ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism of liver injury induced by tripterygium glycosides tablets （TG） and the molecular mechanism of compound glycyrrhizin tablets （CG） in alleviating the abnormalities of cholesterol metabolism caused by TG via cholesterol metabolism. MethodsAccording to the body weights， male Sprague-Dawley （SD） rats were randomly grouped as follows： control （pure water）， low-dose TG （TG-L， 189.0 mg·kg^-1·d^-1）， high-dose TG （TG-H， 472.5 mg·kg^-1·d^-1）， TG-L+CG （189.0 mg·kg^-1·d^-1 TG + 20.25 mg·kg^-1·d^-1 CG）， and TG-H+CG （472.5 mg·kg^-1·d^-1 TG + 20.25 mg·kg^-1·d^-1 CG）， with 6 rats in each group. Rats were administrated with corresponding drugs once daily for 3 weeks. At the end of the last administration， the mRNA and protein levels of liver X receptor-alpha （LXR-α）， low-density lipoprotein receptor （LDLR）， adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette transporter A1 （ABCA1）， adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette transporter G1 （ABCG1）， 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase （HMGCR）， cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase （CYP7A1）， cholesterol 12α-hydroxylase （CYP8B1）， and sterol 27-hydroxylase （CYP27A1） in the liver tissue were determined by Real-time PCR and Western blotting， respectively. The level of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase （HMG-CoAR）， a regulatory enzyme of cholesterol synthesis， was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. HepG2 cells were used to observe the effect of TG on the cell proliferation in vitro. Specifically， HepG2 cells were grouped as follows： Low-dose TG （TG-l， 15 mg·L^-1）， medium-dose TG （TG-m， 45 mg·L^-1）， high-dose TG （TG-h， 135 mg·L^-1）， fenofibrate （FB， 10 μmol·L^-1）， CG extract， TG-h+FB （135 mg·L^-1 TG + 10 μmol·L^-1 FB）， TG-m+FB （45 mg·L^-1 TG + 10 μmol·L^-1 FB）， TG-l+FB （15 mg·L^-1 TG + 10 μmol·L^-1 FB）， TG-h+CG （135 mg·L^-1 TG + 60 μmol·L^-1 CG）， TG-m+CG （45 mg·L^-1 TG + 60 μmol·L^-1 CG）， and TG-l+CG （15 mg·L^-1 TG + 60 μmol·L^-1 CG）. The mRNA and protein levels of LXR-α， ABCG1， LDLR， CYP7A1， CYP8B1， and CYP27A1 in HepG2 cells were determined by Real-time PCR and Western blotting， respectively. ResultsThe rat experiment showed that compared with the control group， the TG-H group showed down-regulated mRNA levels of CYP7A1， CYP8B1， and CYP27A1 in the liver tissue （P<0.05， P<0.01）， which were up-regulated by the application of CG （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the TG-H+CG group showed up-regulated mRNA level of LDLR （P<0.01）. Compared with the control group， the TG-L and TG-H groups showed down-regulated protein levels of LDLR， CYP7A1， and CYP8B1 in the liver tissue （P<0.05， P<0.01）. In addition， the protein levels of ABCG1 and LXR-α were down-regulated in the TG-H and TG-L groups， respectively （P<0.05）. Compared with TG alone， TG+CG up-regulated the protein levels of ABCG1 and LDLR （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the protein levels of CYP7A1 and CYP8B1 in the TG-H+CG group were up-regulated （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The cell experiment showed that compared with the control group， the TG-h group presented up-regulated mRNA level of LXR-α （P<0.01）， and the TG-m and TG-h groups showcased down-regulated mRNA levels of LDLR and CYP7A1 （P<0.01） and up-regulated mRNA level of CYP27A1 （P<0.01） in HepG2 cells. The combination of CG with TG restored the above changes （P<0.01）. Western blotting results showed that compared with the control group， the TG-m and TG-h groups showed down-regulated protein levels of LXR-α， ABCG1， LDLR， CYP7A1， CYP8B1， and CYP27A1 in HepG2 cells （P<0.01）. Compared with the TG-h group， the TG-h+CG group showed up-regulated protein level of LDLR （P<0.05）. Compared with the TG-m group， the TG-m+CG group showcased up-regulated protein levels of LDLR， ABCG1， CYP7A1， and CYP27A1 （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionThe administration of TG at 189.0， 472.5 mg·kg^-1 for 3 weeks could modulate the signaling pathways associated with cholesterol efflux， endocytosis， and cholesterol biotransformation in hepatocytes， leading to the accumulation of cholesterol and subsequent liver injury in rats. CG could ameliorate the liver injury induced by lipid metabolism disorders caused by TG by up-regulating the expression of LXR-α， LDLR， ABCG1， CYP7A1， CYP8B1， and CYP27A1 to promote cholesterol biotransformation.

Stroke-associated sarcopenia is a serious post-stroke complication that can have a significant impact on patient’s functional recovery. However， currently available assessment tools for sarcopenia require specialized equipment and personnel， which are difficult to access in resource-limited settings. This article presents the role of biomarkers as an objective method in the pathogenesis， prevention， diagnosis， and prognostic assessment of stroke-associated sarcopenia， with the focus on neuromuscular， inflammatory， metabolic， and nutritional indicators.
Stroke ; Sarcopenia ; Biomarkers

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect and molecular mechanism of exosomes derived from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells（BMSC-exos） modified with Bushen Yisui capsule（BSYS）-containing serum on promoting the differentiation and maturation of OLN-93 oligodendrocytes by regulating miR-15b/Wnt signaling pathway. MethodsOLN-93 cells were divided into 5 groups， including the normal（NC） group， BMSC-exos group， BSYS-BMSC-exos group， BSYS-BMSC+LV-miR-15b-5p inhibitor-exos group， and BSYS-BMSC+LV-miR-15b-5p NC-exos group. DiR staining was used to observe the uptake of Exos by OLN-93 cells. The effective dosage of BSYS-BMSC-exos on OLN-93 cells was assessed by cell proliferation and activity assay（CCK-8）. Stable BMSCs lentiviral transfection strains were established to inhibit miR-15b-5p expression in both BMSCs and their exos， and transfection efficiency was verified by real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction（Real-time PCR） detection of miR-15b-5p. The expressions of 2′，3′-cyclic nucleotide 3′-phosphodiesterase（CNPase） and myelin proteolipid protein（PLP） in OLN-93 cells were detected by immunocytochemistry（ICC） and Western blot. The mRNA expressions of miR-15b-5p and Wnt3a in OLN-93 cells were detected by Real-time PCR， and the protein expression of Wnt3a was measured by Western blot. The expression levels of key molecules in the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway of OLN-93 cells， including glycogen synthase kinase（GSK）-3β， β-catenin， and T-cell specific transcription factor 4/transcription factor 7-like 2（TCF4/TCF7L2）， were measured by Real-time PCR and Western blot. ResultsDiR-labeled Exos were efficiently taken up by OLN-93 cells. The CCK-8 assay results indicated that 20 mg·L^-1 of BSYS-BMSC-exos exhibited the most significant effect in enhancing OLN-93 cell viability（P<0.01） and this dosage was selected for subsequent experiments. Following lentiviral transfection of BMSCs， Real-time PCR results revealed that miR-15b-5p was significantly suppressed in BMSCs（P<0.01）， and miR-15b-5p was also notably inhibited in BSYS-BMSC-exos（P<0.01）. ICC analysis further revealed an increase in the number of differentiated， mature CNPase and PLP-positive cells following BSYS-BMSC-exos treatment（P<0.01）. Western blot results demonstrated that the protein expression of CNPase and PLP was significantly enhanced with BSYS-BMSC-exos treatment（P<0.01）. Additionally， BSYS-BMSC-exos also increased the expression levels of miR-15b-5p and p-β-catenin proteins in OLN-93 cells， while decreased the mRNA and protein expressions of Wnt3a， as well as the mRNA expressions of β-catenin and TCF4/TCF7L2， and the protein expression level of p-GSK-3β（Ser9） was significantly reduced（P<0.05， P<0.01）. After the transfection of miR-15b-5p inhibitor into BSYS-BMSC-exos， the above effects were significantly diminished（P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionBSYS-BMSC-exos facilitate the differentiation and maturation of OLN-93 cells， and its mechanism is related to the upregulation of miR-15b-5p in OLN-93 cells， which inhibits the expression of Wnt3a and thereby suppresses the Wnt signaling pathway.

Immune suppression in the tumor microenvironment (TME) is closely related to abnormal glycolysis. Tumor cells gain metabolic advantages and suppress immune responses through the "Warburg effect". Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been shown to regulate key glycolysis enzymes (such as HK2 and PKM2), metabolic signaling pathways (such as PI3K/AKT/mTOR, HIF-1α) and non-coding RNAs at multiple targets, thus synergistically inhibiting lactate accumulation, improving vascular abnormalities, and relieving metabolic inhibition of immune cells. Studies have shown that TCM monomers and formulas can promote immune cell infiltration and functions, improve metabolic microenvironment, and with the assistance by the nano-delivery system, enhance the precision of treatment. However, the dynamic mechanism of the interaction between TCM-regulated glycolysis and TME has not been fully elucidated, for which single-cell sequencing and other technologies provide important technical support to facilitate in-depth analysis and clinical translational research. Future studies should be focused on the synergistic strategy of "metabolic reprogramming-immune activation" to provide new insights into the mechanisms of tumor immunotherapy.
Humans ; Tumor Microenvironment/immunology* ; Glycolysis/drug effects* ; Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Signal Transduction ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology*

Flavonoids, the key active compounds in Epimedii Folium, have both protective and toxic effects on the liver. Their hepatoprotective effects are associated with reducing lipid accumulation and oxidative stress, which contribute to the management of various liver conditions. In contrast, the mechanisms driving Epimedii Folium-induced hepatotoxicity are less understood but likely involve oxidative stress and pyroptosis. Pharmacokinetic studies, especially on icaritin, indicate that it undergoes isopentenyl dehydrogenation, glycosylation, and glucuronidation in vivo, contributing to its pharmacological effects. However, intermediate metabolites of icaritin may interact with biomolecules, potentially leading to liver toxicity. This review offers a detailed examination of the dual effects of Epimedii Folium flavonoids on liver function, emphasizing recent discoveries in their hepatoprotective and hepatotoxic pathways. We also summarize and discuss the pharmacokinetics of these flavonoids, highlighting how their metabolism affects therapeutic efficacy and toxicity. Lastly, we propose strategies to mitigate liver injury, providing new perspectives on the safe use of Epimedii Folium.

Objective To explore the influence of the radiochemotherapy mode and the number of syn-chronized chemotherapy cycles on the efficacy and overall survival(OS)time of the patients with limited-stage small cell lung cancer(LS-SCLC).Methods The clinical data of 85 patients with LS-SCLC receiving the thoracic radiotherapy(TRT)in the tumor radiotherapy department of this hospital from January 2018 to De-cember 2022 were retrospectively analyzed.The patients were divided into the synchronous chemotherapy group(n=43)and non-synchronous chemotherapy group(n=42)according to different radiochemotherapy modes.The OS and progress free survival(PFS)time was compared between the two groups,and the related prognostic influencing factors of LS-SCLC were analyzed.Results The last follow-up date was November 1,2023,and the median follow-up time in all groups was 39.6 months.The median OS time of the synchronous chemotherapy group and non-synchronous chemotherapy group was 30.6 months and 18.6 months respective-ly,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).The median OS time of 1 cycle and 2 cycles in the synchronous chemotherapy group was 25.5 months and 33.6 months,and the difference was not statisti-cally significant(P>0.05).The Cox multivariate regression analysis results showed that the age,clinical stage and prophylactic cranial irradiation(PCI)were the independent prognostic influencing factors in the pa-tients with LS-SCLC.Conclusion The number of synchronized chemotherapy cycles has no significant influ-ence on the prognosis of LS-SCLC.

Objective:To explore the clinical efficacy of acupuncture combined with hemoperfusion in hemodialysis patients with intractable pruritus.Methods:A retrospective clinical study was conducted. A total of 126 hemodialysis patients with intractable pruritus were enrolled from June 2023 to June 2024 and divided into two groups (63 cases each) based on treatment modalities. The control group received hemoperfusion alone, while the observation group received acupuncture combined with hemoperfusion. Both groups were treated for 3 months. The Modified Pruritus Duo's Score was used to evaluate pruritus severity, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) for sleep quality, and the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) for quality of life before and after treatment. Serum β 2-microglobulin (β 2-MG) and parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels were measured using immunoturbidimetry and chemiluminescence, respectively. Clinical efficacy was assessed. Results:The total effective rate was 98.42% (62/63) in the observation group and 78.77% (49/63) in the control group, with a statistically significant difference ( χ2=16.90, P<0.001). Post-treatment scores for pruritus severity, affected areas, frequency, sleep interference, and total pruritus score in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group ( t values were 16.94, 12.23, 12.67, 12.71, 23.91, respectively, P<0.001). The observation group also exhibited lower post-treatment serum β 2-MG [(13.24±3.11) mg/L vs. (17.61±4.58) mg/L, t=10.46] and PTH [(198.11±96.12) ng/L vs. (249.27±88.45) ng/L, t=6.72] levels were lower than those in the control group ( P<0.001). Additionally, the observation group demonstrated significantly lower scores in subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, habitual sleep efficiency, sleep disturbances, daytime dysfunction, and total PSQI score ( t values were 14.97, 6.98, 2.06, 23.63, 2.68, 3.56, 14.89, respectively, P<0.001), as well as higher scores in physical health, role-physical, bodily pain, general health, vitality, social functioning, role-emotional, and mental health domains of SF-36 ( t values were -3.13, -4.35, -6.34, -7.90, -4.49, -5.30, -5.00, -3.95, respectively, P<0.05). Conclusion:Acupuncture combined with hemoperfusion effectively alleviates pruritus, reduces serum β 2-MG and PTH levels, improves sleep quality, and enhances overall quality of life in hemodialysis patients with intractable pruritus, demonstrating superior efficacy compared to hemoperfusion alone.

Objective To analyze the factors affecting the prevalence of hyperuricemia(HUA)in an island troop.Methods A total of 1 113 soldiers stationed on an island from December 2021 to December 2022 were selected as research objects by cluster sampling.Their lifestyle and health information were collected.Physical examination and laboratory detection were conducted.Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of HUA.Results The prevalence rate of HUA was 21.02%(234/1 113).There were significant differences in the body mass index(BMI),waist-to-hip ratio,triglyceride,alanine aminotransferase,and creatinine between the soldiers with hyperuricemia and the soldiers with normal blood uric acid(P<0.05).Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that BMI≥24(OR=1.49,95%CI:1.09-2.05),abnormal liver function(OR=2.26,95%CI:1.31-3.92),and dyslipidemia(OR=1.46,95%CI:1.01-2.12)were positively correlated with hyperuricemia;age>30 years old(OR=0.59,95%CI:0.37-0.93)and exercise time>1 h per week(OR=0.46,95%CI:0.22-0.97)were negatively correlated with HUA.Conclusion The prevalence rate of hyperuricemia is at a high level in an island troop.BMI≥24,age≤30 years old,exercise time≤1 h per week,abnormal liver function,and dyslipidemia are the risk factors for HUA.Prevention and control measures should be taken as early as possible for the soldiers with these risk factors.

Objective To investigate the mechanism by which Biejiajian Pill(BJJP)regulates ferroptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)cells through the p62/Keap1/NRF2 pathway and to provide an experimental basis for its application in the prevention and treatment of HCC.Methods Huh7 HCC cells were divided into a normal control group,a BJJP drug serum group,an erastin(a ferroptosis inducer)group,a BJJP drug serum+erastin group,and BJJP drug serum+ferrostatin-1(Fer-1)(a ferroptosis inhibitor)group.BJJP drug serum was prepared with animals treated with BJJP and CCK-8 assay was performed to determine the optimal concentration and duration of BJJP intervention.The levels of intracellular iron(Fe),reduced glutathione(GSH),lipid peroxides(MDA),and reactive oxygen species(ROS)were measured.Western blot was performed to determine the expression levels of FTH1,GPX4,xCT,SLC40A1,Keapl,p62,and NRF2.JC-1 staining was performed to measure mitochondrial membrane potential,and cell immunofluorescence was performed to determine the expression of p62 and Keap1.Results According to the CCK-8 assay results,the cell inhibition rate was highest when BJJP was administered at a high dose of 2.2 g/kg(P＜0.001).Furthermore,the inhibition rate of Huh7 cells was highest when Huh7 cells were treated with high-dose BJJP drug serum for 48 h.Therefore,the serum concentration of high-dose BJJP and 48 h were selected as the treatment dose and duration for the subsequent experiment.Compared with the control group,the BJJP drug serum group,the erastin group,and the BJJP drug serum+erastin group showed increased iron content,decreased GSH content,increased MDA levels,increased ROS aggregation,decreased FTH1,GPX4,xCT,SLC40A1,p62,and NRF2 contents,increased Keap1 content,and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential(P＜0.05).Conclusion BJJP regulates ferroptosis in Huh7 HCC cells by inhibiting the p62/Keap1/NRF2 pathway,demonstrating potentials as a therapeutic agent for HCC.