ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism of modified Xiehuangsan in treating tic disorders （TD） based on microglial polarization and the Toll-like receptor 4 （TLR4）/myeloid differentiation factor 88 （MyD88）/nuclear factor （NF）-κB pathway. MethodsSeventy-two Sprague-Dawley （SD） rats were randomly assigned into six groups： control， model， tiapride （0.025 g·kg^-1）， and low-， medium-， and high-dose （12， 24， 48 g·kg^-1， respectively） modified Xiehuangsan， with 12 rats in each group. Except the control group， the other groups received intraperitoneal injection of 3，3'-iminodipropionitrile （IDPN） for 7 consecutive days for the modeling of TD. After successful modeling， the control and model groups were given normal saline via gavage， and the other groups were administrated with corresponding drugs by gavage. After 28 days of continuous intervention， rat behaviors were observed， and the modified Xiehuangsan group showing the best anti-TD effect was selected for deciphering the treatment mechanism. Hematoxylin and eosin staining was conducted to observe morphological changes in the rat striatum. Immunohistochemistry was employed to detect the expression of CD16 and CD206 in the striatum. Real-time PCR was employed to measure the mRNA levels of interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， IL-4， TLR4， MyD88， and NF-κB p65 in the striatum. Western blot was employed to determine the protein levels of ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1 （Iba1）， Fc receptor family for immunoglobulin （Ig）G type Ⅲ （CD16）， mannose receptor （CD206）， TLR4， MyD88， and NF-κB p65 in the striatum. ResultsCompared with the control group， the model group showed increased stereotyped behaviors， locomotor activity， total movement distance， and movement speed， shortened resting time （P<0.01）， and noticeable pathological changes in the striatum. Compared with the model group， the tiapride group and modified Xiehuangsan groups exhibited reduced stereotyped behavior， locomotor activity， total movement distance， and movement speed， prolonged resting time （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and alleviated pathological changes in the striatum. Among the modified Xiehuangsan groups， the high-dose group had the best intervention effect and the mildest pathological changes. Therefore， the high-dose group was selected for further research. Compared with the control group， the modeling of TD increased Iba1 and CD16 expression （P<0.05， P<0.01）， up-regulated the mRNA levels of IL-1β and TNF-α （P<0.05， P<0.01）， down-regulated the mRNA level of IL-4 （P<0.05）， up-regulated the mRNA and protein levels of TLR4 and MyD88 （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and up-regulated the protein level of NF-κB p65 （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， modified Xiehuangsan reduced Iba1 and CD16 expression （P<0.05， P<0.01）， up-regulated the protein level of CD206 （P<0.05， P<0.01）， down-regulated the mRNA levels of IL-1β and TNF-α （P<0.05）， up-regulated the mRNA level of IL-4 （P<0.01）， and down-regulated the mRNA and protein levels of TLR4， MyD88， and NF-κB p65 （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionModified Xiehuangsan demonstrated a definite therapeutic effect on TD in rats. It may reduce neuroinflammation in TD rats by regulating the polarization of microglia in the striatum via the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway.

ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanisms by which the combination of berberine （BBR） and baicalin （BAI） ameliorates type 2 diabetes mellitus （T2DM） due to internal accumulation of dampness-heat from the perspectives of gut microbiota and metabolomics. MethodsAntibiotics were used to induce pseudo-sterile mice. Thirty pseudo-sterile mice were randomized into a normal fecal microbiota transplantation group （n=10） and a T2DM （syndrome of internal accumulation of dampness-heat） fecal microbiota transplantation group （n=20）. The mice were then administrated with suspensions of fecal microbiota from healthy volunteers and a patient with T2DM due to internal accumulation of dampness-heat by gavage， respectively. Each mouse received 200 µL suspension every other day for a total of 15 times to reshape the gut microbiota. The T2DM model mice were then assigned into a model group （n=8） and a BBR-BAI group （n=11）. BBR was administrated at a dose of 200 mg·kg^-1， and BAI was administrated in a ratio of BBR-BAI 10∶1 based on preliminary research findings. The administration lasted for 8 consecutive weeks. Fasting blood glucose （FBG）， glycated hemoglobin （HbA1c）， insulin （INS）， triglycerides （TG）， total cholesterol （CHOL）， low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C）， high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C）， aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， and alanine aminotransferase （ALT） levels were measured to evaluate the effects of the BBR-BAI combination on glucose and lipid metabolism and liver function in T2DM mice. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was employed to observe pathological changes in the colon tissue. The expression of claudin-1， zonula occludens-1 （ZO-1）， and occludin in the colon tissue was determined by Western blot. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction（Real-time PCR） was employed to assess the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， and interleukin-6 （IL-6） in the colon tissue. The fecal microbiota composition and differential metabolites were analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight tandem mass spectrometry （UPLC-Q-TOF-MS）， respectively. ResultsThe BBR-BAI combination lowered the FBG， HbA1c， and INS levels （P<0.05， P<0.01） and alleviated insulin resistance （P<0.01） in T2DM mice. Additionally， BBR-BAI elevated the levels of ZO-1， occludin， and claudin-1 （P<0.05， P<0.01） and down-regulated the expression levels of TNF-α， IL-1β， and IL-6 in the colon （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The results of 16S rRNA sequencing showed that BBR-BAI increased the relative abundance of Ligilactobacillus， Phascolarctobacterium， and Akkermansia （P<0.05）， while significantly decreasing the relative abundance of Alistipes， Odoribacter， and Colidextribacter （P<0.05）. UPLC-Q-TOF-MS identified 28 differential metabolites， which were primarily involved in arachidonic acid metabolism and α-linolenic acid metabolism. ConclusionBBR-BAI can ameliorate T2DM due to internal accumulation of dampness-heat by modulating the relative abundance of various bacterial genera in the gut microbiota and the expression of fecal metabolites.

OBJECTIVE To explore the mechanism of Shaoyao gancao decoction in improving intestinal motility in rats with slow transit constipation （STC） by regulating acid-sensitive ion channel 3 （ASIC3）/extracellular signal-regulated kinase （ERK） signaling pathway. METHODS SD rats were used to construct an STC model by gavage with compound diphenoxylate. The successfully modeled rats were randomly divided into model group， Shaoyao gancao decoction group （1.5 g/mL）， lactulose group （208.4 mg/mL， positive control）， and combined inhibition group （Shaoyao gancao decoction 1.5 g/mL+amiloride hydrochloride 20 μg/kg）， with 12 rats in each group. Additionally， 12 healthy rats were selected as the blank group. They were given relevant medicine once a day and continuously intervened for 14 days. After intervention， the intestinal propulsion function and visceral sensitivity of the model rats were detected. The expression of ASIC3 in the colon tissue of rats was observed by immunohistochemical staining. mRNA expressions of ASIC3， ERK1 and ERK2 as well as protein expressions of ASIC3， ERK1/2 and phosphorylated ERK1/2 （p-ERK1/2） in colon tissue of rats were detected； the ultrastructural changes of the enteric nervous system （ENS） -interstitial cell of Cajal （ICC）-smooth muscle cell （SMC） network in the rat colon were observed under electron microscopy. RESULTS Compared with the model group， the intestinal propulsion rate of the Shaoyao gancao decoction group was significantly increased， while the visceral pain threshold was significantly decreased. The proportion of the positive area of ASIC3 in the colonic tissue was significantly increased. The relative mRNA expression levels of ERK1， ERK2， and ASIC3， as well as the relative protein expression levels of p-ERK1/2 and ASIC3， and the p-ERK1/2 to ERK1/2 in the colonic tissue， were all significantly increased （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Additionally， there was marked repair of the morphological structure of ICC and SMC， with closer gap junctions observed. Compared with the Shaoyao gancao decoction group， the combined inhibition group exhibited a diminished improvement in intestinal motility of rats， with statistically significant differences in the levels of some indicators （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）； the repairing of the morphological structure of ICC and SMC was notably attenuated. CONCLUSIONS Shaoyao gancao decoction can effectively improve the intestinal transmission function and promote intestinal repair in STC rats， and its mechanism may be related to regulating the balance of the ENS-ICC-SMC network mediated by the ASIC3/ERK signaling pathway， thus promoting intestinal motility and reducing visceral sensitivity.

Objective: To investigate the association between plant-based diet and different types of obesity, so as to provide references for obesity prevention. Methods: Residents aged 35-75 years from 33 counties (cities, districts) in Zhejiang Province were selected as study subjects using a multistage stratified random sampling method between April and December 2024. Demographic information and living behaviors were collected using questionnaire surveys. Height, weight and waist circumference were measured, and body mass index (BMI) was calculated. BMI ≥28.0 kg/m2 was defined as obesity, waist circumference ≥90 cm in males or ≥85 cm in females was defined as central obesity, and individual with obesity who also had central obesity was defined as having compound obesity. Food intake over a 3-day period was collected using the consecutive 3-day 24-hour dietary recall method. The plant diet index (PDI), healthful plant diet index (HPDI), and unhealthful plant diet index (UPDI) were calculated, and categorized into quintiles (Q1-Q5) based on their distribution. Association between the PDI, PDI, UPDI and different types of obesity were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression models. Results: A total of 4 882 individuals were surveyed, including 2 233 males (45.74%) and 2 649 females (54.26%). The average age was (55.42±12.14) years. There were 537 individuals of obesity, 1 718 individuals of central obesity, and 500 individuals of compound obesity, with detection rates of 11.00%, 35.19%, and 10.24%, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that, after adjusting for demographic information and living behaviors, compared with Q1 group, HPDI Q5 group showed a 29.6% lower risk of obesity (OR=0.704, 95%CI: 0.525-0.943) and a 32.1% lower risk of compound obesity (OR=0.679, 95%CI: 0.502-0.918). Conversely, the UPDI Q5 group exhibited a 39.5% higher risk of obesity (OR=1.395, 95%CI: 1.032-1.886) and a 39.8% higher risk of compound obesity (OR=1.398, 95%CI: 1.025-1.907). No statistically significant association was found between PDI and obesity, central obesity, and compound obesity (all P>0.05). As HPDI increased, the risks of obesity and compound obesity showed decreasing trends; as UPDI increased, the risks of obesity and compound obesity showed increasing trends (all Ptrend<0.05). Conclusion A healthful plant-based diet is associated with reduced risks of obesity and compound obesity, while an unhealthful plant-based diet is associated with increased risks of obesity and compound obesity.

Targeted protein degradation via nanoparticle-based universal strategy modifies nanoparticles with antibodies and ingeniously utilizes its cellular transport characteristics. This strategy achieved targeted degradation of extracellular proteins without complex design.Image 1.

Visceral leishmaniasis is a zoonotic parasitic disease caused by viscerotropic Leishmania species and transmitted by bites of infected phlebotomine sandflies, which is predominantly prevalent in the Indian subcontinent, eastern Africa and South America. Currently, visceral leishmaniasis is the second most fatal parasitic disease in the world. Because of climate changes, urban development and individual conditions, there are changes in the density of visceral leishmaniasis vector sandflies and the likelihood of contact with humans, resulting in a visceral leishmaniasis transmission risk. The review summarizes natural, social and biological factors affecting the transmission of visceral leishmaniasis, so as to provide insights into formulation of targeted control measures for visceral leishmaniasis.

Objective To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of leptospirosis in China from 2010 to 2022, so as to provide insights into formulation of the leptospirosis control strategy. Methods All data pertaining to clinically diagnosed cases and confirmed cases of leptospirosis reported in China from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2022 was collected from Chinese Disease Prevention and Control Information Management System. The spatial, temporal and population distributions, and report and diagnosis institutions of leptospirosis cases were analyzed using a descriptive epidemiological method. Results A total of 4 559 leptospirosis cases were reported in China from 2010 to 2022, with an annual average number of 351 cases, and the number of reported leptospirosis cases reduced from 679 cases in 2010 to 158 cases in 2018. A total of 4 276 leptospirosis cases were reported in Sichuan Province, Yunnan Province, Guangdong Province, Hunan Province, Fujian Province, Zhejiang Province, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Anhui Province, Jiangxi Province and Guizhou Province, accounting for 93.79% of the total number of leptospirosis cases in China. The number of leptospirosis cases had recently appeared a remarkable decline in Yunnan Province, while a significant rise was seen in the number of leptospirosis cases in two provinces of Zhejiang and Guangdong. No leptospirosis cases were reported in Henan Province from 2010 to 2020; however, there were 5 cases and 2 cases reported in 2021 and 2022, respectively. There was only one leptospirosis case reported in Shaanxi Province from 2010 to 2017; however, leptospirosis cases were reported in the province for 5 consecutive years since 2018. Leptospirosis cases were reported throughout the year in China from 2010 to 2022, with the peak of incidence found during the period between August and October, and the peak of leptospirosis incidence varied in provinces. A higher number of leptospirosis cases was seen among men than among women, with a male to female ratio of 2.3:1, and the median age of leptospirosis cases was 50 years (interquartile range, 23 years), with the highest proportion of leptospirosis cases reported at ages of 51 to 60 years (23.21%). Among all reported leptospirosis cases, 53.28% were confirmed cases, and the proportion of confirmed cases increased from 35.05% in 2010 to 61.66% in 2022. In addition, there were 67.22% of leptospirosis cases (2 937 cases) reported by comprehensive hospitals, 20.44% (893 cases) by disease control and prevention institutions, 7.23% (316 cases) by grassroots healthcare institutions and 5.10% (223 cases) by other healthcare and medical institutions, and the mortality of reported leptospirosis cases was 1.07% in China from 2010 to 2022, with a higher mortality seen among men than among women (1.39% vs. 0.36%; χ² = 9.52, P = 0.002). Conclusions The incidence of leptospirosis remained at a low level in China from 2010 to 2022, and southern China was still the main endemic area for leptospirosis. The epidemiological characteristics of leptospirosis cases varied in endemic provinces, and leptospirosis cases had been continued to be reported in Shaanxi and Henan provinces, which should be paid much attention to. Intensified surveillance of leptospirosis, improved diagnosis and treatment capability of leptospirosis cases and leptospirosis control with adaptations to local circumstance are recommended.

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer is one of the malignant tumors with the highest morbidity and mortality rates worldwide, seriously threatening human health. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for more than 85% of all lung cancer cases. STMN1 is a microtubule depolymerizing protein widely present in the cytoplasm and its expression level is associated with the prognosis of NSCLC patients. Through meta-analysis, this study aimed to investigate the predictive value of the expression level of STMN1 for the prognosis of lung cancer and screen for tumor markers with high sensitivity and specificity to optimize the whole-process management of lung cancer patients. METHODS: The PubMed, The Cochrane Library, Embase, WanFang and CNKI databases were searched from the inception to Sep 6, 2024 for relevant literature. The quality of included studies was assessed by the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) score. The hazard ratio (HR) with 95%CI was combined to assess the relationship between STMN1 expression and prognostic factors. The prognostic indicators included the overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). All statistical analysis was conducted by the STATA 17.0 software. RESULTS: A total of 5 high-quality studies (NOS score≥6 points) involving 754 patients were enrolled. The pooled results demonstrated that overexpression of STMN1 was significantly related to worse OS (HR=2.28, 95%CI: 1.79-2.91, P<0.001) and DFS (HR=2.14, 95%CI: 1.45-3.17, P<0.001). Overexpression of STMN1 was a risk factor for poor prognosis of NSCLC patients. CONCLUSIONS Overexpression of STMN1 is a poor prognostic factor in NSCLC patients. STMN1 may serve as a prognostic biomarker for NSCLC patients. However, more researches are still needed to verify the above findings.
Humans ; Biomarkers, Tumor/metabolism* ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/pathology* ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Lung Neoplasms/pathology* ; Prognosis ; Stathmin/metabolism*

To reduce the burden of researchers, Article 32 of the Measures for Ethical Review of Life Sciences and Medical Research Involving Human issued in February 2023 proposed that the review could be exempted. Normative exemption from review can not only relieve the burden of researchers, but also reduce the work pressure of the ethics committee, and devote limited time and energy to the review and supervision of high-risk research. This paper analyzed the four criteria for exemption from review first, and then summarized the situation of exemption from ethics review in the International Ethical Guidelines for Health-related Research Involving Humans and in the United States. In view of the fact that there are no relevant regulations on exemption from ethics review, though some medical and health institutions have implemented exemption from ethics review for some studies, the ethics committee often lacks standard operating procedures, corresponding documents, and experience for exemption from ethics review, researchers lack training for exemption from ethics review, and institutions have no supporting measures for exemption from review. To effectively implement the exemption from review, this paper proposed the following suggestions:developing standard operating procedures for exemption from review, and clarifying the review process, which can be simplified to secretary reviews, with senior secretaries or office directors judging whether they meet the exemption criteria, and the chairman reviewing and signing to convey the review decision. Refining the criteria that meet the exemption from ethics review, and providing cases and explanations as necessary, which will help researchers accurately understand the connotation of each criterion, and also provide reference for researchers to make their own preliminary judgments. Strengthening the training of researchers’ exemption from review criteria. The study should obtain the project proposal first, and provide scientific demonstration opinions. To explore the implementation of continuing review, institutions should accelerate the standardized construction of biological sample banks and databases to ensure the provision of compliant sources of biological samples and information data. Exemption from ethics review should not be abused, and the relationship between reducing the burden on researchers and ensuring the quality of ethical review should be balanced.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the acute toxic reaction of the Li-Dan-He-Ji granules, and to evaluate its safety. METHODS: Sixty C57BL6/J mice were randomly divided into normal control group, vehicle group and drug treatment group, with 10 females and 10 males in each group. According to the Technical guidelines for the study of toxicity of single drug administration, the maximum administration dosage (MAD) was used to intragastric administration of Li-Dan-He-Ji granules 0.04 mL/g (42.8 g/kg), three times within 24 hours, with an interval of 6 hours. The vehicle group was fed with the same pure water. The normal control group received no treatment. The mice were observed continuously for 14 days, and the appearance characteristics, behavioral activities, body weight changes and the number of deaths in each group were recorded. At the 14 days, blood samples were collected from the eyeballs, and routine blood tests such as white blood cell count (WBC), lymphocyte count (LYM), neutrophil count (NEU), lymphocyte percentage (LYM%), neutrophil percentage (NEU%), red blood cell count (RBC), hemoglobin (Hb), and platelet count (PLT) were performed. And alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine (Cr) and other biochemical indicators. The mice were then sacrificed, and the histopathological changes of liver and kidney were observed by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. The organ indexes of heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney and thymus were calculated. RESULTS: The median lethal dose (LD₅₀) of Li-Dan-He-Ji granules were not obtained. During the MAD experiment, the animals in each group did not die, their behavioral activities were normal, and there was no significant change in liver and kidney histopathological examination. There were no significant differences in body weight, blood routine, biochemical indexes and organ index among all groups (all P > 0.05). The body weight (g) of normal control female and male group, vehicle female and male group and drug female and male group before administration were 18.96±1.14, 19.65±1.45, 19.33±1.30, 19.53±1.22, 19.28±1.69 and 19.48±1.28; 14 days after administration were 27.69±0.81, 28.19±2.22, 27.77±1.00, 27.88±1.85, 27.92±1.33 and 28.07±1.93, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The Li-Dan-He-Ji granules have low oral toxicity, combined with clinical observation, can be safely used in infants.
Animals ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Mice ; Body Weight ; Kidney ; Leukocyte Count ; Liver ; Toxicity Tests, Acute