ObjectiveThis paper aims to investigate the efficacy and related actions of Guizhi Fulingwan in intervening in the mice with colitis-associated colon cancer （CAC） based on the immunosuppressive microenvironment associated with myeloid-derived suppressor cells （MDSCs）. MethodsSixty male C57BL/6 mice were randomly assigned to a blank group， a model group， an aspirin group （0.04 g·kg^-1）， and low-， medium-， and high-dose Guizhi Fulingwan groups （4.87， 9.75， and 19.50 g·kg^-1）， with ten mice per group. The CAC mouse model was established via combined induction of azoxymethane （AOM）/dextran sulphate sodium （DSS）. Drug intervention commenced in week five， with continuous intragastric administration for nine weeks. The food intake， body weight， fecal characteristics， and haematochezia were observed and recorded， and disease activity index （DAI） scores were calculated according to scoring criteria. Hematoxylin and eosin （HE） staining was used to observe the histopathological changes in the colon tissues of the mice. Immunohistochemistry was used to determine proliferating cell nuclear antigen-67 （Ki67） expression in the colon tissues， and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to detect the contents of interleukin-6 （IL-6）， IL-1β， and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） in the serum of the mice. Flow cytometry was employed to determine the proportion levels of MDSCs， CD4⁺ T cells， and CD8⁺ T cells in the spleen tissues of the mice. The mRNA expressions of MDSC-associated effector molecules， including arginase 1 （Arg1） and inducible nitric oxide synthase （iNOS）， were detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）. After that， an in vitro co-culture model of MDSCs and CD8⁺ T cells was established， and drug-containing serum of Guizhi Fulingwan was used for intervention. The Flow cytometry was employed to assess the effects of drug-containing serum of Guizhi Fulingwan with different concentrations on the levels of reactive oxygen species （ROS） and iNOS in MDSCs and the proliferation of CD8⁺ T cells. The levels of granzyme B （GZMB） and interferon-γ （IFN-γ） in cell supernatant were detected by ELISA. ResultsCompared with those in the control group， the mice in the model group exhibited significantly reduced body weight， elevated DAI scores， shortened colon length （P<0.01）， increased number of tumors and Ki67 expression （P<0.01）， and significantly elevated contents of IL-6， IL-1β， and TNF-α in the serum （P<0.01）. Significant increases in the number of MDSCs were observed in mouse spleens， alongside marked reductions in the levels of CD4⁺ T and CD8⁺ T cells （P<0.01）. Furthermore， the mRNA expressions of MDSC function-associated effector molecules Arg1 and iNOS were significantly upregulated （P<0.01）. Compared with those in the model group， the mice in the middle-dose Guizhi Fulingwan group exhibited increased body weight and significantly decreased DAI scores （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The mice in the middle- and high-dose Guizhi Fulingwan groups exhibited significantly improved colon shortening， significantly decreased number of tumors and Ki67 expression （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and significantly decreased contents of IL-6， IL-1β， and TNF-α in the serum （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Furthermore， administration of Guizhi Fulingwan markedly reduced MDSC infiltration in the spleen of the mice， with different degrees of increase in the levels of both CD4⁺ T and CD8⁺ T cells （P<0.05， P<0.01）， alongside significant decreases in the mRNA expressions of Arg1 and iNOS （P<0.05， P<0.01）. In vitro cell co-culture shows that administration of drug-containing serum of Guizhi Fulingwan significantly decreases the activity levels of ROS and iNOS in MDSCs and promotes the proliferation of CD8⁺ T cells and the secretion of GZMB and IFN-γ （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionGuizhi Fulingwan can reduce pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion and inhibit tumor proliferation in the colon tissues of CAC mice. Its potential mechanism may involve reducing MDSC infiltration， enhancing effector T cells， particularly CD8⁺ T cell response， and improving the tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment.

The concept of competency-based standardized residency training is gaining global popularity. However, the process of assessing, continuously evaluating, and conducting final competency evaluations remains challenging. The Milestones 2.0 system, developed by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, provides a framework for evaluating competencies in radiation oncology residents. The core objective of this system is to assess sub-competencies within core competencies, categorizing them from novice to expert across 5 levels. Evaluation occurs every 6 months, with the expectation that all residents reach level 4 in all sub-competencies by the end of their training. This approach aims to enhance the standardization of residency evaluations across the United States. This article aims to analyze the Milestones 2.0 competency framework and explore its potential applicability and reference value for standardized radiation oncology residency training in China.

The concept of competency-based standardized residency training is gaining global popularity. However, the process of assessing, continuously evaluating, and conducting final competency evaluations remains challenging. The Milestones 2.0 system, developed by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, provides a framework for evaluating competencies in radiation oncology residents. The core objective of this system is to assess sub-competencies within core competencies, categorizing them from novice to expert across 5 levels. Evaluation occurs every 6 months, with the expectation that all residents reach level 4 in all sub-competencies by the end of their training. This approach aims to enhance the standardization of residency evaluations across the United States. This article aims to analyze the Milestones 2.0 competency framework and explore its potential applicability and reference value for standardized radiation oncology residency training in China.

ObjectiveTo observe the effect of Tongxie Yaofang on the function of tumor-related natural killer （NK） cells under chronic stress and explore the possible molecular mechanism. MethodFifty SPF-grade BABL/C male mice were randomized into normal， model， and low-， medium-， and high-dose （6.825， 13.65， and 27.3 g·kg^-1， respectively） Tongxie Yaofang groups， with 10 mice in each group. Other groups except the blank group were subjected to 7 days of chronic restraint stress， and then forced swimming and tail suspension tests were carried out to evaluate the modeling performance. After the successful modeling， rats in Tongxie Yaofang groups were administrated with low-， medium-， and high-doses of Tongxie Yaofang by gavage， while those in the other groups were administrated with normal saline by gavage. After 14 days， each group of mice was inoculated with subcutaneous colon cancer to establish the model of colon cancer under chronic stress. The pathological changes of the tumor tissue in each group of mice were observed using hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. The content of CD49b-positive cells in the peripheral blood and tumor tissue of mice was measured by flow cytometry. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was employed to measure the content of molecules associated with NK cell activation in the peripheral blood. Western blot was employed to determine the protein levels of major histocompatibility complex class Ⅰ polypeptide-related sequences A and B （MICA+MICB） and UL-16-binding protein 1 （ULBP1） in the tumor tissue. ResultCompared with the normal group， the model group showed a decrease in 5-hydroxytryptamine （5-HT） content and an increase in corticosterone （CORT） content in the serum （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， Tongxie Yaofang increased the 5-HT content and decreased the CORT content （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the normal group， the modeling increased the tumor volume and weight （P<0.05）， while Tongxie Yaofang inhibited such increases with no statistical significance. The tumor cells in the model group presented neat arrangement， irregular shape， uneven size， obvious atypia， common nuclear division， and small necrotic area， and blood vessels were abundant surrounding the tumor cells. Compared with the model group， Tongxie Yaofang groups showed sparse arrangement of tumor cells， different degrees of patchy necrosis areas in the tumor， and karyorrhexis， dissolution， and nuclear debris in the necrotic part. Compared with the normal group， the model group showed reduced CD49b-positive cells in the peripheral blood and tumor tissue （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， Tongxie Yaofang increased CD49b-positive cells （medium dose P<0.01， high dose P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the normal group， the modeling lowered the serum levels of granzymes-B （Gzms-B）， perforin （PF）， interferon （IFN）-γ， and tumor necrosis factor （TNF）-α （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， low-dose Tongxie Yaofang elevated the serum levels of PF， Gzms-B， and TNF-α （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and medium-dose Tongxie Yaofang elevated the serum levels of Gzms-B， PF， IFN-γ， and TNF-α （P<0.05， P<0.01）. In addition， high-dose Tongxie Yaofang elevated the serum levels of PF， IFN-γ， and TNF-α （P<0.01）. Compared with the normal group， the model group presented down-regulated protein level of ULBP1 （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， low-， medium-， and high-dose Tongxie Yaofang up-regulated the protein level of ULBP1 （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and medium- and high-dose Tongxie Yaofang up-regulated the protein level of MICA+MICB （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionTongxie Yaofang may promote NK cell activation by up-regulating the expression of MICA+MICB and ULBP1， thereby delaying the progression of colon cancer under chronic stress.

Objective To explore the mechanism of Buyang Huanwu Decoction against cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats by regulating lipid metabolism through the cAMP/PKA/PPARγ pathway.Methods 60 rats were randomly divided into sham operation group(Sham),model group(Model),Buyang Huanwu Decoction low-dose group(BHD-L),Buyang Huanwu Decoction medium-dose group(BHD-M),Buyang Huanwu Decoction high-dose group(BHD-H)and Butylphthalide group(NBP).The cerebral ischemia-reperfusion model was prepared by transient middle cerebral artery embolization.The BHD low-,medium-and high-groups were given different doses of Buyang Huanwu Decoction(6.413,12.825,25.65 g·kg-1)by intragastric administration.The NBP group was administered with Butylphthalide(54 mg·kg-1).The sham operation group and the model group were administered with an equal volume of distilled water,all given for 14 days.The rats were subjected to neurobehavioral scoring.HE staining was used to observe brain pathological changes,and the kit was used to detect the levels of phosphocholine(PC),phosphatidylethanolamine(PE),diacylglycerol(DAG),and free fatty acid(FFA)on the ischemic side.RT-qPCR and Western Blot were applied to detect the mRNA and protein expressions of cyclic adenosine monophosphate(cAMP),protein kinase A(PKA),and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ(PPARγ).Results Compared with the sham group,the neurological deficit score was significantly increased(P＜0.01),pathomorphological damage in ischemic cortex was found,the contents of PC and PE were reduced,the contents of DAG and FFA were increased(P＜0.01),and cAMP mRNA expression increased(P＜0.05)in the model group.Compared with the model group,the neurological deficit score of the BHD-L group was decreased(P＜0.05),and the neurological deficit score of the BHD-M,BHD-H and NBP groups was significantly decreased(P＜0.01),the cells in each treatment group were regularly arranged,the intercellular spaces were reduced,and the normal cells were increased.PC and PE were significantly increased,DAG and FFA were significantly decreased(P＜0.01)in the BHD-M,BHD-H and NBP groups.PC was increased,FFA and DAG were decreased in the BHD-L group(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).The mRNA level of PPARγ was increased in the BHD-L group(P＜0.05),and the mRNA and protein levels of cAMP,PKA,and PPARγ were increased in the other treatment groups(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).Conclusion Buyang Huanwu Decoction has a neuroprotective effect on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury rats,and its mechanism may be related to regulating the expression of key factors in the cAMP/PKA/PPARγ signaling pathway and lipid metabolism.

Objective To explore the effects of Buyang Huanwu Decoction on neuronal cell apoptosis after cerebral ischemia based on mediating Cav1 in regulating Wnt pathway.Methods Male wild-type(WT)and Cav1-/-(KO)C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into sham-operation group,model group and Buyang Huanwu Decoction group(18.5 g/kg).Cerebral ischemia model was prepared using middle cerebral artery occlusion method,and drug intervention was given for 14 days.Neurobehavioral score was performed,HE staining was used to observe the morphology of ischemic cortical area of brain tissue,TUNEL staining was used to detect neuronal apoptosis in ischemic cortical area,immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expressions of apoptosis related proteins and Wnt1,glycogen synthase kinase 3β(GSK3β)and β-catenin protein in ischemic cortical area.Results Compared with the same genotype sham-operation group,the neurobehavioral score of the model group mice significantly increased,neuronal cells in the ischemic cortical area showed vacuolar changes,with nuclear condensation and widened intercellular spaces,the apoptosis rate of nerve cells significantly increased,with increased expressions of Bax,GSK3β and decreased expressions of Bcl-2,Wnt1 and β-catenin(P<0.01).Compared with the same genotype model group,the neurobehavioral score of mice in Buyang Huanwu Decoction group were significantly decreased,the pathological damage of the ischemic cortical area improved,the apoptosis rate of nerve cells decreased,the expressions of Bax and GSK3β decreased,and the expressions of Bcl-2,Wnt1 and β-catenin increased(P<0.01).Compared with the WT model group,the KO model group showed an increase in neurobehavioral score,aggravated damage in ischemic cortical area,significantly increased neuronal apoptosis rate,and increased expression of GSK3β(P<0.05).Compared with the WT Buyang Huanwu Decoction group,the KO Buyang Huanwu Decoction group showed an increase in neurobehavioral score,aggravated damage in ischemic cortical area,significantly increased neuronal apoptosis rate,increased expressions of Bax and GSK3β,and decreased expressions of Bcl-2,Wnt1 and β-catenin(P<0.01).Conclusion Buyang Huanwu Decoction can inhibit neuronal cell apoptosis after cerebral ischemia,and its mechanism may be related to regulating the expressions of apoptosis-related proteins by mediating Cav1 to regulate the Wnt signaling pathway.

ObjectiveTo explore the effect of Tongxie Yaofang on the immune microenvironment of colorectal cancer in mice under chronic stress and the underlying mechanism. MethodA total of 40 male SPF BABL/C mice were randomized into normal group， stress group， Tongxie Yaofang group （13.65 g·kg^-1）， and Tongxie Yaofang-stress group （13.65 g·kg^-1）， with 10 in each group. Chronic restraint stress was induced in mice and administration （ig） of Tongxie Yaofang began after 7 days of stress. On the 14^th day， forced swim and tail suspension tests were used to examine the behavioral changes of mice after stress and the subcutaneous colorectal tumor was implanted in each group of mice. The effect of this prescription on the body mass and tumor volume of mice was observed. After the last administration， mouse serum and tumor samples were collected. The content of T lymphocytes （CD3⁺， CD4⁺， CD8⁺， and CD4⁺/CD8⁺） in tumor was detected by immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry and levels of corticosterone （CORT） in peripheral blood， and interleukin （IL）-2， interferon-γ （IFN-γ）， IL-6， and IL-10 in the serum were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The protein expression of inhibitor of nuclear factor-κB（IκB） kinase α/β （IKKα/β）， nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB）α （IκBα）， NF-κB p65， and phosphorylated （p）-NF-κB p65 was measured by Western blot. ResultCompared with the normal group， the stress group had large tumor volume （P<0.05）， low content of CD3⁺， CD4⁺， and CD4⁺/CD8⁺ （P<0.05， P<0.01）， high content of CD8⁺， low content of T helper 1 （Th1）-secreted IFN-γ （P<0.05）， high content of T helper 2 （Th2）-secreted IL-10 （P<0.05） and CORT （P<0.05）， high protein expression of p-NF-κB p65， NF-κB p65， and IKKα/β （P<0.05）， and low protein expression of IκBα （P<0.05）. Compared with the normal group， the Tongxie Yaofang group showed slow tumor growth， high content of CD3⁺， CD4⁺， and CD4⁺/CD8⁺ （P<0.01）， low content of CD8⁺ （P<0.05）， high content of Th1-secreted IL-2 and IFN-γ （P<0.05）， low content of Th2-secreted IL-6 and IL-10 （P<0.05）， low content of CORT， low protein expression of p-NF-κB p65， NF-κB p65， and IKKα/β （P<0.05）， and high protein expression of IκBα （P<0.01）. Tongxie Yaofang-stress group demonstrated slower tumor growth， higher content of CD3⁺， CD4⁺， and CD4⁺/CD8⁺ （P<0.01）， smaller content of CD8⁺ （P<0.05）， higher content of IL-2 and IFN-γ （P<0.05）， lower content of IL-6， IL-10 （P<0.05）， and CORT （P<0.05）， lower protein expression of p-NF-κB p65， NF-κB p65， and IKKα/β （P<0.05，P<0.01）， and higher protein expression of IκBα （P<0.01） than the stress group. ConclusionTongxie Yaofang can delay the growth of colorectal cancer under chronic stress and alleviate the deterioration of the immune microenvironment， possibly by inhibiting NF-κB signaling pathway， regulating the function of T lymphocyte subsets， and thus suppressing the secretion of pro-inflammatory factors.

Objective To observe the effect of Tongxie Yaofang-containing serum on the cell cycle and apoptosis of colon cancer HCT116 cells,and to explore its possible biological mechanism.Methods Colon cancer HCT116 cells were divided into blank group and Tongxie Yaofang-containing serum group with different concentrations.Cell proliferation and activity detection-8(CCK8)was used to detect the effect of each group on the viability of HCT116 cells at 24,48 and 72 h;Flow cytometry was used to detect the apoptosis and cycle arrest of HCT116 cells induced by different concentrations of Tongxie Yaofang-containing serum;Western blot was used to detect the protein expression level of Cell Cycle Regulatory Protein P21(P21),Cyclin B1,cyclin-dependent protein kinases-1(CDK1),B-lymphoma-2(Bcl-2),Bcl-2-related X protein(Bax),phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase(PI3K),phosphorylated phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase(p-PI3K),protein kinase B(Akt)and phosphorylated protein kinase B(p-Akt)after different concentrations of Tongxie Yaofang-containing serum intervention.Results CCK8 showed that compared with the 10%blank group,10%Tongxie Yaofang-containing serum had a significant inhibitory effect on the viability of HCT116 cells only at 48 h(P<0.01);Compared with the 20%blank group,20%Tongxie Yaofang-containing serum could inhibit the viability of HCT116 cells at 48 and 72 h(P<0.01,P<0.05),and the increase of blank serum will not inhibit the viability of HCT116 cell,so 10%blank serum and 48 h were selected as the drug control and intervention time in the subsequent experiment.Flow Cytometry showed that,compared with the blank group,10%and 20%Tongxie Yaofang-containing serum could arrest HCT116 cell cycle in G2/M phase after 48 h of intervention(P<0.01),and induce HCT116 cell apoptosis.At the same time,Western blot showed that Tongxie Yaofang-containing serum could increase the expression of P21 and Bax to varying degrees,and reduces Cyclin B1,CDK1,Bcl-2,p-PI3K,p-Akt expression(P<0.05,P<0.01).Conclusion Tongxie Yaofang can inhibit the proliferation and induce apoptosis of colon cancer HCT116 cells,and its mechanism may be related to the inhibition of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

ObjectiveTo observe the effect of berberine combined with evodiamine on the migration and invasion of colorectal cancer HCT116 and RKO cells and to explore the underlying mechanism. Methodcell counting kit-8 （CCK-8） assay was used to examine the proliferation of HCT116 and RKO cells treated by berberine （30 μmol·L^-1）， evodiamine （0.8 μmol·L^-1）， and combination of two （30 μmol·L^-1+0.8 μmol·L^-1）， respectively. Scratch assay and Transwell assay were employed to detect the migration and invasion of HCT116 and RKO cells treated with berberine， evodiamine， and the combination， separately. In addition， the protein expression of epithelial cadherin （E-cadherin）， neural cadherin （N-cadherin）， phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）， and protein kinase B （Akt） in HCT116 and RKO cells treated with the berberine， evodiamine， and the combination was respectively measured by Western blot. ResultCompared with the blank group， berberine alone and evodiamine alone had no significant inhibitory effect on the proliferation， migration， and invasion of HCT116 and RKO cells， while the combination showed significant inhibition （P<0.01）. Berberine alone and evodiamine alone had no remarkable influence on the expression of PI3K， N-cadherin， and E-cadherin in HCT116 and RKO cells， but the combination significantly reduced the expression of PI3K and N-cadherin （P<0.01） and increased the expression of E-cadherin （P<0.01） in HCT116 and RKO cells. Evodiamine alone also significantly suppressed the expression of Akt protein in HCT116 and RKO cells （P<0.05）， but the suppression was weaker than that of the combination. ConclusionThe combination of berberine and evodiamine can significantly inhibit the migration and invasion of colorectal cancer HCT116 and RKO cells and the two show synergy. The mechanism is the likelihood that the combination down-regulates the expression of PI3K and Akt.

Objective To screen out and validate the abnormally expressed circular RNAs (circRNAs) in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) by comparing the circRNA microarray results of iCCA tissue and adjacent tissue, and to investigate their potential mechanism in iCCA. Methods Tumor tissue specimens were collected from three patients with iCCA who were admitted from July to December, 2019, and microarray hybridization was used to measure the differential expression of circRNAs between iCCA tissue and adjacent tissue. A total of 15 patients with iCCA who were treated during the same period of time were enrolled, and quantitative real-time PCR was used for validation of differentially expressed circRNAs. A bioinformatics analysis was performed to identify the downstream molecules of differentially expressed circRNAs, and quantitative real-time PCR was used for validation of potential molecules. The paired samples t -test was used for comparison of continuous data between groups, and the chi-square test or the Fisher's exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups. Results With 1.5-fold as the cut-off value for differential expression, there were 171 upregulated circRNAs and 104 downregulated circRNAs in iCCA tissue compared with the adjacent tissue. With 3-fold as the cut-off value for differential expression, there were 10 upregulated circRNAs (circRNA_002172, circRNA_002144, circRNA_001588, circRNA_000166, circRNA_000585, circRNA_000167, circRNA_402608, circRNA_006853, circRNA_001589, and circRNA_008882) and 3 downregulated circRNAs (circRNA_406083, circRNA_104940, and circRNA_006349) compared with the adjacent tissue. Pathologically confirmed iCCA tissue samples and adjacent tissue samples were collected from 15 patients, and quantitative real-time PCR was used for the validation of differentially expressed circRNAs; the results showed that circRNA_000585 was significantly upregulated in iCCA tissue ( t =3.607, P =0.003). Further bioinformatics analysis showed that circRNA_000585/miR-615-5p/AMOT/YAP might be the potential pathway involved in the pathogenesis of iCCA, and quantitative real-time PCR showed that for this pathway, miR-615-5p was significantly downregulated in iCCA ( t =5.724, P < 0.001) and AMOT and YAP were significantly upregulated in iCCA ( t =2.664 and 2.986, P =0.019 and 0.009 8). Conclusion Abnormal expression of various circRNAs is observed in iCCA, among which circRNA_000585 is significantly upregulated in iCCA and may play an important role in the pathogenesis of iCCA via the circRNA_000585/miR-615-5p/AMOT/YAP pathway.