OBJECTIVE To study the effects of peripheral blood-derived exosomes （Exo） intervened by Naozhenning （NZN） on injury of neuron cells HT22 induced by microglia BV-2 cells. METHODS Wistar rats were selected to prepare peripheral blood- derived Exo intervened by NZN （66.83 g/kg）， referred to as NZN-Exo； peripheral blood-derived Exo intervened by normal saline and piracetam （PLXT， 1.62 g/kg） were prepared using the same method， denoted as KB-Exo and PLXT-Exo respectively， and all Exo were subsequently identified. Meanwhile， BV-2 cells were stimulated with 1 μg/mL lipopolysaccharide （LPS） to prepare LPS- stimulated supernatant， and non-LPS-stimulated supernatant was prepared following the same protocol. HT22 cells were divided into four groups: KB-Exo group （treated with non-LPS-stimulated supernatant+KB-Exo）， model group （treated with LPS-stimulated supernatant+KB-Exo）， PLXT-Exo group （treated with LPS-stimulated supernatant+PLXT-Exo）， and NZN-Exo group （treated with LPS-stimulated supernatant+NZN-Exo）， with the concentration of the corresponding Exo in all groups being 50 μg/mL. After 24 hours of culture， the proliferation of HT22 cells was detected by the CCK-8 assay and EdU assay； the apoptosis of HT22 cells was detected； the microstructure of HT22 cells was observed； the contents of interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， IL-10， nuclear factor-κB （NF- κB）， and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） in HT22 cells were measured， as well as the expression levels of TNF-α， NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3 （NLRP3）， Caspase-1， B-cell lymphoma-2（ Bcl-2）， and Bcl-2-associated X protein （Bax）. RESULTS KB-Exo， PLXT-Exo and NZN-Exo were successfully prepared， and all Exo exhibited typical cup-shaped contours and membrane-enclosed characteristics. Compared with KB-Exo group， model group showed significantly decreased cell proliferation rates （detected by CCK-8 and EdU）， intracellular IL-10 levels， and Bcl-2 protein expression levels （P＜0.05）； while the cell apoptosis rate， intracellular levels of IL-1β， TNF-α， and NF-κB， as well as the expression levels of NLRP3， TNF-α， Caspase-1， and Bax proteins were significantly increased （P＜0.05）. Additionally， in the model group， the cells showed volume swelling， incomplete cell membrane， nucleolar rupture， significant swelling and deformation of mitochondria， and severe vacuolization. Compared with model group， the above quantitative indicators in the PLXT-Exo group and NZN-Exo group were significantly reversed （P＜0.05）， with large and round cell nuclei， intact nuclear membranes， and reduced mitochondrial vacuolization. CONCLUSIONS Peripheral blood-derived Exo intervened by naozhenning can alleviate the injury of neuronal cells HT22 by inhibiting inflammatory responses and cell apoptosis.

In recent years, the roles of mitochondrial RNA and its associated human diseases have been reported to increase significantly. Treatments based on mtRNA metabolic processes and nuclear gene mutations are thus discussed. The mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation process is affected by mtRNA metabolism, including mtRNA production, maturation, stabilization, and degradation, which leads to a variety of inherited human mitochondrial diseases. Moreover, mitochondrial diseases are caused by mitochondrial messenger RNA, mitochondrial transfer RNA, and mitochondrial ribosomal RNA gene mutations. This review presents the molecular mechanisms of human mtRNA metabolism and pathological mutations in mtRNA metabolism-related nuclear-encoded/nonencoded genes and mitochondrial DNA mutations to highlight the importance of mitochondrial RNA-related diseases and treatments.
Humans ; Mitochondrial Diseases/therapy* ; RNA, Mitochondrial ; RNA/genetics* ; Mitochondria/genetics* ; Mutation/genetics* ; RNA, Transfer/genetics* ; DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics*

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the association between methylation levels of tumor suppressing subtransferable candidate 1 (TSSC1) and melanophilin (MLPH) genes in peripheral blood and coronary heart disease (CHD) in Chinese population. METHODS: This case-control study was conducted in 86 CHD patients and 95 healthy individuals, whose methylation levels of TSSC1 and MLPH genes in peripheral blood were determined using mass spectrometry. Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the methylation levels in different subgroups. The correlation of TSSC1 and MLPH gene methylation levels with age and gender were evaluated using Spearman correlation coefficient and contingency coefficient, respectively. RESULTS: Compared with the healthy individuals, the CHD patients showed a significant correlation between MLPH hypermethylation and myocardial infarction (MI) (MLPH_CpG_2.7: P=0.045; MLPH_CpG_3/cg06639874: P=0.049; MLPH_CpG_5: P=0.019), and this correlation was even stronger in individuals below 65 years of age (MLPH_CpG_2.7: P=0.014; MLPH_CpG_4: P=0.001) and in male subjects (MLPH_CpG_2.7: P=0.004; MLPH_CpG_3/cg06639874: P=0.044). The methylation level of TSSC1 gene in peripheral blood was not found to correlate with CHD or its subtypes. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest a correlation of MLPH hypermethylation in peripheral blood with CHD and MI in Chinese population, especially in individuals below 65 years and in male individuals.
Humans ; DNA Methylation ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Case-Control Studies ; Aged ; Coronary Disease/blood* ; Adult ; CpG Islands

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of hypomethylating agents (HMA) in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) .Methods:A total of 409 MDS patients from 45 hospitals in Zhejiang province who received at least four consecutive cycles of HMA monotherapy as initial therapy were enrolled to evaluate the efficacy and safety of HMA. Mann-Whitney U or Chi-square tests were used to compare the differences in the clinical data. Logistic regression and Cox regression were used to analyze the factors affecting efficacy and survival. Kaplan-Meier was used for survival analysis. Results:Patients received HMA treatment for a median of 6 cycles (range, 4-25 cycles) . The complete remission (CR) rate was 33.98% and the overall response rate (ORR) was 77.02%. Multivariate analysis revealed that complex karyotype ( P=0.02, OR=0.39, 95% CI 0.18-0.84) was an independent favorable factor for CR rate. TP53 mutation ( P=0.02, OR=0.22, 95% CI 0.06-0.77) was a predictive factor for a higher ORR. The median OS for the HMA-treated patients was 25.67 (95% CI 21.14-30.19) months. HMA response ( P=0.036, HR=0.47, 95% CI 0.23-0.95) was an independent favorable prognostic factor, whereas complex karyotype ( P=0.024, HR=2.14, 95% CI 1.10-4.15) , leukemia transformation ( P<0.001, HR=2.839, 95% CI 1.64-4.92) , and TP53 mutation ( P=0.012, HR=2.19, 95% CI 1.19-4.07) were independent adverse prognostic factors. There was no significant difference in efficacy and survival between the reduced and standard doses of HMA. The CR rate and ORR of MDS patients treated with decitabine and azacitidine were not significantly different. The median OS of patients treated with decitabine was longer compared with that of patients treated with azacitidine (29.53 months vs 20.17 months, P=0.007) . The incidence of bone marrow suppression and pneumonia in the decitabine group was higher compared with that in the azacitidine group. Conclusion:Continuous and regular use of appropriate doses of hypomethylating agents may benefit MDS patients to the greatest extent if it is tolerated.

Objective To investigate the anesthetic effects and adverse effects of cypropofol and propofol combined with alfentanil,respectively,for gastroenteroscopy.Methods A total of 162 patients who underwent elective gastroenteroscopy at the Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Center of the First Hospital of Lanzhou University from January to February 2024 were enrolled,including 86 males and 76 females,at an age of 18～65 years old,with a BMI value of 18～30 kg/m2,and ASA grade ≤ Ⅱ.They were randomly divided into propofol group(Group P)and cypropofol group(Group C),with 81 cases in each group.All patients were sedated with 0.7 μg/kg alfentanil,and in 30 s later,2 mg/kg propofol and 0.4 mg/kg cypropofol was intravenously dripped into Group P and Group C,respectively.When the modified alertness/sedation score(MOAA/S)≤1,a gastroscope was started to insert.The related indicators,including total procedure time,successful cases of sedation,induction time and awakening time,heart rate,blood pressure,and pulse oximetry saturation were recorded,occurrence of adverse reactions such as hypotension,respiratory depression,injection pain,intraoperative body movement,nausea and vomiting were observed,and the satisfaction of endoscopists and of patients to anesthesia were recorded and compared between the 2 groups.Results There were no statistical differences in the success rate of sedation,induction time and awakening time between the 2 groups.The patients of the Group C had more stable intraoperative vital signs,statistically lower incidences of injection pain,respiratory depression and hypotension(P＜0.05),and increased satisfaction for anesthesia(P＜0.05)when compared with those in Group P.No obvious difference were observed in the satisfaction of endoscopist to anesthesia between the 2 groups.Conclusion In combination with small-dose alfentanil,0.4 mg/kg cypropofol shows similar sedation effect as 2 mg/kg propofol in gastroenteroscopy,with comparable induction and awakening time.Cypropofol has more advantages in stable intraoperative vital signs,less adverse effects such as low blood pressure,respiratory depression and injection pain,higher the patient satisfaction,which is worthy of clinical promotion.

OBJECTIVE To explore the mechanism of Naozhenning granules in regulating mitochondrial energy metabolism in hippocampal tissue of multiple cerebral concussion （MCC） model rats. METHODS SPF grade Wistar rats were used to prepare MCC models using the “free fall impact method”. The successfully modeled rats were divided into model group， piracetam group， and Naozhenning granule low-dose， medium-dose and high-dose groups， and a normal group was also set up， with 8 rats in each group. Rats in each treatment group orally administered corresponding drugs at doses of 0.324 g/kg for the piracetam group and 2.25， 4.5 and 9 g/kg for the Naozhenning granule low-dose， medium-dose and high-dose groups； the normal group and model group were given equal volumes of normal saline； once a day， for 14 consecutive days. The motor exploration ability， learning and memory ability of rats were tested； the adenosine triphosphate （ATP） content in the hippocampal tissue of rat was detected； the changes in the mitochondrial structure of hippocampal tissue was observed； the fluorescence intensity of mitochondrial dynamin- related protein 1 （Drp1）， mitochondrial fission protein 1 （Fis1）， mitochondrial fusion 1 （Mfn1）， and optic atrophy protein 1 （Opa1） were detected in the hippocampal tissue of rat； the protein expression levels of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma coactivator-1α（PGC-1α）， nuclear respiratory factor-1（NRF-1），mitochondrial transcription factor A（TFAM）， Wnt-3a，β-catenin in hippocampal tissue of rat were detected. RESULTS Compared with the normal group， the total exercise distance， number of central grid entries， number of upright positions， new object recognition index， mitochondrial ATP content， fluorescence intensity of Mfn1 and Opa1， the protein expression levels of PGC-1α、NRF-1、TFAM、Wnt-3a、 β-catenin in the model group were significantly reduced （P＜0.01）， while the rest time and fluorescence intensity of Drp1 and Fis1 in hippocampal tissue were significantly increased （P＜0.01）. The results of transmission electron microscopy showed that the mitochondria in the hippocampal tissue were significantly swollen， with a large number of broken and reduced cristae， and some mitochondria had myeloid changes in the membrane. Compared with the model group， the levels/contents of the above indicators in rats of each administration group showed varying degrees of reversal， and most of the differences were statistically significant （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）； the degree of mitochondrial swelling in the hippocampal tissue was reduced， with a small amount of broken and reduced cristae， fuzzy fractures appeared in local areas of the rough endoplasmic reticulum. CONCLUSIONS Naozhenning granules can improve the motor exploration， learning and memory abilities of MCC model rats， repair neuronal damage， and exert neuroprotective effects. Its mechanism may be related to activating Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway，maintaining the balance of mitochondrial division and fusion，and promoting mitochondrial biosynthesis.

ObjectiveTo explore the effects of Naozhenning granules on the memory function and neuron cells in the rat model of post-concussion syndrome based on mitochondrial biosynthesis. MethodSPF-grade Wistar rats were used to establish the multiple cerebral concussion （MCC） model by the weight-drop method. The successfully modeled rats were assigned into model， piracetam （0.324 g·kg^-1）， and low-， medium-， and high-dose （2.25， 4.5， and 9 g·kg^-1， respectively） Naozhenning groups. The rats were administrated with corresponding drugs by gavage and those in the blank group and model group were administrated the same volume of normal saline once a day for 14 days. The general state of rats was observed before and after treatment. The open field test and new object recognition test were conducted to examine the motor and memory abilities of rats. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was employed to observe the pathological changes of cortical neurons in rats. Western blot and real-time polymerase chain reaction were employed to determine the protein and mRNA levels， respectively， of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ-coactivator-1α （PGC-1α）， nuclear respiratory factor-1 （NRF-1）， and transcription factor A mitochondrial （TFAM） in rat cortex. ResultCompared with the blank group， the model group showed anxious and manic mental status， yellow and messy fur， and reduced food intake. In the open field experiment， the model group showed reduced total movement distance， times of entering the central grid， and times of rearing decreased and increased resting time compared with the blank group （P<0.01）. The model group had lower recognition index of new objects than the blank group （P<0.01）. In addition， the modeling caused reduced neurons with sparse distribution and deformed， broken， and irregular nucleoli and down-regulated the mRNA and protein levels of PGC-1α， NRF-1， and TFAM in the cortex （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， piracetam and Naozhenning improved the mental state， coat color， food intake， and activities of rats. In the open field test， piracetam and Naozhenning increased the total movement distance， the times of entering the central grid， and the times of rearing and shortened the resting time （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The piracetam and Naozhenning groups had higher recognition index of new objects than the model group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the piracetam and Naozhenning groups showed increased neurons with tight arrangement and large and round nuclei， and some cells with irregular morphology and turbid cytoplasm. Furthermore， piracetam and medium-dose Naozhenning upregulated the protein levels of PGC-1α， NRF-1， and TFAM （P<0.01）. Low-dose Naozhenning upregulated the protein levels of NRF-1 and TFAM （P<0.01）， and high-dose Naozhenning upregulated the protein levels of PGC-1α and TFAM in the cortex （P<0.01）. The mRNA levels of PGC-1α， NRF-1， and TFAM in the cortex were upregulated in the piracetam group and Naozhenning groups （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionNaozhenning granules can improve the motor， memory， and learning， repair the neuronal damage， and protect the nerve function in the rat model of MCC by promoting mitochondrial biosynthesis.

ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism of astragaloside-Ⅳ （AS-Ⅳ） in regulating pyroptosis to alleviate intestinal ischemia-reperfusion injury （IRI） by combining network pharmacology and in vivo experiments. MethodFirstly， the corresponding target genes of AS-Ⅳ were obtained from TraditionalChineseMedicineSystemsPharmacology（TCMSP） database and Swiss Target Prediction database， and the target genes related to intestinal IRI and Pyroptosis were obtained from GeneCards database， and the common target genes of the three were obtained by drawing Venn diagrams through unspiralized website. Protein-protein interaction （PPI） network was constructed by STRING database and Cytoscape software to screen common target genes and imported into Cytoscape software to obtain core target genes. Microbiotics platform was used for gene ontology（GO） and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes（KEGG） enrichment analysis and prediction of the mechanism of action of AS-Ⅳ in regulating Pyroptosis to alleviate intestinal IRI. Then C57/BL6J mice were randomly divided into 5 groups normal group， model group（IR）， drug administration group （IR+AS-Ⅳ）， nucleotide-binding oligomerization structural domain-like receptor protein 3 （NLRP3） agonist NSS group （IR+AS-Ⅳ+NSS）， and NLRP3 inhibitor MCC950 group （IR+AS-Ⅳ+MCC950） by using a randomized numerical table method. The intestinal IRI model was established by clamping the superior mesenteric artery for 45 min and resuming perfusion for 2 h in the model group， the drug administration group， the NLRP3 agonist NSS group， and the NLRP3 inhibitor MCC950 group， and the normal group was only separated from the vessels without clamping. The administration group， the NLRP3 agonist NSS group， and the NLRP3 inhibitor MCC950 group were gavaged with astragaloside dissolved in 0.1% dimethylsulfoxide （50 mg·kg^-1） for 3 consecutive days before modeling， with the last gavage 2 h before modeling， and the remaining two groups were gavaged with equal amounts of saline. The NLRP3 agonist NSS group was injected intraperitoneally with 4 mg·kg^-1 of NSS 1 h before modeling， and the NLRP3 inhibitor MCC950 group was injected intraperitoneally with 10 mg·kg^-1 of MCC950 1 h before modeling.The mice were put to death by reperfusion for 2 h， and intestinal tissues were obtained. The levels of IL-18 and IL-1β were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA）， and the protein expression of thioredoxin-binding protein （TXNIP）， NLRP3， Caspase-1 and pyrocatechin D （GSDMD） were detected by Western blot， and the pathological changes of intestinal tissues were evaluated by Chiu's score. ResultNetwork pharmacological analysis showed that there were 1599 targets of intestinal IRI， 199 targets of AS-Ⅳ action， 197 targets of pyroptosis， and 20 targets common to all three. There were 10 core targets， including NLRP3， TXNIP， silencing information regulator 1 （SIRT1）， high mobility group protein 1 （HMGB1）， interleukin-18 （IL-18）， GSDMD， and metallo matrix protease-9 （MMP-9），et al. The results of in vivo experiments showed that compared with the normal group， Chiu's score was elevated in the model group， the levels of IL-18，IL-1β inflammatory factors in mouse intestinal tissues were elevated （P<0.05）， and the protein expression levels of TXNIP， NLRP3， Caspase-1， and GSDMD were elevated （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group，Chiu's score was decreased in the administered group and NLRP3 inhibitor MCC950 group，the level of IL-18，IL-1β inflammatory factors in the intestinal tissue of mice was decreased（P<0.05）， and the level of TXNIP，NLRP3，Caspase-1，GSDMD protein expression was decreased（P<0.05）. Compared with the administered group， Chiu's score was elevated in the NLRP3 agonist NSS group， the levels of IL-18， IL-1β inflammatory factors in mouse intestinal tissues were elevated （P<0.05）， and the protein expression levels of NLRP3， Caspase-1， and GSDMD were elevated （P<0.05）. Compared with the NLRP3 inhibitor MCC950 group， the NLRP3 agonist NSS group had elevated Chiu's scores， elevated levels of IL-18，IL-1β inflammatory factors in mouse intestinal tissues （P<0.05）， and elevated levels of TXNIP，NLRP3， Caspase-1， and GSDMD protein expression （P<0.05）. ConclusionNetwork pharmacological predictions were consistent with the results of in vivo experiments， and astragaloside attenuated intestinal ischemia-reperfusion injury by inhibiting cellular pyroptosis through the TXNIP-NLRP3 signaling pathway.

Objective To monitor and evaluate the synergistic antitumor effects of programmed death-1(PD-1)checkpoint inhibitor combined with radiation therapy through whole-body dynamic 18 F-Fluorodeoxy glucose positron emission computed tomography(18F-FDG PET/CT)and Patlak multi-parametric analysis.Methods B16F10 mel-anoma dual-tumor mouse model was established and randomly divided into control,PD-1 monoclonal antibody,ra-diation-only,and combination groups(n=6).Whole-body 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging was performed before and 24 hours post-treatment.The changes of maximum standardized uptake value(SUVmax)and metabolic rate of FDG(MRFDG)changes were analyzed and compared.Mice were then euthanized,tumors excised and underwent histo-pathology with HE,CD8,Ki-67 staining to assess immune infiltration and proliferation.Distal tumor volumes were monitored during treatment.Results At 24 hours post-treatment,in the primary tumors,SUVmax and MRFDG values increased compared to pre-treatment in the control group(P＜0.000 1),while they decreased in the combination treatment group(P＜0.000 1),with statistically significant differences.In the distal tumors,SUVmax and MRFDG values increased compared to pre-treatment in the control group,PD-1 monoclonal antibody group,and radiothera-py-alone group.The SUVmax differences were statistically significant in the control group before and after treatment(P＜0.000 1).MRFDG values in the distal tumors showed statistically significant differences in all three groups(P＜0.01 or P＜0.000 1).In the combination treatment group,SUVmax and MRFDG values in the distal tumors de-creased significantly compared to pre-treatment(P＜0.000 1).Post-treatment comparison of SUVmax and MRFDG values in the distal tumors showed that statistically significant differences in SUVmax and MRFDG values were observed among all groups except between the radiotherapy-alone and PD-1 monoclonal antibody groups(all P＜0.05).Im-munohistochemistry results showed that the mean absorbance value of CD8 T lymphocytes in the distal tumor was significantly higher than that in the other three groups(P＜0.001);the mean absorbance value of Ki-67 immuno-histochemistry in the distal tumor proliferation index was significantly lower than that in the other three groups(P＜0.001).Conclusion The synergistic effects of combined treatment reduced distal tumor growth.Whole-body 18F-FDG PET/CT Patlak multi-parametric imaging can monitor the synergistic effects of PD-1 antibody and radiotherapy in B16F10 melanoma,providing reliable imaging parameters for optimizing combinatorial therapies.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Activating brown adipose tissue (BAT) and browning of white adipose tissue (WAT) can protect against obesity and obesity-related metabolic conditions.Cryptotanshinone (CT) regulates lipid metabolism and significantly ameliorates insulin resistance. Adenosine-5'-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a receptor for cellular energy metabolism, is believed to regulate brown fat activity in humans.MATERIALS/METHODS: The in vivo study included high-fat-fed obese mice administered orally 200/400 mg/kg/d CT. They were evaluated through weight measurement, the intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test (IPGTT), intraperitoneal insulin tolerance test (IPITT), cold stimulation test, serum lipid (total cholesterol, triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein) measurement, hematoxylin and eosin staining, and immunohistochemistry.Furthermore, the in vitro study investigated primary adipose mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) with incubation of CT and AMPK agonists (acadesine)/inhibitor (Compound C).Cells were evaluated using Oil Red O staining, Alizarin red staining, flow cytometry, and immunofluorescence staining to identify and observe the osteogenic versus adipogenic differentiation. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and the Western blot were used to observe related gene expression. RESULTS: In the diet-induced obesity mouse model mice CT suppressed body weight, food intake, glucose levels in the IPGTT and IPTT, serum lipids, the volume of adipose tissue, and increased thermogenesis, uncoupling protein 1, and the AMPK pathway expression. In the in vitro study, CT prevented the formation of lipid droplets from MSCs while activating brown genes and the AMPK pathway. AMPK activator enhanced CT’s effects, while the AMPK inhibitor reversed the effects of CT. CONCLUSION CT promotes adipose tissue browning to increase body thermogenesis and reduce obesity by activating the AMPK pathway. This study provides an experimental foundation for the use of CT in obesity treatment.