ObjectiveThis study aims to investigate the effects of Linggui Zhugantang （LGZGT） on ventricular remodeling （VR） in mice with myocardial infarction （MI） and its impact on the Ras homologgene A （RhoA）/Rho-associated coiled-coil forming protein kinase （ROCK） signaling pathway. MethodsThe MI model of mice was established by ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery （LAD）. They were divided into the sham-operated group， the model group， the low-dose， medium-dose， and high-dose groups of LGZGT （2.34， 4.68， 9.36 g·kg^-1）， and the captopril group （3.25 mg·kg^-1）， with 10 mice in each group. After four weeks of continuous drug administration by gavage， the level of cardiac function in each group of mice was examined using small animal Doppler ultrasound. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining and Masson staining was used to assess the morphological changes of myocardial tissue and calculate the rate of collagen fiber deposition in mouse myocardial tissue. Wheat germ agglutinin （WGA） staining was employed to compare the cross-sectional area of cardiomyocytes in each group of mice. The expression levels of α-smooth muscle actin （α-SMA）， matrix metalloproteinase-2 （MMP-2）， type Ⅰcollagen （Col Ⅰ）， Col Ⅲ， tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1（TIMP1）， B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2）-associated X protein （Bax）， Bcl-2， Caspase-3， and cleaved Caspase-3 were detected by Western blot. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to evaluate the mRNA levels of the pathway-related genes RhoA， ROCK1， and ROCK2. The protein expression levels of RhoA， ROCK1， and ROCK2 were tested by Western blot. ResultsThe level of cardiac function was markedly declined in the model group compared to the sham-operated group（P<0.01）. Myocardial tissue morphology changed significantly. The cross-sectional area of cardiomyocytes was significantly enlarged. The expression of α-SMA， MMP-2， Col Ⅰ， and Col Ⅲ was significantly upregulated（P<0.01）， and TIMP1 protein expression was significantly reduced（P<0.01）. The expressions of apoptosis-related proteins Bax were significantly up-regulated（P<0.01）， while the expression of Bcl-2 protein was significantly decreased（P<0.01）. The mRNA expression of RhoA， ROCK1， and ROCK2 were significantly upregulated （P<0.01）. Compared to the model group， the low-dose， medium-dose， and high-dose groups of LGZGT and the captopril group significantly reversed the experimental results of the model group in a dose-dependent manner （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionLGZGT significantly attenuated myocardial fibrosis， myocardial hypertrophy， and cardiomyocyte apoptosis after MI in mice and effectively reversed VR， the mechanism of which may be related to the modulation of the RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway.

ObjectiveThis study aims to investigate the effects of Linggui Zhugantang （LGZGT） on ventricular remodeling （VR） in mice with myocardial infarction （MI） and its impact on the Ras homologgene A （RhoA）/Rho-associated coiled-coil forming protein kinase （ROCK） signaling pathway. MethodsThe MI model of mice was established by ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery （LAD）. They were divided into the sham-operated group， the model group， the low-dose， medium-dose， and high-dose groups of LGZGT （2.34， 4.68， 9.36 g·kg^-1）， and the captopril group （3.25 mg·kg^-1）， with 10 mice in each group. After four weeks of continuous drug administration by gavage， the level of cardiac function in each group of mice was examined using small animal Doppler ultrasound. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining and Masson staining was used to assess the morphological changes of myocardial tissue and calculate the rate of collagen fiber deposition in mouse myocardial tissue. Wheat germ agglutinin （WGA） staining was employed to compare the cross-sectional area of cardiomyocytes in each group of mice. The expression levels of α-smooth muscle actin （α-SMA）， matrix metalloproteinase-2 （MMP-2）， type Ⅰcollagen （Col Ⅰ）， Col Ⅲ， tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1（TIMP1）， B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2）-associated X protein （Bax）， Bcl-2， Caspase-3， and cleaved Caspase-3 were detected by Western blot. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to evaluate the mRNA levels of the pathway-related genes RhoA， ROCK1， and ROCK2. The protein expression levels of RhoA， ROCK1， and ROCK2 were tested by Western blot. ResultsThe level of cardiac function was markedly declined in the model group compared to the sham-operated group（P<0.01）. Myocardial tissue morphology changed significantly. The cross-sectional area of cardiomyocytes was significantly enlarged. The expression of α-SMA， MMP-2， Col Ⅰ， and Col Ⅲ was significantly upregulated（P<0.01）， and TIMP1 protein expression was significantly reduced（P<0.01）. The expressions of apoptosis-related proteins Bax were significantly up-regulated（P<0.01）， while the expression of Bcl-2 protein was significantly decreased（P<0.01）. The mRNA expression of RhoA， ROCK1， and ROCK2 were significantly upregulated （P<0.01）. Compared to the model group， the low-dose， medium-dose， and high-dose groups of LGZGT and the captopril group significantly reversed the experimental results of the model group in a dose-dependent manner （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionLGZGT significantly attenuated myocardial fibrosis， myocardial hypertrophy， and cardiomyocyte apoptosis after MI in mice and effectively reversed VR， the mechanism of which may be related to the modulation of the RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the potential effects and mechanisms of Liang-Ge-San (LGS) for the treatment of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) through network pharmacology analysis and to verify LGS activity through biological experiments. METHODS: The key ingredients of LGS and related targets were obtained from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform. ARDS-related targets were selected from GeneCards and DisGeNET databases. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analyses were performed using the Metascape Database. Molecular docking analysis was used to confirm the binding affinity of the core compounds with key therapeutic targets. Finally, the effects of LGS on key signaling pathways and biological processes were determined by in vitro and in vivo experiments. RESULTS: A total of LGS-related targets and 496 ARDS-related targets were obtained from the databases. Network pharmacological analysis suggested that LGS could treat ARDS based on the following information: LGS ingredients luteolin, wogonin, and baicalein may be potential candidate agents. Mitogen-activated protein kinase 14 (MAPK14), recombinant V-Rel reticuloendotheliosis viral oncogene homolog A (RELA), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) may be potential therapeutic targets. Reactive oxygen species metabolic process and the apoptotic signaling pathway were the main biological processes. The p38MAPK/NF-κ B signaling pathway might be the key signaling pathway activated by LGS against ARDS. Moreover, molecular docking demonstrated that luteolin, wogonin, and baicalein had a good binding affinity with MAPK14, RELA, and TNF α. In vitro experiments, LGS inhibited the expression and entry of p38 and p65 into the nucleation in human bronchial epithelial cells (HBE) cells induced by LPS, inhibited the inflammatory response and oxidative stress response, and inhibited HBE cell apoptosis (P<0.05 or P<0.01). In vivo experiments, LGS improved lung injury caused by ligation and puncture, reduced inflammatory responses, and inhibited the activation of p38MAPK and p65 (P<0.05 or P<0.01). CONCLUSION LGS could reduce reactive oxygen species and inflammatory cytokine production by inhibiting p38MAPK/NF-κ B signaling pathway, thus reducing apoptosis and attenuating ARDS.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome/enzymology* ; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases/metabolism* ; NF-kappa B/metabolism* ; Animals ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; Humans ; Male ; Network Pharmacology ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Mice

OBJECTIVE: To identify the underlying mechanism by which quercetin (Que) alleviates sepsis-related acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). METHODS: In vivo, C57BL/6 mice were assigned to sham, cecal ligation and puncture (CLP), and CLP+Que (50 mg/kg) groups (n=15 per group) by using a random number table. The sepsisrelated ARDS mouse model was established using the CLP method. In vitro, the murine alveolar macrophages (MH-S) cells were classified into control, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), LPS+Que (10 μmol/L), and LPS+Que+acetylcysteine (NAC, 5 mmol/L) groups. The effect of Que on oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis in mice lungs and MH-S cells was determined, and the mechanism with reactive oxygen species (ROS)/p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway was also explored both in vivo and in vitro. RESULTS: Que alleviated lung injury in mice, as reflected by a reversal of pulmonary histopathologic changes as well as a reduction in lung wet/dry weight ratio and neutrophil infiltration (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Additionally, Que improved the survival rate and relieved gas exchange impairment in mice (P<0.01). Que treatment also remarkedly reduced malondialdehyde formation, superoxide dismutase and catalase depletion, and cell apoptosis both in vivo and in vitro (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Moreover, Que treatment diminished the release of inflammatory factors interleukin (IL)-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α, and IL-6 both in vivo and in vitro (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Mechanistic investigation clarifified that Que administration led to a decline in the phosphorylation of p38 MAPK in addition to the suppression of ROS expression (P<0.01). Furthermore, in LPS-induced MH-S cells, ROS inhibitor NAC further inhibited ROS/p38 MAPK pathway, as well as oxidative stress, inflammation, and cell apoptosis on the basis of Que treatment (P<0.05 or P<0.01). CONCLUSION Que was found to exert anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic effects by suppressing the ROS/p38 MAPK pathway, thereby conferring protection for mice against sepsis-related ARDS.
Animals ; Sepsis/drug therapy* ; Quercetin/therapeutic use* ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome/enzymology* ; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases/metabolism* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism* ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Male ; Oxidative Stress/drug effects* ; MAP Kinase Signaling System/drug effects* ; Lung/drug effects* ; Mice ; Lipopolysaccharides ; Macrophages, Alveolar/pathology* ; Inflammation/pathology* ; Protective Agents/therapeutic use*

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a common respiratory emergency, but current clinical treatment remains at the level of symptomatic support and there is a lack of effective targeted treatment measures. Our previous study confirmed that inhalation of hydrogen gas can reduce the acute lung injury of ARDS, but the application of hydrogen has flammable and explosive safety concerns. Drinking hydrogen-rich liquid or inhaling hydrogen gas has been shown to play an important role in scavenging reactive oxygen species and maintaining mitochondrial quality control balance, thus improving ARDS in patients and animal models. Coral calcium hydrogenation (CCH) is a new solid molecular hydrogen carrier prepared from coral calcium (CC). Whether and how CCH affects acute lung injury in ARDS remains unstudied. In this study, we observed the therapeutic effect of CCH on lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced acute lung injury in ARDS mice. The survival rate of mice treated with CCH and hydrogen inhalation was found to be comparable, demonstrating a significant improvement compared to the untreated ARDS model group. CCH treatment significantly reduced pulmonary hemorrhage and edema, and improved pulmonary function and local microcirculation in ARDS mice. CCH promoted mitochondrial peripheral division in the early course of ARDS by activating mitochondrial thioredoxin 2 (Trx2), improved lung mitochondrial dysfunction induced by LPS, and reduced oxidative stress damage. The results indicate that CCH is a highly efficient hydrogen-rich agent that can attenuate acute lung injury of ARDS by improving the mitochondrial function through Trx2 activation.

Objective To analyze the research progress of acupuncture and moxibustion in the treatment of simple obesity,thus to provide reference for further research in this field.Methods The relevant literature in China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI)and Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform in the past 24 years were retrieved,and analysis of authors,institutions,and keywords were carried out by CiteSpace 6.2.R6 software,and visualization maps were drawn.Results A total of 889 valid articles were included,and the number of annual publications tended to be stable;the authors in this field were Zhou Zhongyu and Chen Xia as the core author team;the most involved research institution in the institutional cooperation map was the Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine;the high-frequency keywords mainly concentrated on"acupuncture therapy","acupuncture and muxibustion therapy","simple obesity","acupoint catgut embedding therapy",etc.;the keyword clusters covered a total of 13 items,namely"electroacupuncture","acupuncture","acupuncture and moxibustion","acupoint catgut embedding",etc.Conclusion There are many studies on acupuncture and moxibustion in the treatment of simple obesity,and the hot spots of the study are focused on small-sample clinical observation,literature research,and research on the mechanism of action.In the future,researchers can conduct further high-quality studies as well as research on the application and mechanism of action of specific acupuncture therapies,with the aim of developing the preferable therapeutic approaches of acupuncture for the treatment of simple obesity.

Objective To investigate the efficacy of Yiqi Wenyang Sanjie Decoction in the treatment of patients with pulmonary ground glass nodules and yang-deficiency constitution,and to observe its effect on serum inflammatory factors and immune function.Methods From January 2020 to June 2024,a total of 106 patients with pulmonary ground glass nodules and yang-deficiency constitution admitted to the Department of Respiratory Medicine and Preventive Treatment of Disease Center of Cangzhou Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine were selected.The patients were randomly divided into control group and Chinese medicine group by random number table method,with 53 cases in each group.The patients in the control group were only given follow-up without any intervention,and the patients in the Chinese medicine group were treated with Yiqi Wenyang Sanjie Decoction for 3 months.Before and after treatment,the two groups were observed in the changes of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome scores,maximum diameter of pulmonary ground glass nodules,serum levels of inflammatory factors of interleukin-6(IL-6),interleukin-17A(IL-17A),and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),and levels of immune function indicators of peripheral blood CD3+,CD4+cell percentage and CD4+/CD8+ratio.After treatment,the efficacy and safety of the two groups were evaluated.Results(1)During the trial,5 cases fell off from the control group and 3 cases fell off from the Chinese medicine group.A total of 98 cases were eventually included,and 48 cases were in the control group and 50 cases were in the Chinese medicine group.(2)After 3 months of treatment,the total effective rate of the Chinese medicine group was 46.00%(23/50),and that of the control group was 10.42%(5/48).The intergroup comparison(tested by chi-square test)showed that the efficacy of the Chinese medicine group was significantly superior to that of the control group(P＜0.01).(3)After treatment,the TCM syndrome score and the maximum diameter of pulmonary ground glass nodules in the Chinese medicine group were lowered(P＜0.05),while the TCM syndrome score and the maximum diameter showed no obvious changes compared with those at enrollment(P＞0.05);the intergroup comparison showed that the reduction of TCM syndrome score and the maximum diameter of pulmonary ground glass nodules in the Chinese medicine group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P＜0.05).(4)After treatment,the levels of serum inflammatory factors of IL-6,IL-17A and TNF-α in the Chinese medicine group were significantly lowered compared with those at enrollment(P＜0.05),while there was no significant change in serum IL-6,IL-17A and TNF-α levels of the control group(P＞0.05);the intergroup comparison showed that the decrease of serum IL-6,IL-17A and TNF-α levels in the Chinese medicine group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P＜0.05).(5)After treatment,the percentage of T lymphocyte subset CD4+and the ratio of CD4+/CD8+in the Chinese medicine group were significantly increased compared with those at enrollment(P＜0.05),while there was no significant change in the percentage of CD3+,CD4+cells and the ratio of CD4+/CD8+of the control group and in the percentage of CD3+cells of the Chinese medicine group(P＞0.05).The intergroup comparison showed that the increase of CD4+percentage and CD4+/CD8+ratio in the Chinese medicine group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P＜0.05).(6)There were no obvious adverse reactions occurring in the Chinese medicine group during the treatment,showing relatively high safety.Conclusion Yiqi Wenyang Sanjie Decoction exerts certain effect in the treatment of patients with pulmonary ground glass nodules and yang-deficiency constitution.It can effectively promote the reduction of nodules,relieve clinical symptoms,decrease serum levels of inflammatory factors,improve immune function,and has good safety.

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a clinically rare, genetically and phenotypically heterogeneous condition characterized by chronic respiratory tract infections, male infertility, tympanitis, and laterality abnormalities. PCD is typically resulted from variants in genes encoding assembly or structural proteins that are indispensable for the movement of motile cilia. Here, we identified a novel nonsense mutation, c.466G>T, in cilia- and flagella-associated protein 300 ( CFAP300 ) resulting in a stop codon (p.Glu156*) through whole-exome sequencing (WES). The proband had a PCD phenotype with laterality defects and immotile sperm flagella displaying a combined loss of the inner dynein arm (IDA) and outer dynein arm (ODA). Bioinformatic programs predicted that the mutation is deleterious. Successful pregnancy was achieved through intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Our results expand the spectrum of CFAP300 variants in PCD and provide reproductive guidance for infertile couples suffering from PCD caused by them.
Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Pregnancy ; China ; Ciliary Motility Disorders/genetics* ; Codon, Nonsense ; East Asian People/genetics* ; Exome Sequencing ; Homozygote ; Infertility, Male/genetics* ; Kartagener Syndrome/genetics* ; Pedigree ; Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic ; Cytoskeletal Proteins/genetics*

Chronic refractory wound （CRW） presents significant clinical treatment challenges due to pathological characteristics such as persistent inflammation， bacterial infection， oxidative stress and inadequate angiogenesis. Astragali Radix， a traditional Chinese medicinal herb， exerts multi-target pharmacological effects on CRW through its active components， including Astragalus polysaccharides， flavonoids， and astragaloside Ⅳ， etc. Fundamental studies indicate that these components promote CRW healing by modulating inflammatory responses， inhibiting pathogen growth， improving antioxidant capacity and stimulating neovascularization. Network pharmacology and bioinformatics studies have revealed that active components of Astragali Radix target and modulate key signaling nodes such as nuclear factor-κB， phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt， AMP-activated protein kinase， and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor， as well as inflammation-angiogenesis-related pathways， thereby synergistically exerting anti-inflammatory and pro-angiogenic effect. Clinical applications have demonstrated that oral formulations （e.g.， Huangqi guizhi decoction， Danggui huangqi decoction， etc.） reduce healing time of CRW and lower inflammatory marker levels， while topical preparations （e.g.， Zizhu ointment， Huangqi shengji ointment， electrostatically spun Astragalus polysaccharide composite nanofibre dressings， etc.） significantly improve healing rates of CRW and minimize complications.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is globally the most prevalent malignancy in the male genitourinary system, with a continuously ascending incidence in China. For the treatment of localized PCa, radical prostatectomy and radiotherapy have demonstrated effective suppression of the tumor, but with obvious complications that markedly compromise the life quality of the patients. Focal therapy, by targeting the principal tumor foci, can largely reduce the incidence of complications. In this context, irreversible electroporation represents an emerging modality of focal treatment capable of ablating the tumor as thoroughly as possible while sparing such critical structures as the urethra, rectum and neurovascular bundles from thermal damage, and thus offers a promising option for the management of localized PCa. This article presents an overview of the latest advances in the studies of irreversible electroporation.
Humans ; Male ; Prostatic Neoplasms/therapy* ; Electroporation/methods*