Atopic dermatitis （AD） is an atopic disease with a complex etiology and pathogenesis resulting from the interaction of multiple factors. The NOD-like receptor pyrin domain-containing 3 （NLRP3） inflammasome is an important component of innate immunity and is involved in the onset and progression of AD， encompassing multiple processes such as inflammation， pyroptosis， and autophagy. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has shown significant clinical efficacy in the treatment of AD and also offers advantages including flexible compatibility， multi-target effects， and low drug resistance. A large number of studies have shown that single Chinese medicinal components and compound prescriptions can treat atopic diseases by modulating the NLRP3 inflammasome. This article elaborates on the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome and its influence on the pathogenesis and progression of AD， and summarizes recent studies on the mechanisms by which active constituents， extracts， and compound formulations of Chinese medicine treat AD through regulation of the NLRP3 inflammasome and related signaling pathways， with the aim of providing a reference for the clinical treatment of AD and the development of TCM.

ObjectiveTo explore effect of Xianlian Jiedu prescription on the recurrence of colorectal cancer （CRC） and investigate the related mechanisms. MethodsA postoperative recurrence model was established in 25 Balb/c mice by injecting CT26 cells subcutaneously into the armpit， followed by surgical removal of 99% of the subcutaneous tumor. The mice were randomly divided into model group， low-dose Xianlian Jiedu prescription （XLJDP-L） group （6.45 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， medium-dose Xianlian Jiedu prescription （XLJDP-M） group （12.9 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， high-dose Xianlian Jiedu prescription （XLJDP-H） group （25.8 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， and 5-fluorouracil （5-FU） group （1×10^-3 g·kg^-1·d^-1）. The mice were euthanized after 14 days of continuous intervention， and recurrent tumor tissue was harvested. Hematoxylin and eosin （HE） staining was used to observe pathological and morphological changes in the recurrent tumor tissue. Immunohistochemistry （IHC） was employed to assess the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen （Ki67）， vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF）， and platelet-endothelial cell adhesion molecule （CD31） in recurrent tumor tissue. The Western blot was used to detect the protein expression levels of angiopoietin-2 （ANG-2）， VEGF， phosphorylated-protein kinase B （p-Akt）， protein kinase B （Akt）， phosphorylated-phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （p-PI3K）， and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K） in recurrent tumor tissue. ResultsBefore treatment， there were no statistical differences in tumor volume， tumor weight， and body mass among the XLJDP-L， XLJDP-M， and XLJDP-H groups and the 5-FU group compared to the model group， indicating model stability. After treatment， compared with those in the model group， the tumor volume and tumor weight in the XLJDP-L， XLJDP-M， and XLJDP-H groups and the 5-FU group were significantly reduced （P<0.01）， showing dose dependency. Meanwhile， there were no significant differences in body weight among the XLJDP-L， XLJDP-M， and XLJDP-H groups and the 5-FU group compared to the model group. HE staining showed that compared with that in the model group， tumor tissue in the XLJDP-L， XLJDP-M， and XLJDP-H groups and the 5-FU group had loosely arranged cells， increased intercellular spaces， small and shriveled nuclei， light staining， fewer mitotic figures and atypical nuclei， and increased necrotic areas. IHC showed that compared with those of the model group， the positive rates of Ki67， VEGF， and CD31 in the recurrent tumor tissue of the XLJDP-L， XLJDP-M， and XLJDP-H groups and the 5-FU group were significantly reduced （P<0.01） in a dose-dependent manner. Western blot results showed that compared with those of the model group， the protein expression levels of ANG-2 and VEGF in the recurrent tumor tissue of the XLJDP-L， XLJDP-M， and XLJDP-H groups and the 5-FU group were significantly downregulated （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the p-Akt/Akt and p-PI3K/PI3K ratios were significantly decreased in a dose-dependent manner （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionXianlian Jiedu prescription significantly inhibits the recurrence of CRC in mice after subcutaneous tumor surgery. The mechanism may involve regulating the PI3K/Akt pathway and downregulating key angiogenic proteins such as ANG-2， VEGF， and CD31.

Booster vaccinations are highly recommended in combating the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant and its subvariants. However, the optimal booster vaccination strategies and related immune mechanisms with different prior vaccinations are under-revealed. In this study, we systematically evaluated the immune responses in mice and hamsters with different prime-boost regimens before their protective efficacies against Omicron were detected. We found that boosting with Ad5-nCoV, S_WT-2P or S_Omicron-6P induced significantly higher levels of neutralization activities against Omicron variants than CoronaVac and ZF2001 by eliciting stronger germinal center (GC) responses. Specifically, S_Omicron-6P induced even stronger antibody responses against Omicron variants in CoronaVac and Ad5-nCoV-primed animals than non-Omicron-specific vaccines but with limited differences as compared to Ad5-nCoV and S_WT-2P. In addition, boosting with a specific vaccine has the potential to remodel the existing immune profiles. These findings indicated that adenovirus-vectored vaccines and mRNA vaccines would be more effective than other types of vaccines as booster shots in combating Omicron infections. Moreover, the protective efficacies of the vaccines in booster vaccinations are highly related to GC reactions in secondary lymphatic organs. In summary, these findings provide timely important information on prime-boost regimens and future vaccine design.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the promoting effect of ginsenoside Rb3 (Rb3) on osteogenesis in periodontitis environment, and to explain its mechanism. METHODS: Human periodontal ligament stem cells (hPDLSCs) were cultured by tissue block method and identified by flow cytometry. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK8) method and calcein acetoxymethyl ester/propidium iodide staining were used to detect the effect of Rb3 on the viability of hPDLSCs cells. In vitro cell experiments were divided into control group, 10 μg/mL lipopolysaccharides (LPS) group, 10 μg/mL LPS+100 μmol/L Rb3 group and 10 μg/mL LPS+200 μmol/L Rb3 group. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining was used to detect the ALP activity of hPDLSCs in each group after osteogenesis induction. The expression of hPDLSCs interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2) and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)genes in each group after osteogenesis was detected by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) method. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression of hPDLSCs phosphorrylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (p-ERK) in each group. Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into the control group, ligation group and ligation+Rb3 group. The left molar-maxillary tissue was subjected to micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) scanning. After the scanning, the left molar-maxilla was made into periodontal tissue sections. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to detect the infiltration and loss of adhesion of inflammatory cells. Masson staining was used to detect the destruction of gingival collagen fibers. Immunofluorescence staining was used to detect the protein expression of RUNX2 and p-ERK. The expression of TGF-β in rat gingival tissue was detected by qRT-PCR. The protein expression of IL-6 in peripheral serum of rats was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Flow cytometry was used to detect the proportion of Treg cells in rat heart blood. The experimental data were statistically analyzed by Graph Pad Prism10.1.2 software. RESULTS: Rb3 had no effect on the cell activity of hPDLSCs. The results of qRT-PCR and ALP staining showed that Rb3 could inhibit the gene expression of IL-6 and IL-8 in inflammatory hPDLSCs, promote TGF-β gene and promote the osteogenic differentiation of inflammatory hPDLSCs. Western blot showed that Rb3 inhibited the protein expression of inflammatory hPDLSCs p-ERK. The results from micro-CT, Masson staining, and HE staining demonstrated that Rb3 promotes alveolar bone formation in rats with periodontitis, while simultaneously inhibiting the destruction of periodontal fibrous tissue, reducing attachment loss, and suppressing inflammatory cell infiltration. The results of flow cytometry showed that Rb3 could promote the differentiation of Treg cells in peripheral blood of periodontitis rats. The results of ELISA and qRT-PCR showed that Rb3 could inhibit the protein expression of IL-6 and promote the gene expression of TGF-β in periodontitis rats. Immunofluorescence results showed that Rb3 could promote the protein expression of RUNX2 and inhibit the protein expression of p-ERK in periodontitis rats. CONCLUSIONS Rb3 can reduce the inflammatory reaction of periodontal tissues in periodontitis rats, and promote the osteogenic differentiation of hPDLSCs by regulating p-ERK pathways.
Animals ; Ginsenosides/pharmacology* ; Osteogenesis/drug effects* ; Periodontitis/metabolism* ; Rats ; Periodontal Ligament/cytology* ; Humans ; Core Binding Factor Alpha 1 Subunit/metabolism* ; Stem Cells/drug effects* ; Interleukin-6/metabolism* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Interleukin-8/metabolism* ; Cells, Cultured ; MAP Kinase Signaling System/drug effects* ; Transforming Growth Factor beta/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction ; Male ; Phosphorylation ; Lipopolysaccharides ; Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases/metabolism* ; Alkaline Phosphatase/metabolism*

Biosensors have become powerful tools for real-time monitoring of specific small molecules and precise control of gene expression in biological systems. High-throughput sensors for 1, 4-butanediamine biosynthesis can greatly improve the screening efficiency of high-yielding 1, 4-butanediamine strains. However, the strategies for adapting the characteristics of biosensors are still rarely studied, which limits the applicability of 1, 4-butanediamine biosensors. In this paper, we propose the development of a 1, 4-butanediamine biosensor based on the transcriptional regulator PuuR, whose homologous operator puuO is installed in the constitutive promoter P_gapA of Escherichia coli to control the expression of the downstream superfolder green fluorescent protein (sfGFP) as the reporter protein. Finally, the biosensor showed a stable linear relationship between the GFP/OD₆₀₀ value and the concentration of 1, 4-butanediamine when the concentration of 1, 4-butanediamine was 0-50 mmol/L. The promoters with different strengths in the E. coli genome were used to modify the 1, 4-butanediamine biosensor, and the functional properties of the PuuR-based 1, 4-butanediamine biosensor were explored and improved, which laid the groundwork for high-throughput screening of engineered strains highly producing 1, 4-butanediamine.
Biosensing Techniques/methods* ; Escherichia coli/metabolism* ; Promoter Regions, Genetic/genetics* ; Green Fluorescent Proteins/metabolism* ; Transcription Factors/genetics* ; Escherichia coli Proteins/genetics* ; Diamines/metabolism* ; Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial

ObjectiveTo explore the biological foundation of colorectal adenoma in damp-heat accumulation syndrome and the possible anti-tumor mechanism of Shenbai Jiedu prescription. MethodEight patients with colorectal adenoma in damp-heat accumulation syndrome， 11 patients with non-damp-heat accumulation syndrome， and 10 patients with colorectal cancer recruited by Jiangsu Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from February 2019 to December 2020 meeting the inclusion criteria were clinically obtained， and the tissue of the three groups of patients was subjected to transcriptome sequencing to screen for the differentially expressed genes between the syndrome and the diseases. The intersection of the differentially expressed genes between the syndrome and the disease was taken for further screening of the differentially expressed genes sequentially increasing or sequentially decreasing in patients with non-damp-heat accumulation syndrome， damp-heat accumulation syndrome， and colorectal cancer， and functional enrichment analysis and signaling pathway enrichment analysis were carried out. Real-time polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to detect the effect of Shenbai Jiedu prescription on the expression of the above key differential genes. ResultBy comparing the damp-heat accumulation syndrome and non-damp-heat accumulation syndrome， a total of 384 differentially expressed genes were screened， of which 203 were up-regulated genes， and 181 were down-regulated genes. By comparing the colorectal adenoma of colorectal cancer and damp-heat accumulation syndrome， a total of 2 965 differentially expressed genes were screened， of which 2 460 were up-regulated genes， and 505 were down-regulated genes. The intersection of differentially expressed genes of the two groups was taken， and a total of 58 differentially expressed genes with the same changes were screened. The gene ontology functions were mainly enriched in UDP-galactose： β-N-acetylglucosamine beta-1，3-galactosyltransferase activity， N-acetyllactosaminide beta-1，3-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase activity， and poly-N-acetyllactosamine biosynthetic process. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG） signaling pathways were mainly enriched in glycosphingolipid biosynthesis-globo and isoglobo series， glycosphingolipid biosynthesis-lacto and neolacto series， and IL-17 signaling pathway. Shenbai Jiedu prescription significantly inhibited the expression of key genes involved in the enrichment， such as FOSB and B3GALT5， in a dose-dependent manner （P<0.05）. ConclusionGlycolipid metabolism may be the biological foundation of colorectal adenoma in damp-heat accumulation syndrome， and Shenbai Jiedu prescription may inhibit colorectal adenoma carcinogenesis by down-regulating the expression of FOSB and B3GALT5.

ObjectiveTo observe the effects of Shenbai Jiedu prescription on fecal metabolomics and intestinal flora diversity distribution in patients with colorectal adenoma and explore its potential targets. MethodA total of 21 patients diagnosed with colorectal adenoma were enrolled in this study. Following a four-week administration of Shenbai Jiedu prescription， their clinical symptoms were observed， and fecal samples of patients before and after treatment were collected. Untargeted metabolomics and metagenomic analysis based on liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry （LC-MS） were employed to investigate the possible metabolic pathway of Shenbai Jiedu prescription and its influence on the distribution of intestinal flora in patients. ResultThe total scores of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndromes of patients after drug administration decreased significantly （P<0.01）. The results of untargeted metabolomics showed that the distribution of metabolites exhibited aggregation before and after drug administration， and a total of 106 differential metabolites were screened out （P<0.05）. The Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes （KEGG） enrichment analysis revealed that arginine-proline metabolism， ferroptosis， glycine， and serine and threonine metabolism were significantly enriched metabolic pathways （P<0.05）. Notably， L-4-hydroxyglutamate semialdehyde， glutathione， isopentenyl pyrophosphate， creatinine， 4-acetamido-2-aminobutanoic acid， and guanidoacetic acid were found to be involved in these aforementioned metabolic pathways. Furthermore， the association between these metabolites and different intestinal flora was analyzed， and the results showed that Shenbai Jiedu prescription could interfere with metabolic pathways such as amino acid and ferroptosis in patients with colorectal adenoma by regulating intestinal flora such as Lachnoclostridium， Eggerthella， and Dialister （P<0.05）. ConclusionShenbai Jiedu prescription may improve the clinical symptoms of patients by increasing the abundance of intestinal beneficial bacteria， reducing the abundance of harmful bacteria， and regulating metabolic pathways such as amino acid and ferroptosis in patients with colorectal adenoma. This study may provide some research ideas and directions for Shenbai Jiedu prescription to interfere with colorectal adenoma recurrence and carcinogenesis.

Colorectal adenoma is a benign tumor originating from the mucosal glandular epithelium of the colorectum and belongs to the category of intraepithelial neoplasia. Its etiology and pathogenesis are not completely clear， and some patients have genetic factors. In recent years， with the improvement in living standards， the incidence of colorectal adenoma has gradually increased due to high-fat diets， intestinal flora disorder， and emotional disturbance. As one of the precancerous lesions of colorectal cancer， colorectal adenoma is increasingly threatening human health. Surgical resection is the most direct and effective method for the treatment of colorectal adenoma， but some patients with colorectal adenoma have the possibility of recurrence after resection. At present， there is still a lack of effective prevention and treatment measures for the recurrence of colorectal adenoma. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） plays a unique advantage in improving the clinical symptoms of patients with colorectal adenoma and preventing postoperative recurrence and carcinogenesis. Therefore， this review summarized the clinical research and mechanism of TCM compounds in the prevention and treatment of colorectal adenoma in recent years. The clinical study on the prevention and treatment of colorectal adenoma by TCM compounds can be divided into internal treatment， external treatment， and internal and external combined treatment. The internal treatment mainly focuses on strengthening the spleen， and the external treatment includes retention enema， acupoint application， and other methods. The internal and external combined treatment is mainly based on the internal administration of TCM compounds combined with acupuncture， retention enema， and acupoint stimulation. The study on the mechanism of TCM compounds in preventing and treating colorectal adenoma was mainly explored from the aspects of regulating intestinal flora， regulating cell proliferation immune function， and achieving anti-inflammation. This review summarized the research progress of TCM compounds in the prevention and treatment of colorectal adenoma in recent years and provided a reference for future treatment with TCM.

Objective:To observe the effects of electroacupuncture(EA)on sleep electroencephalogram(EEG)and event-related potential(ERP)in patients with somatoform disorders(SFD). Methods:Seventy-five SFD patients were recruited as an EA group to receive EA at Shenting(GV24)and Baihui(GV20)once daily,30 min each time,with 6 straight days as a treatment course,and 4 courses were conducted at 1-day intervals.Before treatment,patients underwent a survey using a physical symptom checklist on their primary symptoms.Before and after treatment,their sleep EEG was monitored using Quisi,and the ERP mismatch negativity(MMN)and P300 were detected.The Quisi sleep EEG and ERP were also examined among 40 normal volunteers as the normal group data. Results:During the trial,13 cases were removed from the EA group due to incomplete data,and 62 cases were finally included for statistical analyses.Of the 62 SFD patients,the main disturbing symptoms were cognitive impairments,sleep disorders,respiratory symptoms,digestive symptoms,five-sense organ problems,and cardiovascular symptoms in order.Before treatment,the EA group had increased MMN and P300 latencies and decreased amplitudes compared with the normal control group(P<0.01 or P<0.05);according to Quisi,the EA group also had reduced total sleep time(TST),shorter rapid eye movement sleep(REM)latency(RL)and REM time(RT),smaller number of REM period(NRP),extended sleep latency(SL),longer awaking time(AT),lower sleep efficiency(SE),larger percent of non-rapid eye movement sleep(NREM)stage 1(S1)and smaller percent of NREM stage 2(S2),and the percent of slow wave sleep(SWS),i.e.NREM stage 3(S3)plus stage 4(S4),also went down,all presenting significant differences between groups(P<0.01 or P<0.05).After 4 courses of treatment,the MMN and P300 latencies were reduced,and their amplitudes became larger in the EA group compared with the baseline(P<0.05);they had insignificant differences compared with the normal control group(P>0.05).Quisi showed that the TST and RL increased,and the SL and AT decreased in the EA group,and the predominant change in sleep architecture was reduced S1 percent,increased S2,and improved SE,all showing significant intra-group differences(P<0.01 or P<0.05);however,the intra-group difference in the NRP was statistically insignificant(P>0.05).Except the TST,RT,S1 percent,and SWS,there was no statistical significance in comparing the other Quisi parameters(including RL,NRP,SL,AT,SE,and S2 percent)between the two groups(P>0.05). Conclusion:SFD patients have a variety of clinical symptoms,and most of them show abnormal sleep EEG and ERP;EA can correct abnormal sleep EEG parameters and the MMN and P300 of ERP in SFD patients.

Objective To establish a coronavirus(CoV)infection model using human nasal mucosa organoids for testing antiviral drugs and evaluate the feasibility of using human nasal mucosa organoids with viral infection as platforms for viral research and antiviral drug development.Methods Human nasal mucosa organoids were tested for susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 and HCoV-OC43 pseudoviruses.In a P3 laboratory,nasal mucosa organoids were infected with the original strain of SARS-CoV-2 and 4 variant strains,and the infection conditions were optimized.The viral loads in the culture supernatants were measured at different time points using RT-qPCR,and immunofluorescence assay was employed to localize SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein to determine the type of the infected cells.In the optimized nasal mucosa viral infection model,the antiviral effects of camostat and bergamot extract(which were known to inhibit SARS-CoV-2)were tested and the underlying molecular mechanisms were explored.Results In the optimized nasal mucosa organoid models infected with SARS-CoV-2 and HCoV-OC43 pseudoviruses,the viral load in the culture supernatants increased significantly during the period of 2 to 24 h following the infection,which confirmed infection of the organoids by both of the pseudoviruses.The nasal mucosa organoids could be stably infected by the original SARS-CoV-2 strain and its 4 variant strains,validating successful establishment of the viral infection model,in which both camostat and bergamot extract exhibited dose-dependent antiviral effects.Conclusions Human nasal mucosa organoids with SARS-CoV-2 infection can serve as platforms for screening and testing antiviral drugs,particularly those intended for nasal administration.