ObjectiveTo analyze the processing mechanism underlying the enhanced effect of invigorating spleen and stopping diarrhea of soil-fried Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma（AMR） by analyzing the changes of microstructure， chemical composition and anti-ulcerative colitis（UC） activity before and after soil stir-frying. MethodsThe microstructure and elemental composition of AMR before and after soil stir-frying were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy（SEM-EDS）， to investigate the differences in microstructure and the underlying causes. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-TOF-MS） coupled with UNIFI 1.9.2 natural product analysis platform were used to analyze and identify the chemical constituents in raw and soil-fried products， and multivariate statistical methods including principal component analysis（PCA） and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis（OPLS-DA） were used to explore the differences and sources of chemical constituents between them. A dextran sulfate sodium（DSS）-induced UC mouse model was established. The method of disease activity index（DAI） was used to evaluate the severity of intestinal inflammation. Hematoxylin-eosin（HE） staining was used to observe the pathological changes of colon tissue， enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA） was used to detect the levels of inflammatory factors， Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction（Real-time PCR） and Western blot were used to analyze the expressions of key genes and proteins involved in the intestinal mucosal barrier. The 16S rRNA sequencing was used to evaluate the diversity of intestinal flora， headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry（HS-GC-MS） was used to explore the levels of short-chain fatty acids（SCFAs） in feces. Base on the above findings， this paper investigated the effects of raw and soil-fried AMR on the biological， chemical， mechanical and immune barriers of model animals， and the differences in pharmacological effects and underlying mechanisms from the perspective of regulating the intestinal mucosal barrier in UC mice. ResultsSEM observation revealed numerous hearth soil particles on the surface of soil-fried AMR， accompanied by bubble-like bulges. At the same time， there were many cracks and folds on the surface of the hearth soil. EDS analysis revealed that the contents of Si， Al， Mg and Ca in soil-fried AMR were significantly higher than those of raw products， and these elements constituted the primary components of hearth soil. UPLC-Q-TOF-MS combined with database comparison was used to identify the chemical constituents of raw and soil-fried AMR. In positive ion mode， a total of 132 components were identified， primarily comprising three categories of terpenoids， polyphenols and amino acids. In negative ion mode， a total of 40 components were identified， primarily polyphenolic and glycoside compounds. Among them， the contents of sesquiterpenes and polyphenolic acids were changed significantly before and after processing. Soil-fried AMR could reduce the DAI score of UC mice， alleviate the shortening of colon length， reduce the levels of pro-inflammatory factors such as interleukin（IL）-17， IL-18， γ-interferon（IFN-γ） and tumor necrosis factor（TNF）-α in serum， increase the levels of anti-inflammatory factors such as secretory immunoglobulin A（sIgA）， IL-10， IL-4 and transforming growth factor-β（TGF-β） in serum， increase the expressions of key genes and proteins of intestinal mucosal barrier such as tight junction protein-1（ZO-1）， Occludin， Claudin-1 and mucin 2（MUC2） in colonic mucosa， and improve the disorders of intestinal flora diversity and the levels of SCFAs（P<0.05， P<0.01）. The raw and stir-fried products of AMR also exhibited the aforementioned effects， but they were weaker than the soil-fried products. Additionally， the auxiliary material hearth soil also had a certain pharmacodynamic effect. ConclusionSoil-fried AMR can enhance the protective effect on intestinal mucosal barrier in UC mice. These changes or heating-induced alterations in the microscopic structure and chemical composition of AMR may be attributed to the dual effects of adsorption of hearth soil.

ObjectiveTo analyze the processing mechanism underlying the enhanced effect of invigorating spleen and stopping diarrhea of soil-fried Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma（AMR） by analyzing the changes of microstructure， chemical composition and anti-ulcerative colitis（UC） activity before and after soil stir-frying. MethodsThe microstructure and elemental composition of AMR before and after soil stir-frying were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy（SEM-EDS）， to investigate the differences in microstructure and the underlying causes. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-TOF-MS） coupled with UNIFI 1.9.2 natural product analysis platform were used to analyze and identify the chemical constituents in raw and soil-fried products， and multivariate statistical methods including principal component analysis（PCA） and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis（OPLS-DA） were used to explore the differences and sources of chemical constituents between them. A dextran sulfate sodium（DSS）-induced UC mouse model was established. The method of disease activity index（DAI） was used to evaluate the severity of intestinal inflammation. Hematoxylin-eosin（HE） staining was used to observe the pathological changes of colon tissue， enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA） was used to detect the levels of inflammatory factors， Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction（Real-time PCR） and Western blot were used to analyze the expressions of key genes and proteins involved in the intestinal mucosal barrier. The 16S rRNA sequencing was used to evaluate the diversity of intestinal flora， headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry（HS-GC-MS） was used to explore the levels of short-chain fatty acids（SCFAs） in feces. Base on the above findings， this paper investigated the effects of raw and soil-fried AMR on the biological， chemical， mechanical and immune barriers of model animals， and the differences in pharmacological effects and underlying mechanisms from the perspective of regulating the intestinal mucosal barrier in UC mice. ResultsSEM observation revealed numerous hearth soil particles on the surface of soil-fried AMR， accompanied by bubble-like bulges. At the same time， there were many cracks and folds on the surface of the hearth soil. EDS analysis revealed that the contents of Si， Al， Mg and Ca in soil-fried AMR were significantly higher than those of raw products， and these elements constituted the primary components of hearth soil. UPLC-Q-TOF-MS combined with database comparison was used to identify the chemical constituents of raw and soil-fried AMR. In positive ion mode， a total of 132 components were identified， primarily comprising three categories of terpenoids， polyphenols and amino acids. In negative ion mode， a total of 40 components were identified， primarily polyphenolic and glycoside compounds. Among them， the contents of sesquiterpenes and polyphenolic acids were changed significantly before and after processing. Soil-fried AMR could reduce the DAI score of UC mice， alleviate the shortening of colon length， reduce the levels of pro-inflammatory factors such as interleukin（IL）-17， IL-18， γ-interferon（IFN-γ） and tumor necrosis factor（TNF）-α in serum， increase the levels of anti-inflammatory factors such as secretory immunoglobulin A（sIgA）， IL-10， IL-4 and transforming growth factor-β（TGF-β） in serum， increase the expressions of key genes and proteins of intestinal mucosal barrier such as tight junction protein-1（ZO-1）， Occludin， Claudin-1 and mucin 2（MUC2） in colonic mucosa， and improve the disorders of intestinal flora diversity and the levels of SCFAs（P<0.05， P<0.01）. The raw and stir-fried products of AMR also exhibited the aforementioned effects， but they were weaker than the soil-fried products. Additionally， the auxiliary material hearth soil also had a certain pharmacodynamic effect. ConclusionSoil-fried AMR can enhance the protective effect on intestinal mucosal barrier in UC mice. These changes or heating-induced alterations in the microscopic structure and chemical composition of AMR may be attributed to the dual effects of adsorption of hearth soil.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of atorvastatin （ATV） on the proliferation and differentiation of rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells （BMSCs）， periodontal ligament stem cells （PDLSCs）， and dental pulp stem cells （DPSCs） in vitro， and to validate the regulatory effect of ATV on periodontal bone formation and tooth movement using a rat orthodontic tooth movement （OTM） model. MethodsThe effects of ATV on the proliferation and osteogenic/odontogenic differentiation of rat BMSCs， PDLSCs， and DPSCs were assessed in vitro. CCK-8 assay was used to detect the proliferation of the three types of cells. Alkaline phosphatase （ALP） staining and Alizarin Red staining were employed to evaluate osteogenic differentiation capacity. Western blot was used to detect the expression of osteogenesis-related proteins ［collagen type I （COL-I）， Runt-related transcription factor 2 （Runx2）， bone morphogenetic protein-2 （BMP-2）， osteocalcin （OCN）］ and the odontogenesis-related protein dentin sialophosphoprotein （DSPP） in BMSCs， PDLSCs and DPSCs. An OTM rat model was established， with rats randomly assigned to an ATV gavage group and a control group. The ATV gavage group received daily oral administration of ATV at a dose of 20 mg/kg， while the control group received an equal volume of solvent by gavage. Tooth movement distance was measured via Micro-CT on days 7， 14， and 21. Histomorphology of periodontal tissues was observed using Hematoxylin and Eosin （HE） staining and Masson staining. The gene and protein expression levels of osteogenic markers （BMP-2， Runx2， OCN） on the tension side of the first molar were detected by qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry， respectively. ResultsATV at concentrations of 1×10⁻⁶ mol/L and 1×10⁻⁷ mol/L significantly promoted the proliferation and osteogenic/odontogenic differentiation of BMSCs， PDLSCs， and DPSCs， manifested as enhanced ALP activity， increased mineralized nodule formation， and up-regulated expression of osteogenic/odontogenic proteins COL-I， Runx2， BMP-2， OCN， and DSPP （P<0.001）. In the OTM model， compared with the control group， the ATV gavage group showed a significant reduction in tooth movement distance （P<0.05）， enhanced osteogenic activity in periodontal tissues， and significantly increased gene （P<0.001） and protein （P<0.05） expression of BMP-2， Runx2， and OCN on the tension side of the first molar. ConclusionATV enhances periodontal osteogenesis by promoting osteogenic/dentinogenic differentiation， thus inhibiting tooth movement.

Tuberculosis (TB), a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is primarily airborne and remains a global health problem, especially in resource-limited countries and regions. The emergence of drug resistance in M. tuberculosis has rendered the existing means ineffective in the treatment of TB. Therefore, research in new therapeutic directions has become imperative. In this review, we outline functional peptides in terms of the mechanisms of action, anti-TB attempts, advantages and disadvantages, and latest advances, aiming to analyze the research progress in anti-TB peptides. Furthermore, we investigate the potential applications of bioactive compounds found in traditional Chinese Medicine within the context of peptides.

The study focuses on the concept of multifunctional traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formulas and aims to evaluate the efficacy of the classical formula Xiaoyao San (逍遥散). Study employs the integrated evidence chain (Eff-iEC) method to organize, integrate, and evaluate its therapeutic efficacy in treating different diseases with the same therapy, and to investigate the feasibility of using Eff-iEC to evaluate the multifunctionality of TCM formulas. The evaluation covered Xiaoyao San's therapeutic effects on depression, premenstrual syndrome, chronic hepatitis, irritable bowel syndrome, dyspepsia, and menopausal syndrome. Concurrently, the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system was used for evaluation, and authoritative medical documents were incorporated to corroborate the recognition of Xiaoyao San within the medical community. Depression and menopausal syndrome received higher ratings than other conditions in the Eff-iEC, GRADE, and Medical Community Recognition assessments. The Eff-iEC evidence grade for Xiaoyao San was rated as "High" or above for chronic hepatitis, irritable bowel syndrome, dyspepsia, and menopausal syndrome. Premenstrual syndrome received a "Moderate ⁺" rating. The GRADE evidence level was "Low-〇〇⨁⨁" for depression, premenstrual syndrome, and chronic hepatitis; "Moderate-〇⨁⨁⨁" for dyspepsia and menopausal syndrome; and "Very Low-〇〇〇⨁" for irritable bowel syndrome. Depression and menopausal syndrome had the highest inclusion frequency, appearing in all 4 categories. Premenstrual syndrome, chronic hepatitis, and dyspepsia are not recommended in Western medical guidelines, but they are included in TCM guidelines, the China National Basic Medical Insurance Drug List, and the China National Essential Drug List. Irritable bowel syndrome appears only in the China National Basic Medical Insurance Drug List and China National Essential Drug List. The evaluation results obtained using the Eff-iEC method align with Medical Community Recognition, providing an objective and comprehensive assessment of Xiaoyao San's efficacy. The findings suggest that Xiaoyao San has strong evidence for treating depression and menopausal syndrome. However, further experimental and clinical trials are needed to assess its efficacy in treating premenstrual syndrome, chronic hepatitis, irritable bowel syndrome, and dyspepsia. These results support the clinical efficacy and rational use of Xiaoyao San, expand the application scope of the Eff-iEC method, and offer valuable insights and methodological references for the comparative evaluation of multifunctional TCM formulas.

Pneumoconiosis is a chronic interstitial lung disease caused by occupational exposure to mineral dust, characterized by persistent inflammation and progressive pulmonary fibrosis. Effective therapeutic options, however, remain limited. Recent multi-omics studies have revealed that glucose metabolic reprogramming, particularly the abnormal activation of glycolysis, plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of fibrotic diseases. This review summarized the key components involved in glycolytic reprogramming, including rate-limiting enzymes such as hexokinase, phosphofructokinase, pyruvate kinase, and lactate dehydrogenase, as well as regulatory factors such as hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Their roles in metabolic regulation and fibrogenesis were elaborated. Special emphasis was placed on alveolar macrophages and fibroblasts, in which enhanced glycolysis and lactate accumulation drive inflammatory responses and collagen deposition, contributing to disease progression. Advances on pharmacological agents such as nintedanib, 2-deoxyglucose, quercetin, metformin, and resveratrol were reviewed, highlighting their antifibrotic potential through modulation of glycolytic enzymes or related signaling pathways. Additionally, the interactions between glycolysis and fatty acid metabolism, amino acid metabolism, and oxidative phosphorylation were discussed, underscoring the significance of multi-pathway coupling in pneumoconiosis. Metabolic abnormalities in pneumoconiosis result from multi-level interactions across cells, molecules, and tissues. Consequently, future therapeutic strategies should shift from single-target interventions toward coordinated regulation of multiple pathways, integrating tissue-targeted drug delivery, metabolism-based stratified interventions, and multi-target combination therapies to achieve precision and personalized treatment.

Background/Aims: Dysregulated cholesterol metabolism is a hallmark of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) that drives tumor initiation and progression. However, clinical targeting of cholesterol metabolism has yielded limited benefits due to stringent feedback in tumor cells. Identifying a central mediator capable of restoring cholesterol homeostasis within the cell’s intrinsically fine-tuned regulatory framework is urgently needed. Methods: We integrated a proteomic dataset from patients with cholesterol-dysregulated HCC into a global cholesterol metabolic regulatory network to identify potential therapeutic targets for disrupted cholesterol homeostasis. The prognostic significance of the candidate targets was further validated in an independent cohort through immunohistochemistry. Functional and mechanistic studies were conducted in vitro using HCC cell lines and in vivo using mouse models. The pharmacological efficacy of the candidate agent was evaluated in both subcutaneous and orthotopic HCC mouse models. Results: ER lipid raft-associated 1 (ERLIN1), a pivotal regulator of cholesterol metabolism reprogramming, was identified as an independent favorable prognostic indicator in HCC. ERLIN1 constrains HCC progression both in vitro and in vivo by stabilizing the INSIG1–SCAP–SREBP2 axis and maintaining the metabolic balance of intracellular cholesterol. Under hypoxia, impaired factor-inhibiting hypoxia-1-dependent hydroxylation of ASB11 at asparagine residues 90 and 92 enhances ASB11-mediated ERLIN1 degradation. Pharmacological targeting of this axis using zoledronic acid (ZoA) attenuated HCC progression by weakening the ASB11–ERLIN1 interaction and restoring cholesterol homeostasis. Conclusions ERLIN1 represents a druggable metabolic vulnerability in cholesterol-dysregulated HCC. Targeting the ASB11–ERLIN1 axis with the clinically approved ZoA reestablishes cholesterol homeostasis and offers a promising therapeutic strategy to overcome the current limitations of cholesterol-targeted HCC therapies.

Juvenile dermatomyositis(JDM) is the most common idiopathic inflammatory myopathy in children, characterized by symmetric proximal muscle weakness and characteristic skin rashes, which may be accompanied by involvement of major organs. Aberrant upregulation of the interferon signaling pathway has been confirmed as the core pathological mechanism of JDM, and is closely associated with mitochondrial dysfunction, peripheral blood immune cell dysregulation, muscle damage and repair dysfunction, as well as cutaneous and pulmonary lesions. Interferon-related biomarkers and interferon scores can serve as evaluation indicators for disease activity. Type Ⅰ interferon inhibitors and Janus kinase inhibitors provide new therapeutic options for refractory JDM. This review systematically summarizes the role of the interferon signaling pathway in the pathogenesis of JDM and its potential therapeutic targets, aiming to provide references for the mechanistic research and precise treatment of JDM.

BACKGROUND:U937 cells can be used as a cell model for studying the biological characteristics,signaling pathways,and therapeutic targets of acute myeloid leukemia.Although it has been reported that long non-coding RNA KIAA0125 is highly expressed in acute myeloid leukemia,its biological function in U937 cells remains unclear,and its mechanism of action in the occurrence and development of acute myeloid leukemia needs to be further clarified. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the expression level of long non-coding RNA KIAA0125 in peripheral blood of patients with acute myeloid leukemia and its effect on the proliferation and apoptosis of U937 cells. METHODS:RNA-sequencing was used to analyze the bone marrow monocyte samples from acute myeloid leukemia patients,and the differentially expressed gene long non-coding RNA KIAA0125 was screened.The expression of long non-coding RNA KIAA0125 in peripheral blood of patients with acute myeloid leukemia was detected by qRT-PCR.The relationship between long non-coding RNA KIAA0125 mRNA expression and prognosis in bone marrow cells of 173 acute myeloid leukemia patients and 70 healthy people was statistically analyzed by GEPIA database.Subsequently,recombinant lentivirus technology and CRISPR/Cas9-SAM technology were used to construct U937 cell lines with knockdown/overexpression of long non-coding RNA KIAA0125.qRT-PCR was used to detect the knockdown/overexpression efficiency of long non-coding RNA KIAA0125.Next,CCK-8 assay,flow cytometry,and western blot assay were used to detect the effects of knockdown/overexpression of long non-coding RNA KIAA0125 on the proliferation and apoptosis of U937 cells.Finally,western blot assay was used to detect the effect of knockdown/overexpressed long non-coding RNA KIAA0125 on Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway-related proteins. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The results of qRT-PCR showed that long non-coding RNA KIAA0125 was highly expressed in peripheral blood of acute myeloid leukemia patients.The results of GEPIA database showed that long non-coding RNA KIAA0125 was highly expressed in bone marrow cells of acute myeloid leukemia patients,and the high expression group had worse overall survival.(2)The knockdown efficiency of long non-coding RNA KIAA0125 in knockdown group was 70%,and the U937 cells that stably down-regulated long non-coding RNA KIAA0125 expression were successfully constructed.The expression of long non-coding RNA KIAA0125 in overexpression group was four times that of vector group,and stable U937 cells were successfully constructed.(3)Knockdown of long non-coding RNA KIAA0125 inhibited the proliferation of U937 cells and promoted their apoptosis.Overexpression of long non-coding RNA KIAA0125 promoted the proliferation of U937 cells but had no significant effect on the apoptosis of U937 cells.(4)Knockdown of long non-coding RNA KIAA0125 inhibited the activity of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway,while overexpression of long non-coding RNA KIAA0125 activated Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.These results confirm that long non-coding RNA KIAA0125 is highly expressed in acute myeloid leukemia peripheral blood.Long non-coding RNA KIAA0125 may affect the proliferation and apoptosis of U937 cells by regulating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway,and may be a potential prognostic marker for acute myeloid leukemia.

Objective To explore the efficacy of vacuum-assisted minimally invasive gyrotomy for benign lesions in the lower quadrant of the breast.Methods From August 2022 to August 2023,90 patients with benign lesions in the lower quadrant of the breast were treated.According to the different surgical methods,they were divided into two groups:the traditional group included 45 cases,which underwent surgery through the trans-areolar incision;the minimally invasive group included 45 cases,which underwent surgery through the trans-mammary fold incision with vacuum-assisted minimally invasive technique.The surgical-related indicators,inflammatory response indicators,patient satisfaction,and safety were compared between the two groups.Results The operation time[(20.45±6.18)min],intraoperative bleeding[(7.78±2.23)ml],hospital stay[(4.37±1.05)d],scar length[(2.32±0.42)cm]and healing time[(3.46±1.08)d]in the minimally invasive group were significantly better than those in the traditional group[(34.52±9.46)min,(23.16±6.44)ml,(8.72±2.73)d,(19.14±4.18)cm and(7.37±2.16)d](P＜0.05).The levels of IL-6[(12.14±2.86)ng/L],IL-10[(14.33±3.74)pg/ml],CRP[(13.85±3.11)mg/L],Cor[(131.27±6.43)nmol/L]and NE[(82.55±8.44)in the minimally invasive group at 3 days after surgery ng/ml were increased and VEGF was decreased[(59.72±7.44)mg/L]than the traditional group[(17.23±3.38)ng/L,(19.62±4.88)pg/ml,(28.36±4.67)mg/L,(196.52±8.84)nmol/L,(117.62±7.14)ng/ml and(88.46±7.89)mg/L](P＜0.05).The satisfaction of patients in minimally invasive group(97.78％,44/45)was significantly higher than that in traditional group(82.22％,37/45)(P＜0.05).The incidence of adverse events in minimally invasive group(4.44％,2/45)was significantly lower than that in traditional group(22.22％,10/45)(P＜0.05).Conclusion Vacuum-assisted minimally invasive rotatory excision can optimize surgical indicators,improve serological indicators,enhance patient satisfaction and treatment safety compared to traditional areola incision surgery.