ObjectiveTo observe the pharmacodynamic efficacy of phlorizin in improving hepatic glycolipid metabolism disorders in type 2 diabetic mellitus （T2DM） rats and to explore its mechanism of action based on the insulin receptor substrate-1 （IRS-1）/phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt） signaling pathway. MethodsA high-fat diet and streptozotocin （STZ） were used to establish T2DM rat models. The rats were randomly assigned into six groups： the blank control group， model group， metformin group （300 mg·kg^-1）， and phlorizin high-dose （100 mg·kg^-1） and low-dose groups （25 mg·kg^-1）. The rats were given intragastric administration for 6 weeks. The changes in body weight and fasting blood glucose （FBG） were observed， and the oral glucose tolerance test （OGTT） was carried out. The levels of total cholesterol （TC）， triglyceride （TG）， low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C）， high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C）， glycated serum protein （GSP）， aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， and alanine aminotransferase （ALT） in serum were detected by an automatic biochemical analyzer. The levels of fasting insulin （FINS）， interleukin （IL）-1β， IL-6， and tumour necrosis factor （TNF）-α were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The levels of superoxide dismutase （SOD） and malondialdehyde （MDA） were detected by the biochemical assays. The pancreas index， liver index， and insulin resistance index were calculated. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to evaluate the pathological changes in liver and pancreatic tissues. The immunofluorescence method was used to detect the changes in insulin and glucagon in pancreatic tissue. Western blot was used to detect the expression of related proteins in the IRS-1/PI3K/Akt pathway of liver tissue and its downstream glycogen synthase kinase-3β （GSK-3β） and forkhead box transcription factor O1 （FoxO1） proteins. ResultsCompared with the blank control group， the body weight of rats in the model group continued to decrease， while the FBG level increased significantly. The area under the OGTT blood glucose curve （AUC）， GSP， TC， TG， LDL-C， IL-1β， IL-6， TNF-α， MDA， pancreatic index and liver index increased significantly， while the levels of HDL-C， SOD， and FINS decreased significantly （P0.05， P0.01）. Histological results showed that the pancreatic islets of rats in the model group exhibited atrophy and severe structural abnormalities. The insulin-positive β-cells decreased significantly （P0.01）， while the glucagon-positive α-cells increased significantly （P0.01）. Inflammatory cell infiltration and partial necrosis were observed in the liver tissues of the model group rats. The expressions of p-IRS-1/IRS-1， p-GSK-3β/GSK-3β， and p-FoxO1/FoxO1 proteins in the liver of the model group increased significantly （P0.01）， while the expressions of p-PI3K/PI3K and p-Akt/Akt proteins decreased significantly （P0.01）. Compared with the model group， the diabetic symptoms of rats in all administration groups were improved. The changes in body weight and FBG were close to those of the blank control group. The levels of OGTT-AUC， GSP， TC， TG， LDL-C， MDA， IL-1β， IL-6， TNF-α and the pancreatic index， liver index were obviously reduced （P0.05， P0.01）， while the levels of HDL-C， SOD， and FINS obviously increased （P0.05， P0.01）. The pathological changes of the pancreas and liver in rats in all treatment groups were effectively improved. The insulin-positive β-cells in the pancreas increased significantly （P0.01）， while the glucagon-positive α-cells decreased significantly （P0.01）. The protein expressions of p-IRS-1/IRS-1， p-GSK-3β/GSK-3β， and p-FoxO1/FoxO1 in the liver were significantly reduced （P0.01）， while the protein expressions of p-PI3K/PI3K and p-Akt/Akt significantly increased （P0.01）. ConclusionPhlorizin reversed the weight loss and abnormal increase of FBG in T2DM rats， improved blood lipid profiles， oxidative stress， and inflammatory levels， alleviated insulin resistance， and had certain protective effects on the liver and pancreas. The hypoglycemic mechanism may involve regulating the IRS-1/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway to inhibit the activities of GSK-3β and FoxO1， thereby promoting liver glycogen synthesis and suppressing hepatic gluconeogenesis， ultimately improving glycolipid metabolism disorders.

ObjectiveTo observe the pharmacodynamic efficacy of phlorizin in improving hepatic glycolipid metabolism disorders in type 2 diabetic mellitus （T2DM） rats and to explore its mechanism of action based on the insulin receptor substrate-1 （IRS-1）/phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt） signaling pathway. MethodsA high-fat diet and streptozotocin （STZ） were used to establish T2DM rat models. The rats were randomly assigned into six groups： the blank control group， model group， metformin group （300 mg·kg^-1）， and phlorizin high-dose （100 mg·kg^-1） and low-dose groups （25 mg·kg^-1）. The rats were given intragastric administration for 6 weeks. The changes in body weight and fasting blood glucose （FBG） were observed， and the oral glucose tolerance test （OGTT） was carried out. The levels of total cholesterol （TC）， triglyceride （TG）， low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C）， high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C）， glycated serum protein （GSP）， aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， and alanine aminotransferase （ALT） in serum were detected by an automatic biochemical analyzer. The levels of fasting insulin （FINS）， interleukin （IL）-1β， IL-6， and tumour necrosis factor （TNF）-α were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The levels of superoxide dismutase （SOD） and malondialdehyde （MDA） were detected by the biochemical assays. The pancreas index， liver index， and insulin resistance index were calculated. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to evaluate the pathological changes in liver and pancreatic tissues. The immunofluorescence method was used to detect the changes in insulin and glucagon in pancreatic tissue. Western blot was used to detect the expression of related proteins in the IRS-1/PI3K/Akt pathway of liver tissue and its downstream glycogen synthase kinase-3β （GSK-3β） and forkhead box transcription factor O1 （FoxO1） proteins. ResultsCompared with the blank control group， the body weight of rats in the model group continued to decrease， while the FBG level increased significantly. The area under the OGTT blood glucose curve （AUC）， GSP， TC， TG， LDL-C， IL-1β， IL-6， TNF-α， MDA， pancreatic index and liver index increased significantly， while the levels of HDL-C， SOD， and FINS decreased significantly （P0.05， P0.01）. Histological results showed that the pancreatic islets of rats in the model group exhibited atrophy and severe structural abnormalities. The insulin-positive β-cells decreased significantly （P0.01）， while the glucagon-positive α-cells increased significantly （P0.01）. Inflammatory cell infiltration and partial necrosis were observed in the liver tissues of the model group rats. The expressions of p-IRS-1/IRS-1， p-GSK-3β/GSK-3β， and p-FoxO1/FoxO1 proteins in the liver of the model group increased significantly （P0.01）， while the expressions of p-PI3K/PI3K and p-Akt/Akt proteins decreased significantly （P0.01）. Compared with the model group， the diabetic symptoms of rats in all administration groups were improved. The changes in body weight and FBG were close to those of the blank control group. The levels of OGTT-AUC， GSP， TC， TG， LDL-C， MDA， IL-1β， IL-6， TNF-α and the pancreatic index， liver index were obviously reduced （P0.05， P0.01）， while the levels of HDL-C， SOD， and FINS obviously increased （P0.05， P0.01）. The pathological changes of the pancreas and liver in rats in all treatment groups were effectively improved. The insulin-positive β-cells in the pancreas increased significantly （P0.01）， while the glucagon-positive α-cells decreased significantly （P0.01）. The protein expressions of p-IRS-1/IRS-1， p-GSK-3β/GSK-3β， and p-FoxO1/FoxO1 in the liver were significantly reduced （P0.01）， while the protein expressions of p-PI3K/PI3K and p-Akt/Akt significantly increased （P0.01）. ConclusionPhlorizin reversed the weight loss and abnormal increase of FBG in T2DM rats， improved blood lipid profiles， oxidative stress， and inflammatory levels， alleviated insulin resistance， and had certain protective effects on the liver and pancreas. The hypoglycemic mechanism may involve regulating the IRS-1/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway to inhibit the activities of GSK-3β and FoxO1， thereby promoting liver glycogen synthesis and suppressing hepatic gluconeogenesis， ultimately improving glycolipid metabolism disorders.

BackgroundThe violent aggressive behaviors of patients with schizophrenia usually have the characteristics of suddenness， unpredictability， high severity， and great difficulty in prevention. Early identification and accurate assessment of their risk of violent aggression have significant clinical significance. ObjectiveTo construct a predictive model for the violence risk in hospitalized patients with schizophrenia， to identify the key factors influencing the occurrence of violent behavior in these patients， so as to provide references for clinical precise quantitative assessment and early intervention. MethodsA total of 200 patients with schizophrenia who were hospitalized at Taiyuan Psychiatric Hospital from March 2022 to September 2024 and met the diagnostic criteria of the International Classification of Diseases， eleventh edition （ICD-11） were collected to form the modeling cohort. They were randomly divided into a training set （n=140） and a test set （n=60） at a ratio of 7∶3. Based on the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator （LASSO） regression algorithm， the feature variables were screened and dimension-reduced. The support vector machine （SVM） from machine learning was selected for model training and prediction. The discrimination efficacy of the model was evaluated by the area under the receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve （AUC）， accuracy， precision， sensitivity， specificity， F1 value， and Brier value. ResultsLASSO regression screening identified 16 feature variables. Pearson correlation analysis revealed a positive correlation between prior violent behavior frequency and clinical psychiatric symptom scores （r=0.580， P<0.01）， a positive correlation between hospitalization compliance and current disease status （r=0.550， P=0.003）， and a positive correlation between educational level and family per capita monthly income （r=0.367， P<0.01）. The SVM model achieved an AUC of 0.853， accuracy of 0.800， precision of 0.810， sensitivity of 0.895， specificity of 0.636， F1 value of 0.850， and Brier value of 0.168. ConclusionThe SVM model has a relatively high level of applicability and overall predictive performance in the assessment of violent risk in schizophrenia patients， which is helpful for the early identification of violent risks in such patients. ［Funded by Specialized Research Project for Enhancing the Competence of Health Professionals in Taiyuan City （number， Y2023006）］

BACKGROUND:Epidemiological studies indicate that individuals with neurodegenerative diseases exhibit a comparatively lower risk of developing the majority of cancers.Although the precise mechanisms underlying this inverse correlation remain unclear,it is noteworthy that aberrant glucose metabolism,a pathological factor common to both conditions,may significantly contribute to this association.OBJECTIVE:To review the potential relationship between cancers and neurodegenerative diseases in glucose metabolism.METHODS:PubMed was searched for relevant literature using the search terms of"cancer,neurodegenerative diseases,Alzheimer's disease,Parkinson's disease,metabolic reprogramming,glucose metabolism,aerobic glycolysis,neuroprotection,aging,"and 136 articles were finally included for analysis.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Cancer and neurodegenerative diseases exhibit a profound pathological correlation at the level of glucose metabolism imbalance associated with aging.Cancer cells promote uncontrolled proliferation,invasion,and metastasis through the persistent activation of aerobic glycolysis,whereas neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by a reduction in aerobic glycolysis.Restoring aerobic glycolysis may confer neuroprotective effects and delay disease progression.The key nodes of glucose metabolism demonstrate a bidirectional regulatory pattern:metabolic regulators,which are significantly upregulated or aberrantly activated in cancer,are inhibited or functionally inactivated in neurodegenerative diseases.Mitochondria play a crucial role in mediating the aging process through the regulation of reactive oxygen species homeostasis and mitochondrial autophagy.They establish regulatory networks that connect cancer and neurodegenerative diseases,and maintaining their functional homeostasis is of paramount importance for disease prevention and treatment.

Background: Advances in intensive care have markedly improved survival after severe brain injury, leading to a growing population of patients with prolonged disorders of consciousness (pDOC). Current management of pDOC remains largely supportive, and evidence-based neuromodulatory interventions are limited; moreover, existing guidelines provide insufficiently explicit recommendations regarding mechanisms of action and objective biomarkers of treatment response. Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) has emerged as a potential noninvasive intervention; however, its modulatory effects on brain function in pDOC are not yet well characterized, and the paucity of integrative mechanistic evidence has constrained its translation into routine clinical practice. Objectives: Within a multimodal assessment framework, this study aims to systematically elucidate the neurobiological mechanisms by which taVNS modulates brain function and autonomic activity in patients with pDOC, and to evaluate its clinical potential to enhance levels of consciousness. Methods: In this randomized controlled trial, 60 patients with vegetative state/minimally conscious state will be enrolled and randomly allocated to a taVNS group, a transcutaneous nonauricular vagus nerve stimulation group (sham), or a control group (n = 20 per group) for a 4-week intervention. The primary outcome will be changes in the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised scores from baseline to weeks 1, 2, and 4 of treatment. Secondary outcomes will include functional brain activity assessed by electroencephalography and functional near-infrared spectroscopy, as well as autonomic modulation indexed by heart rate variability. Functional prognosis will be evaluated using the Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended at the end of treatment and at a 6-month follow-up. Safety will be assessed by continuous monitoring and documentation of adverse events throughout the study period. Results and discussion: By integrating electroencephalography–functional near-infrared spectroscopy with heart rate variability, this study will characterize the effects of taVNS on functional brain networks and consciousness recovery in pDOC across complementary behavioral, electrophysiological, hemodynamic, and autonomic domains, while interrogating potential sources of clinical and neurobiological heterogeneity. The findings are expected to provide a mechanistic and evidence-based foundation for the mechanism-driven clinical implementation of taVNS and the optimization of stimulation protocols in pDOC. Clinical trial registration: International Traditional Medicine Clinical Trial Registry, ITMCTR20250021041, https://itmctr.ccebtcm.org.cn.

BACKGROUND:Epidemiological studies indicate that individuals with neurodegenerative diseases exhibit a comparatively lower risk of developing the majority of cancers.Although the precise mechanisms underlying this inverse correlation remain unclear,it is noteworthy that aberrant glucose metabolism,a pathological factor common to both conditions,may significantly contribute to this association.OBJECTIVE:To review the potential relationship between cancers and neurodegenerative diseases in glucose metabolism.METHODS:PubMed was searched for relevant literature using the search terms of"cancer,neurodegenerative diseases,Alzheimer's disease,Parkinson's disease,metabolic reprogramming,glucose metabolism,aerobic glycolysis,neuroprotection,aging,"and 136 articles were finally included for analysis.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Cancer and neurodegenerative diseases exhibit a profound pathological correlation at the level of glucose metabolism imbalance associated with aging.Cancer cells promote uncontrolled proliferation,invasion,and metastasis through the persistent activation of aerobic glycolysis,whereas neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by a reduction in aerobic glycolysis.Restoring aerobic glycolysis may confer neuroprotective effects and delay disease progression.The key nodes of glucose metabolism demonstrate a bidirectional regulatory pattern:metabolic regulators,which are significantly upregulated or aberrantly activated in cancer,are inhibited or functionally inactivated in neurodegenerative diseases.Mitochondria play a crucial role in mediating the aging process through the regulation of reactive oxygen species homeostasis and mitochondrial autophagy.They establish regulatory networks that connect cancer and neurodegenerative diseases,and maintaining their functional homeostasis is of paramount importance for disease prevention and treatment.

From the theoretical perspective of "body fluids and blood stasis mixing"， environmental microplastics （MPs） are conceptualized as a "novel turbid-toxin". This study aims to elucidate the complete pathogenic pathway through which MPs act as a key driving force （the "crucible" of pathogenesis） in the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis （AS）. By tracing the classical theories in the Chapter The Occurrence of All Diseases of Miraculous Pivot （Ling Shu）， this paper clarifies the core connotations of "body fluids"-it not only refers to endogenous pathological fluids and lipid turbidity but also provides a theoretical basis for incorporating "exogenous turbid fluids"， thereby laying a logical foundation for conceptualizing MPs as a "novel turbid-toxin". Meanwhile， the implications of "blood" （encompassing both blood quality abnormalities and blood stasis） and the dynamic process of "mixing" are elucidated. Drawing upon modern toxicological evidence， this paper demonstrates the high homology between MPs and "exogenous turbid-fluids" from three aspects： Morphology， toxicity， and invasion routes. The micro/nano-scale particle morphology of MPs enables mobility within the bloodstream. The multiple exposure pathways of MPs correspond to the traditional Chinese medicine understanding of pathogens invading through the mouth， nose， and skin. The characteristics of accumulating in vivo while inducing oxidative stress and inflammatory responses of MPs fully embody the pathogenic features-adhesion， binding， and vessel damage-of "turbid-toxin". On this basis， the dynamic pathogenesis of MP-induced AS is systematically interpreted. Initially， MPs with the "turbid-toxin" nature impair nutrient-defense harmony and cause endothelial dysfunction. Subsequently， as the core of "mixing"， they interact with blood lipids and immune cells， generating heat and phlegm to form a major pathological hub of chronic inflammation. Ultimately， this process drives the coalescence of phlegm， stasis， and turbid-toxin into tangible plaques， evolving from stable lesions to vulnerable masses and accumulations. By integrating classical pathogenic model with contemporary environmental medicine， this study establishes an analytical framework that bridges macro-theory and micro-mechanisms for understanding the cardiovascular risks of MPs through an integrative Chinese-Western medicine lens.

Intestinal permeability plays a pivotal role in the gut-liver axis and has emerged as a critical target for the prevention and treatment of liver diseases. Based on recent studies in China and globally， this article reviews the definitions and interrelationship of intestinal barrier function and intestinal permeability， the methods for assessing intestinal permeability， and the mechanism of action and clinical significance of intestinal permeability in the development and progression of various liver diseases. Studies have shown that increased intestinal permeability is a significant hallmark and an important driving factor for multiple liver diseases， and this state leads to the translocation of bacteria and harmful substances， trigger a systemic inflammatory response， and thus exacerbates liver injury， fibrosis， and metabolic dysregulation. Therefore， it is closely associated with the development and progression of metabolic associated fatty liver disease， alcoholic liver disease， autoimmune liver diseases， and their end-stage events， including liver cirrhosis， liver failure， and hepatocellular carcinoma. Future research should focus on the standardization of assessment methods， the exploration of underlying mechanisms， and the clinical translation of these findings.

Dipsaci Radix is a commonly used Chinese herbal medicine in China, with triterpenoid saponins as the main active components. β-Amyrin synthase, a member of the oxidosqualene cyclase superfamily, plays a crucial role in the biosynthesis of oleanane-type triterpenoid saponins. Asperosaponin Ⅵ is an oleanane-type triterpenoid saponin. To explore the β-amyrin synthase genes involved in the biosynthesis of asperosaponin Ⅵ in Dipsacus asper, this study screened the candidate genes from the transcriptome data of D. asper. Two β-amyrin synthase genes, Da OSC1 and Da OSC2, were identified by phylogenetic analysis and correlation analysis. The coding sequences of Da OSC1 and Da OSC2 were 2 286 bp and 2 295 bp in length, encoding 761 and 764 amino acids,respectively. Multiple sequence alignments showed that Da OSC1 and Da OSC2 had three conserved motifs( DCTAE, QW, and MWCYCR) unique to the oxidosqualene cyclase family. Real-time quantitative PCR results showed that Da OSC1 and Da OSC2 had the highest expression levels in the roots. Compared with normal growth conditions, the low-temperature treatment significantly upregulated the expression of Da OSC1 and Da OSC2. Agrobacterium-mediated transient expression of Da OSC1 and Da OSC2 in Nicotiana benthamiana resulted in the production of β-amyrin, which suggested that Da OSC1 and Da OSC2 were able to catalyze the synthesis of β-amyrin. This study clarified the catalytic functions of two β-amyrin synthases in D. asper, analyzed their expression patterns in different tissue and at low temperatures. The findings provide a foundation for further studying the biosynthetic pathway and regulatory mechanism of asperosaponin Ⅵ in D. asper.
Intramolecular Transferases/chemistry* ; Phylogeny ; Plant Proteins/chemistry* ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Dipsacaceae/classification* ; Saponins/metabolism* ; Oleanolic Acid/metabolism*

This study investigates the effect and underlying mechanism of Guizhi Tongluo Tablets(GZTL) in treating atherosclerosis(AS) in a mouse model. Apolipoprotein E-knockout(ApoE~(-/-)) mice were randomly assigned to the following groups: model, high-, medium-, and low-dose GZTL, and atorvastatin(ATV), and age-matched C57BL/6J mice were selected as the control group. ApoE~(-/-) mice in other groups except the control group were fed with a high-fat diet for the modeling of AS and administrated with corresponding drugs via gavage for 8 weeks. General conditions, signs of blood stasis, and body mass of mice were monitored. Aortic plaques and their stability were assessed by hematoxylin-eosin, Masson, and oil red O staining. Serum levels of total cholesterol(TC), triglycerides(TG), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C) were measured by biochemical assays, and those of interleukin-1β(IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), and interleukin-6(IL-6) were determined via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Apoptosis was assessed by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling(TUNEL). Single-cell RNA sequencing(scRNA-seq) was employed to analyze the differential expression of CD72hi macrophages(CD72hi-Mφ) in the aortas of AS patients and mice. The immunofluorescence assay was employed to visualize CD72hi-Mφ expression in mouse aortic plaques, and real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR was utilized to determine the mRNA levels of IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6 in the aorta. The results demonstrated that compared with the control group, the model group exhibited significant increases in body mass, aortic plaque area proportion, necrotic core area proportion, and lipid deposition, a notable decrease in collagen fiber content, and an increase in apoptosis. Additionally, the model group showcased elevated serum levels of TC, TG, LDL-C, IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6, alongside marked upregulations in the mRNA levels of IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6 in the aorta. In comparison with the model group, the GZTL groups and the ATV group showed a reduction in body mass, and the medium-and high-dose GZTL groups and the ATV group demonstrated reductions in aortic plaque area proportion, necrotic core area proportion, and lipid deposition, an increase in collagen fiber content, and a decrease in apoptosis. Furthermore, the treatment goups showcased lowered serum levels of TC, TG, LDL-C, IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6. The data of scRNA-seq revealed significantly elevated CD72hi-Mφ signaling in carotid plaques of AS patients compared with that in the normal arterial tissue. Animal experiments confirmed that CD72hi-Mφ expression, along with several pro-inflammatory cytokines, was significantly upregulated in the aortas of AS mice, which were downregulated by GZTL treatment. In conclusion, GZTL may alleviate AS by inhibiting CD72hi-Mφ activity.
Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Atherosclerosis/immunology* ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Macrophages/immunology* ; Male ; Humans ; Apolipoproteins E/genetics* ; Tablets ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/genetics* ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Interleukin-1beta/genetics* ; Interleukin-6/genetics* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Mice, Knockout