transmission electron microscopy. The level of iron deposition in myocardial tissue was observed by Prussian blue staining. The levels of 12-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid （12-HETE） and 15-HETE were detected in serum by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. A biochemical colourimetric assay was used to detect the levels of Fe²⁺， lipid peroxidation （LPO）， glutathione （GSH）， and T-GSH/glutathione disulfide （GSSG） in myocardial tissue. DCFH-DA fluorescence quantitative assay was employed to detect the levels of reactive oxygen species （ROS）. Western blot and Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was adopted to detect the protein and mRNA expressions of glutathione peroxidase 4 （GPX4）， ferritin heavy chain 1 （FTH1）， ACSL4， and ly-sophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase3 （LPCAT3） in myocardial tissue. ResultsCompared with those in the normal group， the rats in the model group were poor in general macroscopic symptoms. The electrocardiogram showed widened QRS wave amplitude and increased voltage， bow-back elevation of the ST segments， elevated T waves， J-point elevation， and accelerated heart rate. Echocardiography showed a significant reduction in left ventricular ejection fraction （LVEF） and left ventricular fraction shortening （LVFS） （P<0.01）. Blood rheology showed that the viscosity of the whole blood （low， medium， and high rate of shear） was significantly increased （P<0.01）. HE staining showed an abnormal structure of myocardial tissue. There was a large area of myocardial necrosis and inflammatory cell infiltration and a large number of connective tissue between myocardial fibers. Transmission electron microscopy showed that the mitochondria were severely atrophy or swelling. The cristae were reduced or even broken， and the matrix was flocculent or even vacuolated. Prussian blue staining showed that there were a large number of iron-containing particles， and the iron deposition was obvious. The content of 12-HETE and 15-HETE in the serum was significantly increased （P<0.01）. The content of Fe²⁺， LPO， and ROS in myocardial tissue was significantly increased （P<0.01）. The content of GSH was significantly decreased （P<0.01）， and T-GSH/GSSG was decreased （P<0.01）. The protein and mRNA expressions of GPX4 and FTH1 in myocardial tissue were both significantly decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）， while those of ACSL4 and LPCAT3 increased significantly （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the general macroscopic symptoms and electrocardiogram results of rats in low-， medium- and high-dose groups of Xuefu Zhuyutang were alleviated， and the differences in LVEF/LVFS ratios were all significantly increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The differences in whole-blood viscosity （low， medium， and high rate of shear） were all significantly decreased （P<0.01）. The results of HE staining and transmission electron microscopy showed that the morphology， structure， and mitochondria of cardiomyocytes were improved. The content of 12-HETE and 15-HETE in serum was reduced to different degrees in low-， medium-， and high-dose groups of Xuefu Zhuyutang （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The content of Fe²⁺， LPO， and ROS was significantly reduced in the medium- and high-dose groups of Xuefu Zhuyutang （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the content of GSH and T-GSH/GSSG was significantly increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The protein and mRNA expressions of GPX4 and FTH1 were significantly increased to varying degrees in the medium- and high-dose groups of Xuefu Zhuyutang （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and ACSL4 and LPCAT3 were decreased to different degrees in the low-， medium-， and high-dose groups of Xuefu Zhuyutang （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionXuefu Zhuyutang can regulate iron metabolism and anti-lipid oxidation reaction to mediate ferroptosis through the ACSL4 signalling pathway， thus exerting a protective effect on rats with coronary heart disease with blood stasis syndrome.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a prevalent neurodegenerative condition characterized by progressive cognitive decline and memory loss. As the incidence of AD continues to rise annually, researchers have shown keen interest in the active components found in natural plants and their neuroprotective effects against AD. Quercetin, a flavonol widely present in fruits and vegetables, has multiple biological effects including anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant. Oxidative stress plays a central role in the pathogenesis of AD, and the antioxidant properties of quercetin are essential for its neuroprotective function. Quercetin can modulate multiple signaling pathways related to AD, such as Nrf2-ARE, JNK, p38 MAPK, PON2, PI3K/Akt, and PKC, all of which are closely related to oxidative stress. Furthermore, quercetin is capable of inhibiting the aggregation of β‑amyloid protein (Aβ) and the phosphorylation of tau protein, as well as the activity of β‑secretase 1 and acetylcholinesterase, thus slowing down the progression of the disease.The review also provides insights into the pharmacokinetic properties of quercetin, including its absorption, metabolism, and excretion, as well as its bioavailability challenges and clinical applications. To improve the bioavailability and enhance the targeting of quercetin, the potential of quercetin nanomedicine delivery systems in the treatment of AD is also discussed. In summary, the multifaceted mechanisms of quercetin against AD provide a new perspective for drug development. However, translating these findings into clinical practice requires overcoming current limitations and ongoing research. In this way, its therapeutic potential in the treatment of AD can be fully utilized.

ObjectiveTo assess the predictive value of the bladder deformation index (BDI) in determining upper urinary tract (UUT) damage among patients with neurogenic bladder (NB). MethodsClinical data of 132 NB patients admitted to Beijing Bo'ai Hospital from January, 2015 to December, 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into UUT damage group and normal UUT group according to the presence or absence of hydronephrosis. The demographics, biochemical parameters and video-urodynamics (VUDS) findings were collected, and BDI was calculated. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were utilized to evaluate the predictive capability. ResultsThere were 54 patients in UUT damage group and 33 in normal UUT group. The course of disease, creatinine level and BDI were siginificantly different between two groups (P < 0.05), while the area under the curve were 0.686, 0.836 and 0.928, respectively. ConclusionCourse of disease, creatinine level and BDI are associated with UUT damage in NB patients, and BDI demonstrates the highest sensitivity and specificity, which may play a role in diagnosis of UUT damage.